SPOTLIGHT Special Issue HEALTH & WELL-BEING Special Issue HEALTH & WELL-BEING
Breathe
EASY
Air treatment systems have become a vital component in creating healthy indoor spaces
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t’s not all about removing nasty viruses and bacteria from the air, Special Issue odour control is equally critical in maintaining hygiene in shared
public spheres. OPI’s Michelle Sturman talked to experts from four VENDOR air treatment manufacturers to find out more. SPECIAL
FELLOWES Special IssueBRANDS OPI: How does air ventilation
contribute to health and well-being in VENDOR the workplace/classroom? SPECIAL Fellowes Brands spokesperson: We
take about 22,000 breaths every day and spend 90% of our time indoors. Most of that air is recirculated, containing VOCs, viruses, mould spores, bacteria, asthma, allergy-causing triggers, etc, and can be 2-5 times more polluted than outside air. Without proper ventilation and filtration, we constantly expose ourselves and our children to these harmful contaminants. Poor air quality has been linked to low test scores in classrooms, billions of dollars in lost productivity, lower fertility rates, and even higher mortality instances. Nothing is more fundamental to our health and well-being than clean air. Most of us spend much of our lives in an office or school building. As such, the impact of investing in clean air is immediate and long-lasting. An effective air purification solution can help dramatically reduce the risk of exposure to contaminants.
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OPI: What exactly are ‘smart’ air filtration systems? FB: A smart system means it is constantly sensing the environment through an array of sensors and automatically adjusting the performance based on the conditions, taking any guesswork out of how to set the air filtration system. Air purification models should be designed to be as unintrusive as possible. The most effective smart solutions also look at both air and non-air quality metrics of the room, like occupancy, to ensure the machine is set to the optimum performance level. Smart machines do the work for you, selecting the appropriate settings based on the true dynamic conditions of the area to deliver the best air possible.
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Fellowes Brands AeraMax Pro AeraMax Pro air purifiers are smart air filtration systems designed for shared spaces. Available in a variety of sizes and filter choices, they have patented EnviroSmart and PureView technologies that continuously scan and analyse rooms to purify the air as required. The AeraMax Pro delivers 3-5 air changes per hour, based on room size and shared space, while the True HEPA filtration system removes 99.99% of all airborne contaminants, including viruses. An antimicrobial HEPA treatment prevents bacteria growth on the filter and an activated carbon filter reduces odours and VOCs.
ACCO BRANDS
OPI: How easy are air ventilation systems to install? Marc Brion, Category Manager, ACCO Brands EMEA: Standalone air purifier models, for example, do not involve any specialist installation and can be used as and where required. They are simply connected to the mains, so are truly plug and play. In addition, no ongoing training is necessary as the air purifiers let users know when filters need to be replaced.
