Blog Tag: bacteria

There is a visual misconception that happens to most people when it comes to identifying what objects will do them harm. The normal train of thought is…”if I can’t see it, it won’t hurt me.” In essence, nothing could be further from the truth. Tiny, airborne and surface mounted sub-micron sized viruses and bacteria are invisible to the naked eye but can often be deadly to humans. Finely ground dust from any mineral source or pollen, ragweed and grasses range in size from 100 microns down to less than 1 micron in size. You can only see down to about 20 microns with the naked eye.

Ingestion of small amounts of tiny airborne pathogens and allergens over long periods of time can create severe and chronic health issues. And for the under 3 years, over 60 population the ratio of amount inhaled vs time may be shortened dramatically. Of course, for those individuals who are allergy sufferers or have weakened immune systems due to injury or cancer, even small amounts inhaled over a few days can create significant health challenges. While you can’t control the elements of the environment, you can control your personal environment.

Pure Air Systems has been manufacturing commercial grade, certified HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems since 1985. For over 27 years PAS has provided high performance HEPA systems to reduce and remove these fine, harmful airborne particulate in a wide array of applications. Commercial, institutional, industrial, medical and residential customers around the world have relied on the performance of the PAS HEPA units to help them maintain a clean, healthy environment.

Air filters, the type you put in your heating/cooling air handler system, have been around for over 70 years. Originally made from metal strands they evolved to fiberglass media then cotton and now man made fibers. They became more efficient over time. However, they also became more resistant to air flow and created adverse air flow restriction problems for the heating/cooling systems. In order to actually remove the small, less than 10 micron sized particles with any efficiency ( up to 90% and greater removal) you require a HEPA media filter. The filters used in most HVAC systems today have an efficiency of less than 20% on these smaller, more harmful particles. And, some furnace filters have almost no effectiveness on anything smaller than 20 microns.

There is a reason that hospitals, clean rooms, surgery rooms, optical manufacturers, food processors, micro-chip companies, medical and commercial laboratories and many other environment-critical operations ONLY use HEPA filters or air filtration systems using HEPA filters. General duty air filters, electronic air cleaners and ionizers are basically useless when it comes to actually removing airborne particulate. The only way to deal with real airborne pathogens and allergens is to use HEPA filtration systems. Real Dust, Real Filters.

For more information on the complete line of  PAS HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com. You can also follow us on Twitter @pureairsystems or like us on Facebook. Of course you can always call us at: 800-869-8025.

For most children the ability to explore their surroundings  is usually conditional to the restraints put on by  their parents…more often than not, their Mother.  Most children have more energy than they know what to do with and running is one way of using that energy. “Don’t run,” is the most often constraint placed on kids. A large number of accidents occur when children run with abandon. It is, however, more challenging when children run with something sharp in their hands….like scissors.

Telling someone not to do something because it may cause them harm often falls on deaf ears until that person has an unfortunate experience with that specific situation. Learning the hard way is often the only way for some.

For people who have severe allergies or companies and technicians who want to control their environment, the use of sub-standard air filtration systems and devices is not uncommon. The decision, however, to use  a filtration device that will not remove the small, sub-micron sized particles to minimize or reduce the allergy problems is as dangerous as running with scissors. Sooner or later something bad will happen.

Over the counter allergy medicine is at best, psychologically helpful. Most of these are anti-histamines and will provide minimal relief, usually just masking the symptoms. Removal of the allergens or removing yourself from the source of the allergens is the only way to really provide some relief. Just like allowing the child to still hold the scissors but not allow them to run, is only a partial solution to the problem.

General duty air filters that are found in your HVAC return or in your return air grills are good for removing large particles and then only when the air handler fan is running. During the off cycles nothing is being pulled through the filters. It is always best to have your fan setting on the thermostat set on run. While this uses a little more electricity, in the long run it will maintain a more even temperature in all rooms of the home or office and keep the air moving toward and through the air filters. This process alone of running the fan continuously is helpful even if you are using standard air filters.

Pure Air Systems has been manufacturing HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems since 1985. These commercial grade, certified HEPA systems are used in the residential, commercial, institutional, medical and high-tech manufacturing markets around the world. These systems incorporate some of the most effective and advanced motor and controller devices available on the market today.

