What Is a HEPA Cabin Filter?
Air filters clean the air in just about every confined space in the modern world. They filter out various allergens and irritants such as dust, dander and pollen. HEPA filters are the most efficient filters available, cleaning out the most allergens. For that reason, automobile and aircraft manufacturers may use HEPA filters to purify the air of their cabins.
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Cabins
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The cabins of commercial and private transportation are breeding grounds for pollen, dust, dander, vehicle fumes and exhaust as well as airborne illnesses caused by bacteria and viruses. The closed system of air conditioning and heating recirculates not only the air but all the particulates as well, giving them more time to agitate and infect the occupants of the cabin. The particulate concentration only becomes denser with the frequency of entering and exiting the cabin and the number of occupants.
HEPA Filters
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HEPA is short for "high efficiency particulate air" filter. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, American-made HEPA filters hold a minimum efficiency reporting value or MERV of 17 to 20 on a scale of 1 to 20 with the upper ranges being most efficient by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (see Reference). HEPA filters have proven to be efficient enough to filter particulates as small as 0.1 microns, meaning they are capable of filtering 99.99 percent of particulates, including many viruses.
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Vehicles
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According to Carla Kalogeridis at the Filter Manufacturers Council, only 40 percent of North American vehicles have cabin air filters despite the ongoing concern of consumers regarding cabin air quality. Driving exposes drivers and passengers in vehicle's cabin to various pollutants including pollen, dust, vehicle exhaust and odors from the road. Cabin air filters, particularly HEPA filers, can eliminate most airborne particulates making driving safer and more comfortable.
Aircraft
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Airplanes have a special set of filtration problems due to the high volume of people coming and going. Not only does the high human traffic bring in more particulates but airplanes also leave the occupants confined to the cabin for long periods. Since the recirculated air fills the cabin for up to twenty hours at a time, filtering it efficiently becomes essential. Pall Corporation, a manufacturer of aircraft cabin air filters, says that true HEPA filters can remove bacteria and viruses including the Avian flu virus (see References).
Benefits
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The immediate benefits will be for people with allergies and asthma, as they are the most sensitive to airborne particulates aggravating their respective symptoms. Everyone will breathe easier from air purified of allergens and exhaust, which will also improve long-term lung function, according to the EPA. Enduring use of HEPA cabin filters can limit airborne viruses and illness-causing bacteria from crossing regional and international borders, possibly preventing the future pandemics.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit The automobile filter for air clearing image by Dzmitry Halavach from Fotolia.com
