LG PuriCare is a Powered Respirator and Monitor

Air Quality in Cabs of Construction Equipment

The International Society of Environmental Enclosure Engineers (ISEEE), has Insights on COVID Protection for Operators of Construction Equipment

Nordic Pure® is a Supplier to the Heating and Air Conditioning Filtration Market

Air Filters Inc. has Range of Air Filters for Residential, Commercial and Health Care

Worcester Mass Spending $15 Million on HVAC

New Hampshire Schools Need $25 million to Upgrade

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LG PuriCare is a Powered Respirator and Monitor

Yesterday we covered the LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier. But here are more details. The PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier employs two H13 HEPA filters, similar to the filters used in the company’s home air purifier products.

Employing LG’s latest advancements in air purification, high-performance replaceable filters enable PuriCare Wearable to supply fresh, clean air indoor and out. With its Dual Fans and patented Respiratory Sensor, LG’s wearable air purifier allows users to take in clean, filtered air while the Respiratory Sensor detects the cycle and volume of the wearer’s breath and adjusts the dual three-speed fans accordingly. The fans automatically speed up to assist air intake and slow down to reduce resistance when exhaling to make breathing effortless.

Ergonomically designed based on extensive facial shape analysis, LG PuriCare Wearable fits snugly on the user’s face to minimize air leakage around the nose and chin. The design also makes it possible to wear the unit comfortably for hours on end. The efficient and lightweight 820mAh battery offers up to eight hours of operation in low mode and two hours on high.

What’s more, LG’s innovative personal air solution comes with a case that helps maintain hygiene between uses. Equipped with UV-LED lights that kills harmful germs, the one-of-a-kind case can even charge the mask and sends a notification to the LG ThinQ mobile app (Android/iOS) when the filters need to be replaced for peak performance. And because every component of LG PuriCare Wearable – from the filters to the ear straps – is replaceable and recyclable, it’s an environmentally responsible solution as well.

“The PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier is an exciting addition to our growing lineup of products designed to deliver meaningful health and hygiene benefits,” said Dan Song, president of LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solution Company. “At a time when consumers are seeking ways to make life safer and more convenient, it’s important that we’re able to offer solutions that add measurable value.”

Air Quality in Cabs of Construction Equipment

Construction, Demolition, Recycling magazine interviewed Jeff Moredock, the executive vice president for Sy-Klone International, an air cleaning equipment manufacturer based in Jacksonville, Florida.

With Moredock serving as the international project lead for the International Standards Organization (ISO), a new standard of in-cab air quality is on the horizon that could help improve both machine and operator well-being and performance.

According to Moredock, in-cab air quality is primarily dependent on four different factors: temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration levels and dust particle levels.

Temperature and humidity are easily controlled by most HVAC systems. CO2 and dust, however, are not as simple to address.

Some HVAC systems only recirculate the air inside the cab and some, known as fresh air systems, draw air from outside the cab. Either configuration can present significant air quality problems when operating in high dust concentrations, as one recirculates stale air while the other draws dust into the cab.

Dust in the cab can be problematic for both the machine and the operator.

When outside particulates get sucked into the cab, they clog the HVAC system and degrade its function.

But even more problematic is the particulates’ effects on operator health. Dust can contain a variety of contaminants, including silica and asbestos, which can be harmful to operators, especially with long-term exposure.

If the HVAC system is not recirculating air, CO2 also starts to build up in the cab. Moredock says CO2 exposure can also create health problems that may be more immediate, especially with the use of diesel-powered machines. More CO2 equals less oxygen in the cab, which can impair cognitive function and decision-making. It also causes the air to feel stifling, which may result in operators opening a window and exposing themselves to even more contaminants.

Regulations currently exist to quantify safe levels of contamination. OSHA’s recent silica regulations lowered the permissible exposure limit (PEL) to 50 micrograms per meter cubed averaged over an 8-hour day. Similarly, ISO 16000 has established that the CO2 concentration for medium indoor air quality is 800 parts per million (ppm).