Using HEPA filers or HEPA based air filtration systems is still the most effective method of removing the respirable size airborne allergens. The difference in reduction of these particles in using the HEPA filters rather than standard duty air filters is significant. In cases where PAS customers have switched to a HEPA filtration system, over 80% of those with significant allergies found they slept better, had fewer symptoms and needed fewer or no additional allergy medications.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com. Or follow us on Twitter: @purairsystems. You can also reach us on our toll-free number. 800-869-8025.

For most people the word hospital conjures up a feeling of safety, help, relief, life saving and comfort. The doctors and nurses are highly trained and skilled at providing medical treatment for any type of physical trauma, disease or malady. The operating rooms are filled with  the most advanced diagnostic and surgical equipment money can buy. The rooms are all under positive pressure using 100% HEPA filtered air to eliminate the possibility of infection. During the operation you are protected by this very sterile environment. However, once you leave the operating room everything changes.

Depending upon which source you use, post operative infections account for over 100,000 deaths in the US every year. This does not include the number of patients  affected that have to return to the hospital or require follow-up treatment to deal with infections incurred while being treated in the hospital. And there is a good reason to be concerned. Treating some of the infections has been challenged by bacteria that have become resistant to all the standard antibiotics. But there is one way to minimize the expensive and devastating consequences of post operative infections.

As noted in the beginning of this blog the operating rooms utilize HEPA filters to eliminate the possibility of any airborne pathogens that may pose a potential risk for infection. Often some recovery rooms for patients the have received bone marrow transplants or have a weakened immune system due to a specific treatment, use HEPA filtered air in the rooms and these rooms, like operating rooms, are pressurized.

Pure Air Systems has been manufacturing HEPA and Carbon based, commercial grade air filtration systems since 1985. They use only certified, scanned HEPA filters in their heavy duty, all steel housed systems. The PAS units also incorporate the ECM style variable speed motors that are rated 120/240 volt, 50/60 Hz motors. These motors not only use less electricity but can be digitally controlled for best air flow to match required filtration performance.

The PAS HEPA systems are used in many commercial applications and a large number are utilized by hospitals, clinics and medical facilities in the U.S. and around the world. These compact, high volume units can both pressurize and provide 100% HEPA filtered air in medium sized operating rooms as well as isolation rooms and individual patient rooms. For medical facilities requiring a cost effective method for minimizing or eliminating infections in their facilities, the PAS units offer superior performance at a cost that is considerably less than the cost of treating patients with severe infections.

Today, over 60% of the PAS HEPA systems are used in the residential and light commercial markets. For patients returning home from long hospital stays using one of the various central HEPA systems by PAS can be of significant value. Also, PAS makes a unique, high volume portable HEPA unit that can be used effectively in any single room application. In either case, these HEPA systems can make the difference between a significant recovery or continued treatment for infection.

For more information on the complete line of HEPA and Carbon based filtration systems please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com . Or you can reach us on Twitter: @pureairsystems. Call us during normal business hours on our toll-free number. 800-869-8025.

If you go to the comments section of any article published on-line that discusses the plight of the American manufacturing machine you find people complaining bitterly about the fact that nothing is made here anymore. In truth, the vast majority of major products are made here in the US. However, almost all of the consumer electronics and most of the general duty appliances are made outside the U.S., and therein lies the problem.

If you use a cell phone, computer of any style or type, tablet or other digital communication device, more than likely it is manufactured overseas. Yes, many of these companies, like Apple, are based right here in the U.S, but they have their devices made some place else. Small appliances also fit into the same category. Yet, it is interesting to note, consumers may complain about the perceived lack of American made products, but they will purchase the imported brands even if there is a similar product that is actually made right here. The main reason…price. Over time people have rationalized that one companies product is the same as another companies product and therefore price is the deciding factor.

Pure Air Systems has been manufacturing commercial grade, certified HEPA and Carbon based air filtration systems since 1985. These units were and still are made right here in the USA. In 1989 PAS began putting “Made in the USA” stickers on each unit. It was our way of telling people this product was fabricated from all US made components. The intent was to assure the public that we were not importing the products from overseas.

