IAQ ROADSHOW
clean air Why do we need clean air? Our industrialized world changed a lot of things for us human beings. Increased pollution was one change that affected our environment. Today, air pollution is a global problem whose seriousness varies from place to place. Since most of its impacts on human health are long-term, the problem is often overlooked. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills approximately two million people every year. This outdoor pollution, which seeps into our homes and buildings, can easily contribute to indoor pollution. Efficient filtration solutions exist to clean air and protect people but few are aware of the benefits of clean air for productivity. Protecting people from the health impact of air pollution costs money, but it is also a long-term investment that can reduce the cost of high sick leave rates at workplaces and associated medical expenses. Large-scale scientific surveys conducted in Scandinavia have also proven that the learning performance of school children improved by 15 percent with better ventilation. At Camfil Farr we believe there is a need to increase general awareness of air pollution and to put Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) on the political agenda. IAQ should be a public health concern. We need to pay attention to the importance of healthy IAQ. Camfil Farr s vision is clear: clean air should be a human right. Saving energy with the right air filter A filter does not consume any energy by itself, but air filters are an important component in ventilation systems, which can consume up to one-third of the total energy used by buildings. Buildings, in turn, account for around 40 percent of all energy consumed worldwide. In a ventilation system, air filters create a resistance to the air flow; as a consequence, energy is needed to overcome this resistance. The air resistance of a filter will depend on many factors, including design, material selection and technology. Lowenergy air filters need less energy to clean the air and therefore provide good IAQ at lower cost. Energy consumption for ventilation in Europe According to a report from the Fraunhofer Institute, ventilation fans consume almost 200 TWh of energy each year in Europe alone. It is estimated that around 15 percent of the energy used by fans is specifically related to filters, or 30 TWh. A ten-percent improvement in the energy efficiency of air filters would save 3 TWh, or the equivalent of 1.8 million tons of CO 2 emissions the same amount produced by 600,000 cars. Due to the amount of energy consumed to push air through a filter over its life span, a filter often costs four to five times as much to use than to buy, although the expense is often not readily seen because filter and energy costs are usually accounted for separately. To help customers choose the most energy-efficient solution, the Eurovent organization launched a European programme for certifying the energy efficiency of products in 2011, and starting the first quarter of 2012, all filters made by Eurovent program members will display an energy label. The EU has a goal to reduce energy consumption 20 percent by 2020. With stricter regulations, the filtration business could help them achieve this target.
background What did you breathe today? We spend more than 90 percent of our time indoors and indoor air can be up to 50 times more polluted than outdoor air. In homes, offices and schools, indoor air pollutants consist of outdoor pollutants that infiltrate buildings but are also generated by our own activities. Indoor pollutants can include, for example, fine and ultrafine combustion particles and gases from copying papers, fireplaces, candles, air fresheners, textiles, furniture, paint and detergents, for instance. Every day we eat about 1 kg of food. We drink approximately 2 litres of liquids and we breathe 25 kg of air. You are probably quite conscious about what you eat and drink, but do you know if every breath you take is really healthy clean air? Filter facts how particles impact health Efficient air filters can capture ultrafine particles (2.5 μm diameter and below), which are the most harmful because they can reach the lungs and diffuse through the blood stream directly to the vital and sensitive organs of our bodies. According to WHO, ultrafine particles are known to have adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and reduce lung and respiratory functions, especially in children and older, more vulnerable people. The particle size that can most easily penetrate filters is around 0.4 μm. All filters are therefore tested against this particle size. A high-quality air filter will keep its efficiency over its lifetime, which is not the case of charged synthetic filters. When synthetic air filters are new, they trap particles thanks to electrostatic bonds. However, this initial performance decreases over time as the filters lose their electrostatic charge, and eventually they will also lose their ability to capture particles and will consequently release them slowly into the indoor environment. The cost of air pollution Air pollution reduces the life expectancy of Europeans by almost nine months and sick leave totals more than EUR 80 billion of the EU s GDP. Short-term sick leave associated with the outdoor air supply has been analyzed using a sample of 3,720 employees (of which 600 were office employees). The results show a 35-percent reduction in sick leave rates associated with increased ventilation. The combination of a systematic improvement in ventilation systems and sick leave reduction was estimated to save approximately EUR 180 annually per employee.
