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By Meghan Prisuta • March 11, 2020

Do air cleaners kill COVID-19?

As COVID-19, now declared a global pandemic, continues to spread across much of the world, the lives of millions of Americans are being significantly disrupted.  According to Education Week, as of Tuesday, 621 K-12 schools across the country have closed due to the accelerated spread of the coronavirus. These numbers are likely to greatly increase as more and more communities scramble to clean and quarantine. Several colleges have closed down their campuses, shifting learning online and forcing students to pack their bags and head home for the semester.  When schools, day cares and colleges close, it affects not only productivity and development, but food, health care, even a place to stay. This leaves us asking, how can we minimize school closings during this outbreak and future outbreaks? On top of self-care practices, is there a way to create cleaner indoor environments that reduce the spread of disease? Innovative air cleaners, like Global Plasma Solutions’ patented technology, might just be the answer.

What Are Air Cleaners?

Air cleaners utilize the technology of bi-polar ionization to eliminate airborne particulates, odors and pathogens.

  1. Breaks Down Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Neutralizes Odors

Bi-polar ionization generates ions which break down toxins and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), into their basic elements. VOCs are compounds that easily become vapors or gases and can pose a threat to those who ingest them or come into contact with them. VOCs are released from things like burning fuel, cigarettes, solvents and other household products.  Take the case of the VOC, Ammonia (NH4). When using a bi-polar ionization air cleaner, the ammonia is broken down into nitrogen, hydrogen, and water vapor – which, on their own, are harmless. This process also leaves the indoor air fresh-smelling and free of odor causing VOCs.

  1. Reduces Airborne Particles

During the cleaning process, ions attach to airborne particles like dust, dander and pollen, subsequently increasing their mass and size. This allows the air filtration system to easily capture the larger particles, increasing the capture efficiency of the HVAC system.

  1. Increases Energy Savings

In addition to health benefits, this technology can save building owners 30% on conditioning costs because it allows commercial buildings to significantly reduce the amount of outside air required to operate the system.

Do Air Cleaners Kill Disease?

 Most importantly, as it relates to fear revolving around COVID-19, bi-polar ionization air cleaners attack and kill viruses, mold spores and bacteria. The ions steal away hydrogen from the pathogens, leaving them to die.

Global Plasma Solutions (GPS) manufacturers needlepoint bi-polar ionization air cleaning technology and has truly been a pioneer in creating healthier, more efficient indoor environments. In 2018, ELITE labs found that GPS patented technology demonstrated substantial reductions in each pathogen tested, including Clostridium Difficile (C Diff), Staphylococcus (Staph), Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli (E. Coli), and Legionella.

 

[UPDATE - GPS reports 99.4% kill rate of SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19). Read more here!]

So, will these air cleaners kill COVID-19? According to GPS, “the reality is that the newness of this pathogen means that there is limited access to test data or the testable pathogen.”  The company announced on Monday that another round of testing is being conducted immediately against the largest set of pathogens they have tested to date, including a human Coronavirus, and will test COVID-19 upon availability. Global Plasma Solutions CTO, Charlie Waddell, added: “We are eager to refresh and expand our 3rd party test data to further demonstrate the effectiveness of our ionization technology.”

Given the very high success rate of GPS air cleaners at killing the most aggressive pathogens, we look forward to hearing the results of the COVID-19 testing. We will keep our clients informed as we learn more.

If you have questions about bi-polar ionization air cleaners or would like to discuss the indoor air quality at your commercial facility, give us a call at 610-235-9066 or email us at info@effectiv.us.

[UPDATE - GPS reports 99.4% kill rate of SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19). Read more here!]

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