Study on the Effectiveness of a Copper Electrostatic Filtration System "Aerok 1.0" for Air Disinfection.

BACKGROUND

Bioaerosols can represent a danger to health. During SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, portable devices were used in different environments and considered a valuable prevention tool. This study has evaluated the effectiveness of the air treatment device "AEROK 1.0" in reducing microbial, particulate, and pollen airborne contamination indoors, during normal activity.

METHODS

In an administrative room, airborne microbial contamination was measured using active (DUOSAS 360 and MD8) and passive sampling; a particle counter was used to evaluate particle concentrations; a Hirst-type pollen trap was used to assess airborne pollen and spores. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0; values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The airborne bacterial contamination assessed by the two different samplers decreased by 56% and 69%, respectively. The airborne bacterial contamination assessed by passive sampling decreased by 44%. For fungi, the reduction was 39% by active sampling. Airborne particles (diameters ≥ 1.0, 2.0 μm) and the ratio of indoor/outdoor concentrations of total pollen and spp. spores significantly decreased.

CONCLUSIONS

The results highlight the effectiveness of AEROK 1.0 in reducing airborne contamination. The approach carried out represents a contribution to the definition of a standardized model for evaluating the effectiveness of devices to be used for air disinfection.