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magazine
The danger within
Instead of pillorying Volkswagen for
manipulating its vehicles’ exhaust
emissions tests, should we instead
be thanking them? Disgraceful as its
actions were, they did inadvertently
publicise the damaging effects of
particulates produced by diesel
engines and highlight the poor air
quality in many UK cities.
Greater awareness of air pollution
and its effects is one reason for growing
interest in air purifiers that filter and trap
microscopic particles, such as smoke,
mould spores, pollen, bacteria, viruses
and pet dander, that can cause damage
to lungs and immune systems.
In its report,
Global Air Purifiers
Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2020
,
TechSci Research says that air purifiers,
once considered a luxury, are becoming
a necessity, fuelling a compound annual
growth rate (CAGR) of 14% through to
2020.
This outlook is shared by Blueair,
which sells air purifiers in 64 countries
around the world. Founder and CEO
Bengt Rittri said: “Sales have increased
most in countries such as China, India
and elsewhere where the air pollution
can be highly visible for long periods.
But even in places where air pollution is
often ‘invisible’ to the naked eye, such
as Europe and North America, growing
Environment
public awareness of the reality of
outdoor and inside air quality problems
is sparking interest in creating safer
indoor havens.”
Growing demand
In the UK, the market for air purifiers
is still relatively small. However, Mike
Booth, European marketing manager for
Fellowes’ air purifiers, says demand is
picking up.
“In the 12 months leading up to June
2015 the market grew 9% to a value
of £2.9m. At present the commercial
market is at an under-developed
stage, but given the growing consumer
awareness of indoor air quality and the
impact this has on employees, patients,
students and customers, we have high
hopes for the future for our commercial
air purification business,” he said.
Office workers who spend 90%
of their time indoors might feel safe
from exhaust fumes and other irritants.
However, the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) warns that such
confidence is misplaced, as air pollution
levels can be 2-5 times higher indoors
than outdoors.
This, says Booth, raises important
productivity questions for employers.
“Indoor pollutants can impact our
health and our ability to perform at
our best.With sickness absence costing
UK businesses more than £14 billion
each year and the financial impact of
presenteeism estimated to be even
higher, the benefits of improved air
quality are clear. A recent report from
theWorld Green Building Council on this
topic concluded that productivity gains
of 8-11% are not uncommon as a result
of improved air quality.”
How they work
An air purifier works by filtering air and
trapping contaminants. A popular filter
type is HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate
Air), which traps 99.97% of airborne
particles larger than 0.3 microns.
To clean air more thoroughly, many
modern air purifiers combine two or
more filter technologies in the same unit.
For example, the patented Blueair
HEPASilent system enhances HEPA
technology with an electrostatic media
filter that traps particles charged with
a series of high-voltage wires as they
enter the purifier. For environments with
gaseous pollutants, Blueair recommends
Blueair HEPASilent with a Smokestop
filter, which uses 2-4 lbs of activated
carbon to remove tobacco smoke, odours
and harmful VOCs.
Growing awareness of poor air quality is driving sales of air purifiers
for homes and offices
Air purifiers
are becoming
a necessity,
fuelling a
compound
annual growth
of 14% through
to 2020.
Continued...
“In addition to their aesthetic value,
plants in the workplace can bring many
other benefits for employees, not least
an improvement in air quality. Dust, for
example, is a common problem in offices
and can be difficult to control in quieter
locations that are used less regularly.
According to research carried out in
the US, plants attract more than their
fair share of dust, helping to provide an
element of natural ventilation which may
otherwise be absent. The study found
that particulate levels (including airborne
spores) can be reduced by as much as 20%
in some situations, which can both reduce
the use of expensive air cleaners and help
to improve indoor air quality.
“Aside from dust, the reduction of
carbon dioxide (CO2) is another benefit
of having plant life in the workplace. As a
rule of thumb, the plants which are most
effective at doing this in the office are
those that actively photosynthesise –
converting CO2 into oxygen as efficiently
as possible by closely matching to their
host environment. In light environments,
Ficus Trees (Ficus benjamina) are usually
the most effective, while in darker
environments, plants commonly known as
peace lilies (Spathiphyllum wallisii) are the
best option.”
Non-technological solutions
Air purifiers are one way to combat poor office air quality. Another option, says Kenneth Freeman,
head of innovation at office plant and landscaping services provider Ambius UK, is to use plants.
continued...