Moredock, however, says there is a difference between indoor air quality in a typical building and in-cab air quality in a working environment.

“What we found is the 800 ppm was a good mark for buildings, but … you also have ambient CO2, which is what your CO2 level is just walking around outside, and then you have the CO2 level inside the cab with a guy breathing it,” he says. “What we're really concerned about is the difference between those two and making sure that that difference is not substantial.”

Moredock is the international project lead for developing ISO 23875, an air quality control systems and air quality performance testing standard for operator enclosures.

“As it relates to standards that directly address air quality, there are very few. In fact, the one that we're writing is the first one that's been written on an international basis that addresses air quality in an operator cab and provides awareness of this as a problem,” Moredock says.

The standard will establish a testing methodology for evaluating the cab’s performance upon manufacturing, as well as methodology for the cab’s ongoing maintenance. Moredock says the standard will be applicable across the entire supply chain, from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to industrial hygienists.

Fresh air, however, can be difficult to come by when in an enclosed working environment.

Moredock says high-efficiency filters can filter air coming into the cab through the HVAC system, controlling the airflow in and out of the cab to minimize CO2 and dust buildup.

Moredock says while many favor HEPA filters, MERV 16 filters are cheaper, longer lasting and typically enough to do the job.

The question posed by McIlvaine is whether with the pandemic, this will still be the case. Virus has been identified on dust particles. On the other hand there is no good research on how long viruses remain viable.  But if demolition is in a downtown area then the risk is greater.

https://www.cdrecycler.com/article/setting-the-standard/

The International Society of Environmental Enclosure Engineers (ISEEE), has Insights on COVID Protection for Operators of Construction Equipment

The International Society of Environmental Enclosure Engineers (ISEEE), a nonprofit organization, was established in 2012. Since its founding, ISEEE members have focused on performing research, to develop best practices, and educational material around environmental enclosure air quality engineering to protect the lung health of equipment operators. The ISEEE Advance Cab Theory Workshop remains the only course in the world specifically focused on training attendees on environmental enclosure design, performance testing, and certification in their real-world environments. ISEEE provides education, subject matter expertise for standards development, and consultation on environmental enclosure air quality engineering.

Jeff Moredock  is the president. Jeff also currently serves as the International Organization of Standardization’s (ISO) International Project Lead for the development of ISO 23875, a new standard aimed to align all stakeholders in environmental enclosure design and air quality performance testing, to protect the lung health of equipment operators.  Additionally, Jeff serves on international and American standards related committees, including Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), Association of Equipment Manufactures (AEM), and ISO committees. Most of his committee work is focused on environmental enclosure standards development. 

Jeff is currently employed as the Executive Vice President of Sy-Klone
https://www.iseee.net/about

Nordic Pure® is a Supplier to the Heating and Air Conditioning Filtration Market

The company had a focus on wholesale distributor relationships, but that changed in 2004 when  it opened an online store at www.NordicPure.com to sell Nordic Pure® products directly to the general public, consumers and wholesale distributors.

Air filters are available in a multitude of sizes and efficiencies - it even makes custom filters to fit unique installations. All Nordic Pure® brand products are made in the U.S.A. and shipped directly from the manufacturer.

Air Filters Inc. has Range of Air Filters for Residential, Commercial and Health Care

Air Filters Incorporated’s Aire-Loc™: HFH (Healthcare Filter Housing) is designed to protect and provide quality air to patients, nurses, doctors, healthcare workers and staff in all types of healthcare facilities (clinics, hospitals, doctor’s offices, nursing homes, critical care units, etc.) with its air purification system. 

The Aire-Loc™: HFH has been specially designed to use four stages of air filtration for use in hospitals, healthcare facilities, and any environments where it is crucial to have a healthy indoor air quality (IAQ).

·         Stage 1: First, air passes through a MERV 13 pleated filter.

·         Stage 2: Next, it flows through a flocked honeycomb carbon filter.

·         Stage 3: Third, the UV light conditions the air.

