Can HEPA Air Filtration Stop Viruses?
What is a HEPA Filter, and Why is it Effective Against COVID-19?
There’s a lot to talk about when it comes to HEPA filters – short for high-efficiency particulate air filters – especially when seeking a sound solution to improve indoor air quality. The hefty HEPA has earned bragging rights, offering top-of-the-line protection when it comes to capturing a majority of tiny airborne contaminants and keeping occupants safe in an indoor space.
Premium HEPA mechanical air filters have been around for decades. And particularly today, in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, the multi-layered component maintains a stellar reputation as an effective, proven clean air solution.
In fact, to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic, both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and ASHRAE recommend improving indoor air with in-space HEPA air purifiers to protect school communities and day care centers with clean, purified air. Specifically in schools, the CDC ventilation guidance recommends portable air cleaners engineered with HEPAs to safeguard students and teachers in classrooms, around high-traffic spaces such as gymnasiums and lunchrooms, and the nurse’s office.
The HEPA’s multi-layered filter design – a medium of fiberglass or synthetic matted fibers – traps microscopic particles invisible to the human eye. HEPA filters are proven and various agencies like The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), CDC, ASHRAE, NASA and others recommend them because a HEPA can remove at least 99.97% of airborne viruses and emerging variants as well as bacteria, mold, dust, pollen, and other airborne contaminants.
A detailed HEPA filter diagram (right) illustrates the complex innerworkings of the high-efficiency particulate air filters, the preferred workhorse of many in-space HEPA air purifiers.
ISO-Aire & HEPA Filtration
All commercial ISO-Aire HEPA air purifiers, ranging from 300CFM to 2000CFM, are equipped with a medical-grade HEPA filter to deliver clean, healthy, and safe air to classrooms, day care centers, fitness studios, senior living centers, business offices, and more.
According to Kevin Albers, developer of ISO-Aire, the 12-inch deep medical-grade HEPAs deployed inside the line of powerful commercial-grade air purifiers provides an effective and low maintenance approach. “ISO-Aire is engineered with a medical-grade HEPA which captures 99.99% of potentially harmful airborne particles. This is the same type of clean air technology installed in hospital surgical rooms or clean rooms,” Kevin noted. “ISO-Aire extended-life HEPA filters are effective, reliable, and require minimal maintenance with a five- to six-year life cycle.”
Albers explained HEPA is the workhorse of clean air technology. “They’re the preferred filtration solution because they trap over 99.97% of all particles. The HEPA is the most important component to understand when researching air purifiers. Compare the amount of filter media, lifespan and how loud it is at the proper CFM levels to be effective.”
Curious to learn more? Request a free air purifier demonstration or facility assessment from our team of experts or contact us at 651-265-0605 or at info@iso-aire.com.