How Airora compares
| Portable Filter-based Technologies | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feature | Radiant UVC | Foggers | UVC Filter | Ioniser | PCO / PECO Filter | HEPA Filter | Airora's Technology |
| Works safely 24/7 with people present | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Destroys all types of harmful virus, bacteria and vegetative mould spores | Y until people return | Y until people return | Only within the device | N | Only within the device | N | Y |
| Creates an active person to person infection barrier | People cannot be present | People cannot be present | N | N | N | N | Y |
| Destroys all types of harmful airborne viruses, bacteria and vegitative mould spores throughout a room (Airora is 1000+ times more efective than any filter) | Y until people return | Y until people return | Typically 50% after an hour [1] | N | Typically 50% after an hour [1] | Typically 50% after an hour [1] | Measured at 99.9999% in 5 minutes |
| Destroys all types of harmful viruses, bacteria and vegetative mould spores on all exposed surfaces throughout a room | Y if in direct line of sight | Y until people return | N | N | N | N | Y |
| Decontaminates all the air and sanitises all exposed surfaces throughout a room, not just the air that passes through the device | NA | NA | N | N | N | N | Y |
| Breaks down and removes harmful gaseous pollution (VOC’s, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, ammonia etc.) throughout a room | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y |
| Neutralises all common allergens and lung irritants, such as pollens, spores, pet dander, cat saliva and house dust mite excretions throughout a room | N | Partial - until people return | N | N | N | N | Y |
| Removes all types of odour throughout a room | N | Partial - until people return | N | N | N | N | Y |
| Breaks down and removes dangerous ultra-fine particles throughout a room | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y |
| Controls the level of indoor ozone, reducing it to below international safety standards | N | N | N | N | N | N | Y |
| Whisper Quiet (Bedroom friendly!) | NA | NA | N | N | N | N | Y |
| Low energy use | N | Varies | N | N | N | N | Y |
A closer look at other air cleaning systems
Disadvantages of other technologies
HEPA Filter
What is it?
A HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air filter) has to meet specific minimum standards of efficacy for its ability to remove particulates above a particular size from the air that passes through it.
Disadvantages
All traditional filter-based air purifiers (including HEPA, Electrostatic, UVC etc.) share the same basic failings: they only filter out some types of pollutant, not all, and they only clean the air that passes directly through them:
- Filter-based technologies only reach their maximum level of whole room pollution reduction (typically circa 50% – Novoselac & Siegel 2009) after more than an hour.
- Filters remove particles from the air passing through the filter but the filtered air they emit is immediately re-contaminated by mixing.
- Stratification (caused by warm air rising) and eddies (circling air), and the fact that existing air is constantly being replaced by new air from outside, means that much of the air in a room will never even pass through the filter. This effect is often compounded by a lack of filter ‘suction’ compared to room size.
- Filters typically only capture particulates, not gaseous pollution.
- While pathogens may be captured in the filter, they are not killed, potentially making handling the filter problematic.
- Filters are particularly ineffective in capturing allergens, as allergens quickly settle on the floor and surfaces and remain there until disturbed after which they again become airborne.
- As filters don’t produce a hydroxyl cascade, they don’t decontaminate surfaces or neutralise viruses, bacteria, mould spores or pollens within the room.
- While larger, more powerful, noisier fans can filter more air, in practical terms they can never overcome these failings.
Overall, a recent comprehensive review by the University of East Anglia found that, unlike Airora, there is no evidence that such filter devices prevent transmission of respiratory or gastrointestinal diseases.
Only Airora destroys all types of germs, allergens and odours plus most pollutants, including VOCs throughout an entire indoor space.
Radiant UVC
What is it?
A unique characteristic of UV light is that a specific range of its wavelengths, those between 200 and 300 nanometers, are categorized as germicidal – meaning they are capable of inactivating microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses.
Devices known as ‘UVC Disinfectors’ emit intense UVC germicidal light (dangerous to humans) which is used to treat an empty room and its contents for a period, killing airborne and surface pathogens.
Disadvantages
While the process itself may be relatively effective (for a short period), it has many obvious drawbacks compared to a technology which can achieve the same or better results, but safely run 24/7 with people present.
Their most obvious weakness is that as soon as someone walks into a room newly disinfected with UV-C light, it’s immediately re-contaminated!
Additionally, using a UVC Disinfector as an anti-microbial device:
- Requires trained personnel working strictly in accordance with a safe method of work statement.
- Typically needs a full time member of staff to move and operate the device so as to get sufficient usage to justify its high initial cost.
