Indoor Air Quality in the Age of COVID-19

As the current state of the world has brought about some new challenges, there will also be opportunities for us all as we work toward an understanding of what the “new normal” will be.  One solution for filtration systems incorporates ION TECHNOLOGY into the exhaust air to provide additional air filtration outside of the unit. Ion units utilize Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization (NPBI) technology that is UL approved. Through NPBI, our filtration products purify the air by eliminating airborne particulates, pathogens, and gases/odors.

How It Works…
The NPBI (ION) technology works to safely clean the air inside your building. The patented technology uses an electronic charge to create a plasma field filled with a high concentration of + and – ions that replicate those commonly found in nature. As these ions travel with the air stream they attach to particles, pathogens and gases/odors. As the ions attach to airborne particles (including fine, sub-micron particles) they are then attracted to each other, making the particulate more easily filterable and increasing capture efficiency. The ions kill pathogens by robbing them of life-sustaining hydrogen. The ions breakdown harmful gases/odors into harmless compounds like O2, CO2, N2, and H2O.

** The ONLY ionizer certified by UL 867 and UL 2998 to be ozone free. **

Effectiveness on pathogens
• Now as never before, pathogen awareness and mitigation have become the highest of priorities as it relates to our personal safety and that of our customers and their employees. As of this writing there is no NPBI information available that has been tested and proven to kill the COVID-19 virus specifically.
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has enacted a “hierarchy-based” policy, which means that if a company’s product has been found to be effective against harder-to-kill viruses, it is likely to kill a virus like COVID-19 (as follows).

What type of virus is COVID-19?

• Viruses can be generally categorized in three groups by virus structure.

1. Enveloped viruses – Easiest to kill
   – Examples: Influenza A and Coronaviruses
2. Large, non-enveloped viruses – More difficult to kill
   – Example: Rotavirus
3. Small, non-enveloped viruses – Hardest to kill
   – Examples: Norovirus and Rhinovirus

How does this relate to our new NBPI (ION) offering?

• The patented NPBI (ION) technology being utilized in our Air King ION units
  has a documented kill rate on Norovirus of 93.5%.
• Since Norovirus is a harder to kill virus than COVID-19, it can be inferred that
  NPBI (ION) technology is likely to kill COVID-19.
• Microbiologists have suggested that NPBI technology would kill Coronavirus
  at a higher rate; however, only testing will confirm.
• Testing for efficacy in killing the COVID-19 virus is currently underway at a 3rd
  party lab, with results expected by May/June 2020.

Following is a link to the American Chemistry Council blog that explains the above information in greater detail:
https://blog.americanchemistry.com/2020/03/cbc-answers-your-questions-about-covid-19/

Use In Ambient Air Cleaners…

These ionizers can be installed at the factory as an option on the “clean air side” of any of our Filtration units. The filters in our units will continue to provide “active” filtration of the dirty air passing through them, while the ionizer projects ions via the exhaust air to provide “passive” air filtration outside of the unit. The ions produced travel within the air stream into the occupied spaces, cleaning the air everywhere the ions travel, even in spaces unseen.

NOTABLE USERS of NPBI (ION) Technology:
Mayo Clinic
Boston Children’s Hospital
Houston Memorial Hospital
Baylor UMC
The White House
Clemson University
Harvard University
Charlotte Airport

We are excited to get back to the “new normal” and work through these issues with our customers, and potential customers, to provide the best possible work environment in the modern age. Call or email us today. Stay safe!