The science of fresh air
The essential decontaminating role of hydroxyls
Airora’s patented technology harnesses the ability of hydroxyl radicals (often just called ‘hydroxyls’), which occur naturally in outdoor fresh air and wage a constant war of attrition against contaminants such as viruses, bacteria, allergens, irritants and pollution — making our planet safe for living things.
Hydroxyls are why you are unlikely to catch infections outdoors and what give ‘fresh air’ that clean and refreshing feel that we all love!
In outdoor fresh air, hydroxyls are everywhere. There are, on average, more than two million hydroxyls in each cubic centimeter of outdoor air during daylight hours. But the conditions that produce these powerful decontiminating agents in the earth’s atmosphere just don’t exist inside a building.
Nature's detergent
The air chemistry of hydroxyls
Hydroxyls (OH) are continously produced in abundance in the lower atmosphere by multiple processes, including the breakdown of aromatic oils secreted into the air by plants everywhere, and the photochemical reaction when different wavelengths of light interact with water and other chemicals.
When hydroxyls are created, they immediately attack and destroy contaminants in the air and on surfaces. These reactions happen within seconds and break down both tiny structures (such as viruses and bacteria) and larger molecules (such as VOCs), so well that hydroxyls are often called ‘Nature’s Detergent’ — a term first coined by Nobel Prize winning chemist Paul J. Crutzen.
Creating the Great Indoors
Airora's unique Hydroxyl Cascade
Because there are relatively few hydroxyls indoors, bacteria and viruses constantly build up in the air and on surfaces. No matter how hard and often you clean, allergens remain active and smells stay smelly.
However, our scientists have developed a way to reproduce the natural air chemistry of hydroxyls … indoors!
Airora’s technology gently blows a mix of natural atmospheric components, such as trace amounts of oils extracted from plants and flowers, into the room. The patented process creates a natural self-sustaining supply of hydroxyls — a Hydroxyl Cascade — which spreads in seconds throughout the entire space, and into every corner, without any need for air movement.
Just like in the Great Outdoors, the Hydroxyl Cascade continuously destroys air- and surface-borne pollutants on contact (and simultaneously reduces any excess ozone in the room).
The atmospheric cleansing and sanitising cycle
Decontaminating effects of hydroxyls
They destroy, on contact, all types of air and surface borne pathogens — bacteria, viruses and mould spores.
They alter the surfaces of allergens — such as pollens, mould spores, dust mite excretions, pet dander and cat saliva— so that they no longer cause allergic reactions.
They break down and remove all polluting gasses susceptible to oxidation, including ammonia, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde.
They react with VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) in less than 100 milliseconds, initiating a series of chain reactions that decompose VOCs and their by-products — keeping air safe to breathe.
They oxidise all long chain organic odours in seconds and, over a longer time scale, short chain and inorganic odours as well — removing smells from the air.
They vaporise carbon based ultra-fine particles.