- Requires the space to be treated to be empty of people and secured so that people, pets etc. cannot accidentally enter the space being irradiated.
- Only destroys pathogens in a direct line of sight of the device, so there are always surfaces that will not be cleared of pathogens – it may well require repeated treatments with the device in different locations within the room in an attempt clear most surfaces.
- Requires the operator to move the curtains, take things off of walls, open drawers and cabinets, expose telephones, remote controls and other high-touch surfaces so that the light reaches them.
Airora destroys all types of air- and surface-borne pathogens with none of these drawbacks.
Fogger
What is it?
A ‘Fogger’ is a device that creates a chemical fog, such as ozone, for example to kill bacteria and / or viruses.
Such chemical ‘fogs’ are dangerous to humans, and so foggers are used to fumigate spaces without people being present. While the process itself may be effective (for a short period), it has many obvious drawbacks compared to a technology which can achieve better results, but safely run 24/7 with people present.
Disadvantages
One major disadvantage is that as soon as someone walks into a newly fumigated room, it’s immediately re-contaminated!
Other drawbacks of using a ‘fogger’ as an anti-microbial device:
- Requires trained personnel working strictly in accordance with a safe method of work statement.
- Requires the room or space to be treated to be empty of people and secured so that people, pets etc. cannot accidentally enter the space being fumigated.
- Requires items likely to be damaged by the fumigant to be removed, and later replaced, to protect them from damage.
- Requires the transportation, storage or handling of toxic chemicals
Airora is entirely safe, requires no supervision, and can be operated 24/7 with people present.
UVC Filter
What is it?
UVC air purifiers are a type of filter that uses UVC light to kill germs in the airstream passing through the device.
Disadvantages
UVC filters do not remove allergens, VOCs, irritants or gaseous pollutants.
Moreover, traditional filter-based air purifiers (including HEPA, Electrostatic, UVC etc.) all share the same basic failings: they only filter out some types of pollutant, not all, and they only clean the air that passes directly through them:
- Filter-based technologies only reach their maximum level of whole room pollution reduction (typically circa 50% – Novoselac & Siegel 2009) after more than an hour.
- Filters remove particles from the air passing through the filter but the filtered air they emit is immediately re-contaminated by mixing.
- Stratification (caused by warm air rising) and eddies (circling air), and the fact that existing air is constantly being replaced by new air from outside, means that much of the air in a room will never even pass through the filter. This effect is often compounded by a lack of filter ‘suction’ compared to room size.
- Filters typically only capture particulates, not gaseous pollution.
- Filters are particularly ineffective in capturing allergens, as allergens quickly settle on the floor and surfaces and remain there until disturber after which they again become airborne.
- As filters don’t produce a hydroxyl cascade, they don’t decontaminate surfaces or neutralise viruses, bacteria, mould or pollens within the room.
- While larger, more powerful, noisier fans can filter more air, in practical terms they can never overcome these failings.
Overall, a recent comprehensive review by the University of East Anglia found, unlike Airora, no evidence that such filter devices prevent transmission of respiratory or gastrointestinal diseases.
Only Airora destroys all types of germs, allergens and odours plus most other irritants and pollutants, including VOCs, throughout an entire indoor space.
Ioniser (Ionizer)
What is it?
Ioniser air purifiers release ions (charged particles) into the air. It is postulated that these ions collide with airborne particles such as dust or pathogens, thereby giving them a charge. The now charged particles are then attracted to surfaces, such as walls and curtains, or sink to the floor, taking them out of the air.
Under some conditions, and over a relatively lengthy period of time, the presence of high levels of ions has been shown to damage some types of bacteria, viruses and mould sufficiently to make them non-viable.
However, the reality is starkly different …
Disadvantages
- As with HEPA filters, ionisers have the drawback that they only effect particulates, not gasses.
- Maintaining a sufficiently high intensity of ions throughout an entire space is practically impossible, as evidenced by Boeing’s latest research, which was unable to demonstrate any material biocidal effect on surface-borne pathogens during their extensive testing.
- Any effects tend to be very local as ion intensity drops off naturally and rapidly away from the device. Indeed, LifeAir’s own published data shows that only around 1% of ions remain active just 1m away from the device!
- Local to the device, particulates, including microbes, may be charged and then adhere to nearby surfaces (like soft furnishings), but they will easily be disturbed and made airborne again.
- Even if they were generally effective in removing particulates (including viruses and bacteria) from the air to surfaces in the room then, as the particles gradually lose their charge, or they are disturbed, they will be re-adsorbed back into the air.