·         Stage 4: Finally, air passes through a HEPA 99.99% filter.

The Aire-Loc™: HFH is a free-standing unit that is available in a horizontal or vertical configuration with a side-access door making installation and maintenance simple for use anywhere – attics, closets, rooftops, etc. The Aire-Loc™: HFH can clean and filter the air in six (6) 12X12 rooms, twelve times (12X) every hour. With its UV purification system, the HFH is the ideal solution to provide clean, healthy air to promote the healing and protection of patients, healthcare workers, and critical equipment.

The company makes a range of HVAC air filters for commercial and industrial applications.

Investing in proper air filtration in swine farms is imperative to raising and farrowing healthy pigs and piglets. Not having quality air filtration can lead to the spread of pathogens and viruses especially PRRS (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus) which can significantly impact your herd, productivity, and operating costs. To ensure maximum protection from the spread of illnesses and viruses, investing in proper air filtration in swine farms is imperative to raising and farrowing healthy pigs and piglets. Not having quality air filtration can lead to the spread of pathogens and viruses especially PRRS (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus) which can significantly impact the herd, productivity, and operating costs.

To ensure maximum protection from the spread of illnesses and viruses, they recommend a MERV 8 or higher rated pleated air filter as a pre-filter (first stage) and a HEPA V-Cell High-Efficiency Mini-Pleat filter for the final stage filter.

First Stage: The Astro-Pleat MERV 8-13 pleated filter captures fine dust and particles before the air passes through the final stage of filtration. The pleated filter can extend the filter life of the more costly final stage air filter by capturing the larger particles first. 

Final Stage: The SureCell HEPA Mini-Pleat V-Cell is used as the final stage of air filtration and traps and stops the transmission of aerosol-spread pathogens and viruses. Capturing up to particles and droplets as small as 0.3 microns in size. 

According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers, a filter of MERV 13 or greater efficiency is needed to control particulates generated by airport construction, aircraft exhaust, maintenance particulates and passenger contaminants. The company’s particulate filters are available in MERV 8 to 16, while their activated carbon, specialty impregnated carbon and chemisorbant materials reach mechanical efficiencies of 99.9%.

Offering superior absorption and removal of chemical, gaseous and bacterial pollutants, Air Filters, Inc. products control molecular and particulate pollutants and are designed for use in cutting-edge climate control systems. Additional filter features and advantages include:

·         Wide selection of sizes & materials

·         Removal of gases, odors & vapors

·         Removal of VOC s & bio effluents

·         Control of visible & invisible airborne particles

·         Control of nuisance dust

https://www.airfilterusa.com/order-custom-air-filter

Worcester Mass Spending $15 Million on HVAC

Worcester is spending millions of dollars for work on HVAC systems in city buildings and its public schools to improve air filtration during the coronavirus pandemic, making changes that officials say should help long-term.

In particular, the upgrades are needed in school buildings before students can return for in-class learning. The Worcester Public Schools district is starting the new academic year with remote learning for all students, with the goal of bringing back the students with the highest need for in-person learning after the first quarter.

Worcester is adding filters and equipment to HVAC systems through its energy services contract with Honeywell and hopes to have all the work complete by the end of December.

Including city and school buildings, the project will run about $15 million, according to John Odell, the energy and asset director for Worcester. The work will improve air quality and will be an energy-saving component, which allows the project to qualify under the city’s energy services contract, the only way to get all this work done by the end of the calendar year, Odell said.

The city is still working out how all the upgrades will be funded and is hoping more federal grant money can be obtained, but it appears some coronavirus relief funding will be used and that the city may incur debt for some amount of the project, officials said.

Odell said the majority of the project is school buildings, but city hall, the fire stations, police station, libraries and any facility that has employees inside on a regular basis are included.

Worcester has 44 schools, according to the district website. While the city has seen new schools constructed in the last 20 years, some of its buildings are decades old, a few even dating to the 1800s, according to district documents.

