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درباره:
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Efficiency of Air Purifiers
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Infectious diseases caused by airborne bacteria and viruses are a major problem for
both social and economic reasons. The significance of this phenomenon is particularly
noticeable during the time of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the consequences is the
increased interest in the <a href="http://www.sz-hanstat.com/air-purifier/"
target="_self">air purifier</a> (AP) market, which resulted in a significant increase in
sales of these devices. In this study, we tested the efficiency of APs in removing
bacterial air contamination in the educational context in the Upper Silesia region of
Poland during the “cold season” of 2018/2019. During the 6 months of measuring
microbiological air quality, an 18% decrease in the concentration of microbiological
pollutants as a result of the action of the APs was recorded. Additionally, the results of
the particle size distribution of the bacterial aerosols showed a reduction in the share
of the respirable fraction (particles with an aerodynamic diameter below 3.3 µm) by an
average of 20%. The dominance of gram-positive cocci in the indoor environment indicates
that humans are the main source of most of the bacteria present in the building. We
conclude that the use of APs may significantly decrease the level of concentration of
microbiological air pollutants and reduce the negative health effects of indoor
bioaerosols; however, further work that documents this phenomenon is needed.
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There is also limited evidence that these decreases result in improved
cardiorespiratory health (Fisk, 2013; Morishita et al., 2015). APs usage has been
associated with decreased blood pressure, reduced oxidative stress, reduced systemic
inflammation, and enhanced lung function in a number of studies (Kelly and Fussell, 2019).
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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a significant focus on indoor disinfection and air
purification options. The most frequent applications are the local control of the source
of pollution, disinfection of rooms and surfaces, and ventilation. The use of APs can be
considered an additional complementary and preventive action in the spread of biological
contamination. Adequate IAQ can be achieved mainly by reducing and constantly controlling
the concentrations of harmful microorganisms in the air.
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The limited data on IAQ in Polish educational institutions and the lack of generalized
standards for bioaerosol levels are the reason why the presented studies can increase
awareness and focus more attention on IAQ issues.
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