Over the years a number of  U.S. based companies offered alternate air filtration technology based systems that in some case competed with our smaller units. The majority of these systems were fabricated overseas and they were usually of a lesser quality but also considerably less expensive than our systems. And even though PAS has repeatedly shown to meet or exceed the performance requirements of our customers, many individuals and some companies continue to purchase the imported products.

Today, Pure Air Systems continues to manufacture all of its systems here in the U.S. Some of the electrical components and a few mechanical components are fabricated overseas as these required parts are no longer made in the U.S. However, our products are still some of the most powerful, effective and sophisticated HEPA air filtration systems made today. Customers from around the world now use our filtration systems and our reputation for quality and performance is seldom challenged.

There is no doubt, that companies around the world have access to the same technologies and components and the need to continue improving our products has never been greater. However, we will never sacrifice quality and performance for price. We know what is required to provide our customers with the best available air filtration technology and they rely on us to maintain that premise.

For more information on our complete line of HEPA and Carbon based air filtration products please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com or follow us on Twitter @pureairsystems or go to our Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/pureairsystems.

Bacteria is your friend…almost 99% of them h helpful. Really? While certain bacteria exist that are malignant to the human body, there are many more bacteria that are benign.

Bacteria are an important group of living organisms. Most of them are microscopic and have a tough protective layer that encloses the bacteria.  Bacteria can be categorized as living cells unlike viruses and are found everywhere. From the tallest mountains to the deepest oceans the world is full of bacteria.

As stated earlier almost 99% of bacteria or helpful, disease is only caused by a few of them. There are a number of helpful bacteria. Some of these are:

* Certain types of bacteria live in the intestines of human beings. They help in the digestion and in destroying the harmful organisms. Intestinal bacteria also produce some vitamins required by the human body.

* Certain bacteria help break down lactose in the digestive tract.

* Saccharomyces boulardi is found to reduce risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children.

* Some bacteria present on the skin protect us from the spread of certain fungus.

* There are many types of bacteria that live inside the mouth, nose, throat and intestines of humans. These bacteria get a place to live and feed while keeping other harmful microbes from taking up residence.

*There are some friendly bacteria such as intestinal flora or micro flora which are good for human health. These healthy stomach bacteria are helpful to release many useful vitamins such as vitamin B and vitamin K.

Obviously there are also some harmful bacteria such as those that act as pathogens and cause tetanus, typhoid fever, pneumonia, cholera and tuberculosis. Harmful bacteria in food cause botulism. And, there are now some strains of bacteria that are resistant most anti-biotics.

While washing hands with antiseptic soap will kill bacteria, many bacteria are airborne and require some form of highly efficient air filtration media to be removed effectively. In the hospital and medical facilities, HEPA filters are the standard media used to ensure the removal of harmful airborne bacteria and pathogens.

Pure Air Systems has been making commercial grade HEPA based air filtration systems since 1985. These certified HEPA systems are used in hospitals, clinics and medical facilities around the world and have been used by thousands of homeowners. For more information on these systems and their abilities to remove harmful bacteria please go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com

One should realize that while good bacteria can survive without us, we cannot survive without good bacteria.

The use of Ultra Violet light for reduction and removal of bacteria ( germs) on surfaces has been used for years in the food industry. In the early years “black lights” were placed above the produce in the grocery stores to help maintain a bacterial free environment. While UV lights are no longer used in these food operations, they are used in the residential and light commercial HVAC markets.

We are all familiar with the term UV as we hear this term used when they describe the rays from the sun as being UV A or B or C. UV A is the most dangerous because the UV A wavelength can be harmful to human skin as well as various material. Long term exposure can damage the skin and increase the possibility for skin cancer.

The use of UV Lights for reduction and removal of bacteria in heating/cooling systems, ductwork and air handler cooling coils has been around for over 25 years. The UV Lights produce a specific wavelength; approximately 285 nanometers, designed to kill or destroy the nuclei of most molds and bacteria. UV has minimal effect on viruses.

