Can airborne viruses be eliminated from indoor air?

BY PAUL JUNOR

There have been concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic about the removal of the COVID-19 virus from indoor air within classrooms, workplaces and varied settings.

On Thursday, January 19^th, 2022, there was a press release issued by Qlean Air Japan that indicated that there is a technology that involves a QleanAir FS 300 that can remove over 95% of airborne virus particles in only 10 minutes. The findings were obtained as a result of collaboration between Sendai Medical Center and QleanAir Japan. The purpose of the study was to measure the impact of a specific air cleaner on the COVID-19 virus in an indoor air setting.

The joint study seeks to answer the question, “Can airborne viruses be eliminated from indoor air?” The special air filter, QleanAir FS 30 was designed as a result of a partnership with Karolinska University Hospital at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is equipped with an EPA 11 filter and delivers up to 80/1 000 m3/h air at sound levels from 19-45 dB(A).

The following are details of the study:

• It was conducted by Sendai Medical Center and QleanAir Japan
• The aim was to measure the impact an air cleaner can have on reducing the particle content of airborne viruses in a chamber of 25 meter cubed
• The study was conducted in a safe test environment where the indoor air was contaminated with active influenza virus, roughly the same particle as SARS-CoV-2
• Air quality was measured over time, both with and without the aid of a QleanAir air cleaner
• The air cleaner used in this study was the QleanAir FS 30

The summary of the results of the study that was issued in the press release are:

• It took only 10 minutes to remove over 95% of virus particles from the air
• In comparison, the particle reduction without an air cleaner was only 16.9%
• After 20 minutes approximately 99.9 % was eliminated and after 30 minutes over 99.99 %
• The study also compared the effectiveness of QleanAir FS 30 equipped with both HEPA 14 and EPA 11 filters
• Both filter combinations cleared the air in the room effectively
• The unit equipped with the EPA 11 filter reached a particle reduction of 99.9 % and 99.99 5 slightly faster due to its higher air flow

Glen Shimizu, Head of Sales Japan & MD QleanAir Scandinavia K.K states in the press release, “The study shows what difference an air cleaner equipped with a high-performance, certified mechanical filter can have on air quality. We also found that the QleanAir FS 30 equipped with an EPA 11 filter performed slightly better than the HEPA 14, but that the performance of the air cleaner is decisive to indoor air quality.”

Sebastian Lindstrom, CEO of QleanAir observes, “At QleanAir we are proud to be able to provide effective air cleaners that can effectively reduce virus particles in a room, as well as being one of the first to meet the new VDI guidelines. The study results not only support the importance of choosing the right technology and filter, but also proves that our air cleaners reduce infectious aerosols both quickly and quietly.”

Anyone interested in the scientific reference can check Hidekazu, NISHIMURA,Seiji OHNO: Comparison of airborne virus reduction efficiencies between air purifiers with HEPA and EPA filters.