lab stations What do you breathe? Measuring and defining air quality is difficult and complex, and with the exception of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, the air contains a number of contaminants that are harmful to people. These are present in the air we breathe. This lab station is equipped with highly advanced measurement equipment to detect different particle sizes. The smaller the particles, the easier it is to inhale them. The larger the particles, the easier they are to capture in a filter. This station demonstrates why high-quality air filters are required for good protection against traffic pollutants, for example. Are you protected? This station shows the air quality at our current location. It measures different particle sizes both before (outside) and after (inside) the filter and then displays the efficiency of the filter. The concentration of particles of different sizes will depend on a lot of things. For example, combustion particles are small, while pollen particles are much larger. The lab station will indicate that the most difficult particle to filter is around 0.4 μm. Small particles, also named nano particles, penetrate through the human barrier in the alveoli out into the blood and cause cardiovascular problems. They represent 99% of the particles in air. How can you save? Providing clean air demands energy. But clean air also saves lives and money. We need air filters, but we also need to ensure that they are sustainable and energyefficient. At this lab station we will demonstrate the difference you can make by choosing the right filter solution. With two identical air-handling units operating side-by-side, showing the air flow and energy consumption of two similar filters, we can clearly see how much energy can be saved. Did you know that 70 percent of the electricity in a building goes to heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems? Are you sustainable? There are many factors that determine a filter s pressure drop and the energy consumption of the filter. Using two different filters with e.g. different media areas, which produce different pressure drops, the economic benefit of a low-energy consumption filter, in terms of energy savings, can be seen on the display. ENERGY CONSUMPTION DEPENDS ON: Filter media area Required air flow Filter design Fan efficiency WHAT WE MEASURE: Particle concentration Particle size Particle weight
lab stations How can you keep the city out? Besides particles, gases have also a negative impact on health and productivity. Gases often have a short-term effect on people, causing respiratory problems and headaches. Ozone and nitrogen dioxide are two important gases to look at. This lab station shows you the current concentration of these gases (which will depend heavily on the season) and a molecular filter s efficiency at removing these gases. GASES FILTERED: O 3 Ozone NO 2 Nitrogen dioxide Which filters do you need? It is virtually impossible to see all pollutants in the air. Seeing the exact difference between the qualities of two air filters is also very difficult. This lab station uses smoke (an extremely high concentration of particles) to visualize the difference between two air filtration systems. This allows you to see the difference between filtration efficiency and how a low-quality product performs over time compared to a high-quality product. Electrostatic charged synthetic filters are typical low-cost filters but they lose their performance after a short time. WHAT AFFECTS FILTER PERFORMANCE: Filter media type Filter class Live measurements Air quality varies over time and depends on the location. Morning air is different from afternoon air. City air is different from country air. We have placed three air quality monitoring stations in different locations around the world that continuously report real-time air quality back to the trailer. These values will be compared to local conditions where our trailer is currently parked. To measure air quality at the present location, the lab is equipped with a laser particle counter. The laser particle counter can count particles from 0.3 μm to 10 μm in size which includes the range of particles most difficult to filter (0,3-0,5 μm), making them the most relevant for measuring filter efficiency. The result of the measurement is shown to visitors on a graph both inside and outside the trailer. To compare local results, Camfil Farr has placed identical measurement equipment in three other cities. The screens show the cities currently being monitored.
what can you do? You can ask to increase the air flow of your building s ventilation system since studies show that it can have a very positive effect on health and productivity. You can ask for better air filtration. Camfil Farr always recommends filter class F7 for buildings where people live and work. You can make sure that the filters have a high discharge efficiency, meaning that the filter will have the same or better performance throughout its life. You can influence decisions for purchasing air filters by making sure that energy-efficient filters are bought, i.e. by seeing that the total cost of the complete system is taken into account. You could consider upgrading particle filtration with molecular filtration if you are located in a city centre or in another area with poor air quality. websites Camfil Farr: www.camfilfarr.com World Health Organisation: www.who.int Eurovent European Association of Air Handling and Refrigerating Equipment Manufacturers: www.eurovent-certification.com REHVA Federation of European Heating, Ventilating and Air-conditioning Associations: www.rehva.eu What Camfil Farr s doing: Camfil Farr works to implement and improve standards for indoor air quality. Camfil Farr is increasing awareness of issues related to air pollution. Camfil Farr provides solutions and services for both particle and gas filtration. Camfil Farr develops low-energy products and solutions.
A filter costs four to five times as much to as to. Molecular filters can remove unhealthy gases, such as ozone and nitrogen dioxide. We spend of our time indoors. (in energy) Recent studies show that can be increased with better ventilation. 70% of the electricity in a building goes to heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. did you know?
Camfil Farr is a Swedish family-owned company established in 1963. Today, we are the world leader in clean air solutions, developing and producing filters and solutions in 23 production units and four R&D centres in Europe, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region. Camfil Farr has chosen to adopt a local approach to its markets and operations. We operate as close as possible to our customers and we are committed to maintaining and reinforcing the partnership of trust with our clients. Sustainability is at the heart of Camfil Farr s business concept. We care for people, processes and the environment and we believe that clean air should be a human right. Don t you? www.camfilfarr.com/roadshow THE EXHIBIT IS PRODUCED BY ACTIT KOMMUNIKATION, STOCKHOLM IN COOPERATION WITH: ASKER CURT AB, BRODEN DESIGN, EYEFEED AB, FISCHERREKLAMATÉLJE AB, PRESENTATIONSDESIGN STOCKHOLM AB AND R.A.B.B.E ARKITEKTUR&UTSTÄLLNINGAR. PHOTOS: FOTOLIA, LENNART NILSSON PHOTOGRAPHY AB / CAMFIL AB CAMFIL AB. SVEAVÄGEN 56E, 111 34 STOCKHOLM. PHONE: +46 (0)8 545 125 00. WWW.CAMFILFARR.COM