For many years UV lights were placed in the return air side of the ductwork close to the air handler and were supposed to kill or destroy the mold and bacteria as it passed by the UV Lamps. There were a number of challenges with this installation configuration. First, the UV lights were often not shielded and the dirt, dust and particulate in the return air stream would coat the lamps and significantly reduce the effectiveness of the lamps. And, second, the speed at which the air passed  by the lamps did not allow enough residence time or light exposure time on the mold or bacteria to really kill or destroy the particle. Even adding shielding to minimize dust build up on the lamps didn’t solve this problem.

Since most mold and some bacteria require a source of moisture or water a more obvious place to locate the UV Lights was over or close to the cooling coils located in the air handler.  This made more sense as it allowed the UV Lights to irradiate the entire coil area constantly and minimize the ability for mold and bacteria to grow on the coils surface. It also didn’t rely on air flow speed and the lights could be shielded in such a way as to direct the UV light source onto the coils and reduce the build up of dust on the lamps.

While this approach is much more effective it still doesn’t answer the question about removing the airborne mold, bacteria and other allergens. Using a UV light alone is only a small part of the solution.

Pure Air Systems, offers a complete line of  both media air filters and HEPA based air filtration systems used in conjunction with HVAC systems. The line of BioPanel furnace filters includes a dual-layer, polyester ring panel filter that offers a  MERV 8 filter with a high dust holding capacity, tight fitting and low pressure drop. The HEPA filter systems offered by Pure Air Systems have been in use since 1985 and are the most well known HEPA systems in the world.

For complete removal of harmful airborne pathogens and allergens in your home, office, laboratory or medical facility, Pure Air Systems has the solution. For more information go to our website at: www.pureairsystems.com.

Hepa filters have been around since the development of the atomic bomb. In fact, HEPA paper or HEPA media was created in 1941 specifically to remove the Alpha particles in the air to protect the scientists during the actual creation of the first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico.

The development of the HEPA filter allowed for the complete capture of sub-micron particles. HEPA actually stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air or Absolute. Meaning it will absolutely remove particles of a certain size.

To be called a true HEPA filter, it has to meet a minimum capture filtration efficiency of 99.97% at 0.3 microns. To give you an idea of how small this is, a strand of your hair is approximately 100 microns in diameter. You can see particles only down to about 20 microns in diameter with the naked eye. The capture efficiency means that for every 10,000 particles in the air at 0.3 microns or larger that pass through the HEPA filter, only 3 particles may get through.

Of all the air filters available on the market today, including all the furnace and commercial HVAC filters, only HEPA filters are actually rated on their particulate removal performance. All other filters are now based on a MERV rating scale which gives a general capability based on a particle size range.

HEPA filters are the ONLY type of filter used in the following applications; hospital surgery  rooms, micro-chip manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, food processing, optics manufacturing, isolation rooms for pathogen contamination control, the CDC, Clean Rooms and Biological Laboratories to mention a few.

Over the years a large number of medical product manufacturing companies have latched on to the acceptance of HEPA as the best method for removal of bacteria and viruses and incorporated these filters into their systems. Today, HEPA filters are used in hundreds of commercial applications where the removal of small, sub-micron particles are required.

Unfortunately because of the acceptance of HEPA as THE filter media to use, many air filter companies and vacuum cleaner companies have incorporated the HEPA name into their filtering devices. In most cases these are HEPA type or HEPA like filters and not true, certified HEPA filters.

HEPA filters are extremely expensive when compared to a standard duty media filter; in many cases 15 to 20 times more expensive. In addition, in order for a true HEPA filter to be effective, it must be sealed tightly in the filter frame or holding frame.  To ensure this complete seal, HEPA filters use neoprene gaskets on the downstream side and are compressed into the frame to ensure a tight seal. In some cases a gel seal material is used to ensure no leakage around the filter itself.

Compared to general duty media filters and furnace filters, HEPA filters have an extremely high resistance or pressure drop. This means the HEPA filter has to be mated with a more powerful motor/blower system to overcome the additional static load.

Pure Air Systems has been using true, commercial grade, certified HEPA filters since 1985. It has more HEPA systems in the residential and commercial markets as packaged HEPA systems than any other filter company in the US. Today, Pure Air Systems uses a metal framed, high capacity, certified 99.99% at 0.3 micron filter in all of its units.

For more information on Pure Air Systems, HEPA filters and the applications that use HEPA go to our website at: www.pureairsystems. com