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| P2P Magazine | Winter 2013/14
01732 759725
ENVIRONMENT
Breathe easily
In November Blueair, a leading
manufacturer of air purifiers, won
a major contract to supply several
thousand units to U.S. Embassy offices
throughout China. Two years ago it won
an order for 425 units for the European
Police Mission (EUPOL) in Kabul,
Afghanistan. Across the world, more
and more organisations are installing
air purifiers to protect employees from
the effects of pollution.
China and Afghanistan are notorious
for smog, but Blueair warns that pollution
also affects air quality in supposedly
clean countries, quoting recent research
by Utrecht University, which shows
that long-term exposure to air pollution
results in increased mortality, even
when pollution is below limits set by the
European Union.
According to the study, each 5mg
per cubic metre increase in particulate
matter raises the risk of someone dying
by 7%. Europe’s normal air quality is
25 mg per cubic metre, but the research
shows that risks are significant even at
under 15 mg per cubic metre.
JohanWennerström, Blueair head of
research and development, said: “While
air pollution has long been known to
be detrimental to human health, this
survey is a real bombshell because it
flags up that the danger exists not just
in smog-laden cities but even in urban
environments that many consider
pristine.”
Indoor air quality
Office workers who spend most of the
day indoors are not immune as pollution
also affects indoor air quality, which
itself can be compromised by inadequate
ventilation and volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) from carpeting,
furniture and wall decorations.
A particular problem, according to
Blueair, are the fine particles caused
by traffic fumes, factories and heating
plants. Known as PM2.5, these are so
small that they penetrate deep into
the lungs and contribute to respiratory
problems and diseases.
Air purifiers are being deployed
Work in comfort
Samsung’s new floor-standing air
conditioner, the Q9000, helps create
a comfortable, healthy working
environment all year round.
I
n addition to heating and
cooling functions, it incorporates an
advanced air care system that filters
out impurities. This is made up of
two parts: an energy-efficient Zero
Filter that electrifies and filters dust
particles; and Virus Doctor air purifying
technology, which neutralises 99% of
bacteria and viruses, turning them into
harmless water vapour. The Q9000
also dehumidifies the air to prevent
mould that can cause respiratory
problems.
The design of the unit itself is
inspired by jet engines. Its three front-
facing fans have aerodynamically
shaped blades that create a whirlwind
airflow for faster cooling and heating.
Fans are adjustable, with seven
different airflow modes, and can be
used individually or all at once. A
Smart Inverter Compressor reduces
energy usage by up to 50% compared
to conventional floor-standing air-
conditioners. The Q9000 also takes up
57% less space than normal models.
in more and more offices because
they can remove these pollutants
and other impurities from indoor air.
In independent testing conducted
by Kitasato Research Center of
Environmental Sciences in Tokyo, Blueair
purifiers managed to remove 99% of
mould, bacteria and viruses from a 107
square foot room in just 10 minutes.
Within 20 minutes, the purifier had
removed over 99.9% of the pollutants.
The fact that Blueair products like the
Blueair Sense look so good is another
major selling point.
Other suppliers
The beneficial effect of air purifiers in
office environments has caught the
attention of other suppliers of business
equipment, including Fellowes, Sharp and
Samsung, all of which have launched
products into this market.
Fellowes sells five purifiers under
the Aeramax and PlasmaTRUE brands.
These use a four-stage cleaning process
to remove 99.7% of impurities down to
0.3 microns in size. Sharp has currently
exited the standalone air purifier market
but plans to re-enter with a refreshed
line-up. In the meantime, it continues to
incorporate its plasmacluster technology
into other products, including copiers,
washing machines, fridge-freezers and
vacuum cleaners.
Samsung, too, uses air purifiers in
other products, notably its new A3
multifunction-printers, and now plans
Air purifiers are essential in the world’s most polluted cities,
but they also have benefits in supposedly clean environments,
new research reveals.
to expand this side of its business. It
recently, announced the Q9000 floor-
standing air conditioner, which combines
the heating, cooling and filtering of air in
one unit (see box).
Increasing rates of asthma, allergies
and respiratory diseases point to the
dangers of pollution. Only governments
can improve outdoor air quality, but
anyone can improve indoor air quality by
investing in an air purifier. Buy one today
and you and your staff can breathe more
easily.
Blueair air
purifiers can
remove fine
particles,
mould,
bacteria and
viruses from
office air.