Forty-six percent of buildings were constructed before 1940; 33% were constructed between 1950 and 1989; and 21% were constructed from 1990 to the present, the district said.

The age of buildings impacts what kind of HVAC system is present in each school. Twenty-six buildings have no mechanical HVAC system, the district said, while 20 buildings have a partial system with fresh air intake but no mechanical exhaust. Fourteen have full mechanical HVAC systems with fresh air intake with mechanical exhaust, but with or without air conditioning.

Worcester Public Schools Chief Financial and Operations Officer Brian Allen said three things are being done: increasing the amount of outdoor air in buildings; increasing the level of filters in schools or buildings with mechanical HVAC systems; and installing needlepoint bipolar ionization equipment, either directly in the HVAC systems or through portable units.

Before finalizing the plan for the school year, district administration did say that basement classrooms without windows or adequate ventilation would not be used.

Allen said that the district has talked at length about the age of its buildings before, working to submit renovation projects to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, but that the district is underfunded in areas of materials and building maintenance.

“The Student Opportunity Act, once it actually gets funded, really we should look at the areas of the chronic underfunding,” Allen said, “so that would be additional funding for each of those areas: instructional supplies, materials and technology, staff development and operations and maintenance of buildings.”

Currently, there are projects for a new Doherty Memorial High School and South High Community School. The next schools in line are Burncoat High School and Worcester East Middle, Allen said.

Allen said he sees these upgrades as a long-term benefit for the schools as research shows this equipment has been used successfully in hospitals for a long time and has been shown to be successful in killing other viruses, mold and other indoor air quality issues.

The goal is to have some Worcester students return to school buildings after the first quarter ends in November. If the upgrades aren’t complete in all buildings, Allen said there is a possibility that students may go to a different school building on a temporary basis until the work is finished.

The city is working on finalizing a list of buildings to prioritize for the upgrades.

“I’ll certainly admit, the pandemic catalyzed this for sure,” Odell said of the upgrades. “This was not planned prior.”

About two and a half months ago, the city started looking at options to improve air quality and the cost-benefit analysis. These upgrades are in high demand right now as communities across the country work to make improvements during the pandemic.

It will be several weeks before the equipment comes in and the installation process can begin, Odell said. For some buildings, this work may just be a mitigating tool and supplemental work may be necessary. It depends on the age of each building and what issues exist; Odell explained.

“This is just a good example of the collaboration between the city and schools and trying to do something that benefits everybody, not just for the current pandemic,” Odell said. “The hope is that this will help improve indoor air quality for a bunch of other pathogens as well that will benefit employees, students, teachers and, of course, the public.”

New Hampshire Schools Need $25 million to Upgrade

Officials with the New Hampshire School Administrators Association said districts will need at least $25 million above the relief already in place.

The costs to overhaul HVAC systems in schools, for example, were not accounted for in budgets developed before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“We have old schools around the state buying box window fans as their ventilation system, or just hoping that an open window, when it's 90 degrees outside with 100% humidity, is going to somehow mitigate air quality concerns,” Dr. Carl Ladd, of the New Hampshire School Administrators Association, said.

Local districts are also covering costs to update technology, sanitation equipment, personal protective gear and added staff during the crisis. The $34 million in federal coronavirus relief bill money won’t be enough, officials said.

“The CARES Act money has long since been spent,” Ladd said.

According to the New Hampshire School Administrators Association, 92% of districts qualified to receive fewer than $500,000, while 49% qualified to receive fewer than $50,000. Ten percent of districts received nothing.

In some districts, remote and reopening costs have been three or four times larger than the allocated amounts.

For example, the Goffstown School District, which spent more than $700,000, was allocated fewer than $300,000. The Kearsarge Regional School District, meanwhile, invested more than $700,000 despite only qualifying for $171,000.

“Most of these communities are already so tapped out when it comes to their property taxes, that it just seems unfathomable that we would go back and ask for more money,” Ladd said.

Ladd said if there is no more revenue that's being raised or a new source of money coming in, then school districts are going to have to make severe and drastic cuts.