- If an ionised pathogen is inhaled, it is more likely to stick to the walls of your respiratory system thus increasing the chance of an adverse reaction.
- Ionisers often increase the level of ozone in a room, possibly beyond safe levels. Indeed research at the University of Leeds has shown that pathogens that eventually become non-viable in the presence of ions are primarily damaged by the related ozone and not by the ions nor their associated charge!
Sadly, there are grossly misleading and false claims being made for this type of air cleaner. Indeed, a recent comprehensive review by the University of East Anglia found that, unlike Airora, there is no evidence that such filter devices prevent transmission of respiratory or gastrointestinal diseases.
Unlike ionisers, Airora’s unique patented technology quickly destroys all types of germs throughout an entire indoor space.
PCO / PECO / Photocatalytic Filter
What is it?
Some manufacturers have produced air filters based on rudimentary Hydroxyl Radical technology.
Disadvantages
While such PCO / PECO / Photocatalytic devices create hydroxyl radicals within the device, those hydroxyls are so short lived (typically < 0.2 seconds) that their effect does not generally or materially extend far outside of the device.
Consequently, these rudimentary hydroxyl based air cleaners rely almost entirely on exposing pollution to hydroxyls within the device. As such they are principally ‘filters’ and share the same shortcomings as all other filter-based air purifiers:
- Filter-based technologies only reach their maximum level of whole room pollution reduction (typically circa 50% – Novoselac & Siegel 2009) after more than an hour.
- Filters remove particles from the air passing through the filter but the filtered air they emit is immediately re-contaminated by mixing.
- Stratification (caused by warm air rising) and eddies (circling air), and the fact that existing air is constantly being replaced by new air from outside, means that much of the air in a room will never even pass through the filter. This effect is often compounded by a lack of filter ‘suction’ compared to room size.
- Filters are particularly ineffective in capturing allergens, as allergens quickly settle on the floor and surfaces and remain there until disturber after which they again become airborne.
- As filters don’t produce a hydroxyl cascade, they don’t decontaminate surfaces or neutralise viruses, bacteria, mould or pollens within the room.
- While larger, more powerful, noisier fans can filter more air, in practical terms they can never overcome these failings.
Sadly, the claims made for this basic technology are often grossly missleading. Indeed, a recent comprehensive review by the University of East Anglia found that, unlike Airora, there is no evidence that filter devices prevent transmission of respiratory or gastrointestinal diseases.
Only Airora’s unique patented technology creates abundant hydroxyls in-situ (a ‘Hydroyxl Cascade’) throughout the entire room, destroying all air- and surface-borne pathogens on contact.
Older 'Active' whole room systems
What is it?
Before Airora, some previous ‘Active’ air purification systems claimed to purify the air in-situ throught the room, not just within the device.
They broadly fell into two groups:
- The first, often termed ‘Advanced Photocatalysis’ or ‘Organic Oxidant’ or ‘Eco Oxidant’, claimed to create some level of hydroxyl or similar oxidant activity throught the room, either by the interaction of the in-device hydroxyls with ambient water and VOCs in the ambient indoor atmosphere or by unspecified ‘Advanced’ means. While there is some secondary natural oxidant action outside of a phtotcatalytic device it depends on the existing in-room conditions and is very limited compared to the condensing reaction created throughout the room by Airora which preferentially targets particulates such as pathogens and allergens. The results tell the story, with the resultant biocidal and other benefits typically being orders of magnitude less than those achieved by Airora’s proprietory Open Air Factor technology.
- The second depended on very low concentrations of germicidal gas, such as Dry Hydrogen Peroxide (DHP). Because such gasses are harmful at higher concentrations, the results again told the story, with the resultant biocidal effects again being typically orders of magnitude less than those achieved by Airora’s proprietory Open Air Factor technology.
Disadvantages
- The earlier ‘Advanced Photocatalysis’ or ‘Organic Oxidant’ or ‘Eco Oxidant’ approaches typically depend on the existing in-room availability of reactants such as VOCs which may or may not exist in the necessary quantities, and even if the reactants are sufficiently abundant the results are very limited.
- Sytems which distribute low levels of ‘Germicidal Gas’ are limited in effect because the gasses themselves are dangerous at higher concentrations. Who wants to distribute a potentially dangerous gas throughout their premises?
Unlike these older technologies, Airora’s remarkable patented technology safely and quickly destroys all types of germs and neutralises allergens throughout an entire indoor space.