Public health has been a major concern off late, with the second and third waves of the pandemic continues to take a toll on human lives and health. Air quality has become the top priority for homeowners and businesses, besides other places where indoor safety protocols are in place.
Consumers advertently turning towards Air purifiers such as HVAC filter with HEPA filter media, ULPA filter media and other personal protection measure and face masks to safeguards themselves against contaminants, especially indoors where many people are expected to sit and work together
Now, the question arises – do all purifiers remove the virus and other germs? If not, what specifications are needed in a particular filter media to efficiently remove viruses and other microbes from the indoor air that we breathe?
Well, there are many factors that works than me and you might think. Here are some advantages of HEPA filters and HEPA filter media grades that explains why and how it helps in fighting disease from the air that we breathe indoors:
Let’s begin at the very beginning:
What are HEPA Filters?
We all have come across or even changed the HEPA filter, at some point in our lives or at least heard about it, without known completely about these filters. HEPA [High-Efficiency particulate Arrestance] Filter is an acknowledgement given to filters that are able to capture size 0.3-micron particles – mostly pathogens are of this size category. So, it can be said that a fully functional high-efficient HEPA filter media should effectively capture 99.9% pathogenic particles.
So, the question here is, does that mean HEPA filters are able to remove/ capture COVID Viruses? So, to answer that we can say that effectiveness of a HEPA filter depends on which grade HEPA filter media is used, how it is used with components such as air purifiers, UV lights and others.
HEPA Filters are used in Consumer and commercial Air Purifiers?
Like many other wartime breakthroughs, HEPA filters were developed as concept development during WWII and the official designation was not developed until the 1980s. The world at that time was grappled with protection against gas attacks. Eventually, technology made its way to the public and consumers in the form of air filtration and purification.
Here, it is important to know that not all air purifiers use HEPA filters. There are some air purifiers that are designed to capture smoke and fumes, but not necessarily uses HEPA filter media. So, these air purifiers are not meant to capture 0.3-micron particles, which is mostly considered to be among the most troublesome for humans.
HEPA filter media can be incorporated along with other air purification system, hence it can be used alongside other types of filters such as activated carbon filters for maximum efficiency, as HEPA filters are the only component of an air purification system. For better boost, HEPA filters can be used alongside UV light for general health.
HEPA Filter Media of Grade H13filter is capable of blocking up to 99.95% of Maximum Penetration Size Particles (MPPS).