It seems a bit ironic to read the headlines during air quality Awareness Week, of a possible pandemic of the swine flu. In this age of technology, not high-tech solutions are available to prevent the spread of infectious diseases? If so, why don't more people aware of their availability?
Energy-efficient, electronic technologies that inactivation of viruses and other pathogens are now available. Most people are just not aware that these technologies exist. Americans should change their way of thinking about indoor air quality.
If one thinks to clean air, many different images come to mind. Usually, the thought is from somewhere outside, perhaps even long ago, and the scene is mostly uninhabited.
Pollution happened in nature since the beginning of time. Some examples are wind blown volcanic ash and gases and dust storms. Nature has cleaned of these problems, so why don't we clean indoor air as nature does?
The answer is, we can. Nature makes many different methods for cleaning the outside air, because one solution will not work for any kind of pollution. Thunderstorms create only more than one solution. Negative ions created by lightning to cause dust and other particles as they gather together to add clump weight fall to the surface to help them. Rain collects several of the particles in the atmosphere and brings them to the Earth. Thunderstorms also create ozone, one of the most powerful air purifiers found in nature.
While we're on the subject, let's clear the air about the common misconception about "good" and "bad" ozone ozone. Ozone has gotten a lot of bad press, so here is some good news. There is only one ozone O3. The O3 found up in the ozone layer is also present in the air we breathe every day. Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent, excellent at cleaning air and water. We could not exist without the ozone layer, nor can we exist without the current ozone here in our earthly environment.
However, it could be too little, enough or too much ozone. The United States Environmental Protection Agency recommends that levels should be less than 50 parts per billion in the air we breathe. Higher levels can cause various health problems.
We must also understand that ozone levels not arbitrarily increase. When outdoor ozone levels have increased pollution, increases first to trigger the response of nature with elevated ozone concentrations.
Ozone is measured, especially in the cities in the us, in order to determine the level of pollution, as it is much easier to measure ozone than it is to all of the different pollutants ozone works to clean. You can, of course, too much ozone are harmful to humans, as can the many dangerous pollutants that neutralizes ozone. If we remove the ozone layer, we would seriously endanger ourselves.
So, what do we need? We must have a quiet, energy efficient, indoor system that most closely replicates nature's wonderful complex and complete system. These systems are already available.
How does such a system? Starting with ultraviolet (UV) light, put the ozone catalytically in other oxidants present in nature's Toolbox. Photocatalytic oxidation, recreates such as the technology is called in general the outdoors, indoors. Use advanced forms more moisture in the air to make a small, safe amount of ozone to supplement ozone present in the air. Most of that ozone is then converted to organic peroxides, super oxide ions, hydroxides and ozonide ion, passive negative ions. These same oxidants are created by the UV rays of the Sun outside. They fall and inactivation of the germs and odors in the air and on surfaces. Within this technology cleans the whole indoor environment, constantly. Germs just seem to have no chance.
Renowned scientists have started closing that hand washing prevents the spread of infectious diseases to its intended effect. This failure can be attributed to the fact that many of these contaminants are both from the air and surfaceborne. Purified through a surface disinfectant will soon be re-infected by microbes left in the air. Besides, its people infected more frequently by air-borne diseases than they are by surface. The best solution is to constantly purifying indoor air and surfaces, just as nature does.
People are unnecessarily exposed to infectious diseases and harmful bacteria. The technology is available and affordable. All public buildings can and should this type of technology is installed in the existing heating and air conditioning ductwork shapes to help protect building occupants against the spread of air and surface-borne bacteria, viruses and fungi. The American public needs to be protected.
For additional information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Glen Coleman Call Louai Miller on 1-877-268-3245 or email Louai on miller@aotechgroup.com.
AO Technologies, Inc. is a team of experts within environment dedicated to providing the best, green solutions available for indoor environmental issues. The company is located in Ashburn, VA, with offices in VA and NC and has global capabilities.
