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Feature employees take annually and increase our productivity in the workplace . This can be achieved with primary , secondary and tertiary filtration stages and in some cases even carbon filters are required . Certain filters can only filter out particulate . This is when carbon filters are introduced to take care of certain gasses and volatile organic compounds in the air .
Shaun Little , sales specialist at ALPA explains that there are many applications that call for HEPA level filtration , such as surgical theatres , clean rooms , pharmaceutical manufacturing and even data centres . These industries require a high level of clean air that are laid out in the ISO 14644 standards . These regulations are in place to keep us as humans safe as well as the process of keeping product clean and free of contaminant .
He notes that large banks have also become extremely stringent on their air quality in the last few years , but many other industries like retail shopping malls and health clubs rarely install anything more than the most basic air handling systems .
“ We always strive to educate all sectors and industries about the health risks present and of the best long-term solutions .” “ We focus on three major particle sizes : one micron , 2.5 micron and 10 micron . One ’ s nose and throat can take care of a 10 micron ; 2.5 reaches your lungs ; harmful bacteria is of one micron or less which enters your lungs and is absorbed into your bloodstream . That ' s how people get respiratory infection . Healthcare facilities will want to protect against one micron or less particles , but for offices the major concern is 2.5 to 10 microns ,” says Little .
Natalia Coetzee , sales representative at ALPA , attributes the common ‘ sick building syndrome ’ to poor air conditioning in which the air is simply circulated and minimal clean , fresh air is introduced from outside . “ When one person sneezes that infected air gets actively circulated throughout the building to all other occupants .”
One-micron and less particulate is bad for the human body which it has little to no protection against . They enter our bodies through the respiratory system and into the blood stream and are the cause of mild to deadly diseases from heart attacks to cancer , according to research by Camfil , which is a product distributed by ALPA .
The reference papers listed at the end find that air pollution is :
• Responsible for 5.5 premature deaths around the world every year
• Camfil IAQ handbook
• The fourth highest risk factor for death globally
• Carcinogenic
© Eamonn Ryan | RACA Journal © Eamonn Ryan | RACA Journal
is as a means of air handling . The more affordable solution is to bring in between 10-20 % fresh air ( as an example ) and recirculate the remaining air appropriately .
“ We have standalone and in-line units available for air purification . The Camfil City M is a great example : quiet and stylish , it is capable of covering 75m2 with a double H14 HEPA filter as well as its carbon filter to take care of particulate and those unwanted odours ,” says Little .
While filters are rarely recyclable because of their bacteriacatching function , Little says their products at least never need go to landfill as they are entirely incinerable – and should be incinerated or appropriately disposed of as per application guidelines . “ There are incentives for filters to go greener , which we achieve with our zero-landfill mindset .
Natalia Coetzee , ALPA sales representative ( left ) and Shaun Little , ALPA sales specialist ( right ).
Rean Van Wyk , director ( left ) and Carel van Wyk , project manager , of Lab Craft .
One-micron and less particles account for about 90 % of all particulate matter in outdoor air and the smaller the particle is the longer it can stay in the air , travelling potentially hundreds of kilometres .
“ The more you increase your fresh air supply , which is from outside and filter it into the building , the more expensive that
LIFECYCLE COST ANALYSIS ‘ A HARD SELL ’ On many products , and particularly in the case of Camfil ’ s , says Little , the filter is in an easy to pull out panel that anyone could do . He notes , however , that companies rarely do so and so the company offers maintenance contracts with service level agreement which includes disposing of the filter .
www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I July 2023 25