Summary of presentation by Steven
Welty
- all information contained within this presentation is from
Mr Welty - not the federal government.
SWINE
FLU
Influenza A causes disease primarily in the lungs in the
lower respiratory system, unlike the rhinovirus which is an upper
respiratory infection. Mr Welty concludes that flu viruses are
therefore likely airborne and standard practices (i.e. - washing of
hands) can do little to prevent the spread. Airborne transmission
occurs when people shed viruses into the air:
Swine
Flu Virus Distance of Travel
Mechanical
Air Filters (sealed)
can
trap this % of Swine Flu Viruses:
Category
#
Shed
Large
Particle
Distance Traveled
Droplet
Nuclei Distance
Traveled
Cough
3,000+
1-5
feet
160+
feet
Sneezing
3,000+
8-15
feet
160+
feet
Breathing
Nose
None
Mouth
Varies
1-3
feet
160+
feet
Talking/Singing
1,000+
1-3
feet
160+
feet
Diarrhea*
20,000+
5+
feet
160+
feet
(*as
a
result of toilet water aerosolization)
MERV
%Viruses
Arrested
w/MERV
& UVR
6
6.2%
10%
7
7%
12%
8
11%
19%
10
12%
35%
13
46%
84%
15
71%
97%
16
76%
98.9%
HEPA
is @ 99.9%
IAQ Tip
Always consider
when doing this type of filtration or any type of
filtration is making sure your filters are sealed. The HVAC industry by
standard does not seal its air filters. The simplest way to do this is
to
consider using self-sealing filters when available. When not available
then
using gasket or tape to seal the edges of the air filters.
The
next biggest mistake people do is not considering airflow.
Air
Filter:
Going down to the store to
purchase a high efficient filter is not always the answer. By design
they slow
down the airflow and can cost you more money in the long run. Also
consider if
they are going to seal or not. It is better to not drag down the
airflow of
your HVAC unit and use a side-stream air cleaning device (also known as
a air
cleaner) that is designed for the type of filtration you want to
accomplish.
Air
Cleaner:
If a small air cleaner sits in
the middle of the room yes it will exchange the air by its design but
do a poor
job getting that air across the room. An air cleaner can only clean as
far as
it can throw the air. By using a air cleaner that becomes part of the
duct or
return air the cleaned air is transported (or delivered) to everywhere
in the
home or office. I only know of a few that can really accomplish this.
The EPA
has a great web page on air cleaners or you can contact us for our
brands.
Side Note There is no one filter,
equipment or product that will cover all commercial or residential
applications. Each application will require its own unique design to
match the building design and building application to be done right!
