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Chapter 1 – Improving Indoor Air Quality
Chapter 1 – Air Cleaning Systems and Indoor Air Quality
1.1 Improving Indoor Air Quality
Air cleaning can play an important role when it comes to improving indoor air quality. However, it should be noted
that air cleaning should be used in conjunction with pollution source control and ventilation, wherever possible.
Strategy to improve indoor air quality
To tackle any indoor air quality problem, keep the following three-step strategy in mind:
1. Eliminate or reduce the air pollution source as much as possible. Source control is by far the most effective way to
improve indoor air quality, since it sets out to deal with air pollution at the point of origin.
2. Ensure that sufficient fresh air is entering the room from outside. Air cleaners are not a substitution for sufficient
ventilation. They are not able to reverse the conversion of oxygen (O
2
) into carbon dioxide (CO
2
), caused by
breathing and combustion processes.
3. Ensure the IQAir® system can clean enough air to cope with your room size. The actual hourly air volume cleaned
by the system should be at least double the air volume of your room. If the rate at which pollutants enter the room
air is high or the indoor air quality requirements are stringent, the hourly air delivery of the system needs to
exceed the room air volume several times.To achieve that level of air turnover, it may be necessary to employ more
than one system.
Air Cleaning Results
Although air cleaners may be advertised and sold to be suitable for use in specific indoor environments and to deal
with specific indoor air quality problems, the manufacturer and distributors make no claim as to the specific air
cleaning results that are achieved under the user’s individual operating conditions.The air quality improvements that
can be realized with the IQAir® system (as with any air cleaner) in indoor environments depends to a significant
degree on circumstantial factors, which are out of the control of the manufacturer or distributors. Important factors
which will influence the air quality improvements that can be achieved in an indoor environment with an air cleaner
include:
•
Type of air pollutants present
•
Intensity of the pollutant source(s)
•
Pollutant concentration
•
Size of the indoor environment (room size)
•
Operating speed of the unit
•
Number of air cleaners placed in the indoor environment
•
Saturation state of the filters in the air cleaner
Consult a qualified specialist to determine an effective and comprehensive indoor air quality strategy.
