Classroom Air Purifiers Keep Students Safer

As the debate about school re-openings continues, one thing is for certain, it must be done safely. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers guidelines on how schools should reopen safely There’s no question that children benefit from in-person learning and at the university level, students and staff remain anxious to return to the classroom. In both cases, school administrators must take steps to lower risk. The use of classroom air purifiers is a way to do this.

Classroom IAQ Challenges

Keeping classrooms safe during the pandemic is a challenge. It requires teachers and school superintendents to rethink classroom size and hallway traffic patterns. Enforcing hand washing and social distancing rules remain a big part of it as well. Increased disinfection efforts go a long way toward preventing the spread of viruses too, but even after the pandemic ends, indoor air quality in classrooms must remain a priority. 

The science is clear. The coronavirus is spread through aerosol transmission. In short, this means that the virus travels through the air where it gets inhaled by occupants of shared spaces such as classrooms. The virus attaches to the tiny liquid droplets expelled by coughing and sneezing. These aerosols stay in the air for hours but also land on hard surfaces such as desktops. Once on a hard surface, they easily transfer when a person touches the surface then touches their mouth or nose. 

Other types of indoor allergens also impact the health of students. This is of particular concern to students with allergies, asthma, and other respiratory conditions. Air cleaning devices such as classroom air purifiers reduce the number of harmful particulates including viruses, bacteria, mold, and gasses. 

Classroom Air Purifiers Improve IAQ

Commercial air purifiers reduce the number of particulates in the air. This includes viruses, but also volatile organic compounds found in paint, furniture, and cleaning supplies. 

Several models can be used to clean rooms of varying sizes. For example, the AeraMax Professional II works well in smaller offices, classrooms, and restrooms up to 250 square feet. The devices provide 3-5 air changes every hour. For most classrooms, the AeraMax Professional III provides enough clean air. This machine produces 3 air changes hourly in rooms as large as 550 square feet. The largest classroom air purifier is the AeraMax Professional IV. This air purifier works in rooms up to 1,100 square feet with an air change every 20 minutes. It works in open classroom layouts as well as conference rooms, music and art rooms, or teachers’ lounges.

How Classroom Air Purifiers Work

Commercial-grade air purifiers for classrooms use carbon filtration to absorb VOCs and eliminate odors. They also have an antimicrobial-treated HEPA filter to trap 99.97% of remaining airborne contaminants. 

These devices also feature PlasmaTrue™ Bipolar Ionization which is effective in destroying viruses such as SARS-CoV-2. This means the classroom air purifier releases thousands of charged atoms into the air where they form a cluster around pathogens. These clusters get caught by the filters and never enter the occupied space. Smart technology detects motion in the room and adjusts performance accordingly. They mount to walls so students and staff don’t notice them as the air purifiers work around the clock to clean the air.

Air purifiers are not just for classrooms. Hospitals, gyms, spas, and restaurants use them too. Any commercial business benefits from bipolar ionization as this process reduces outside air intake and lowers energy costs. In addition to wall-mounted units, commercial bipolar ionizers mounted in HVAC units capture pathogens before they enter the occupied space.

A Combined Approach to Classroom IAQ

Air purifiers in classrooms work well along with other methods to improve IAQ. This includes environmental surface testing. Testing for allergens, viruses, microbiologicals, and chemicals is another way to keep students safe. These kits are easy to use and yield fast results so remediation efforts can begin right away.

Standalone temperature scanners placed at building entryways detect abnormal body temperatures. These touchless devices work faster than handheld scanners so they reduce lines and get students through lines faster. They also detect when a mask is not being worn. When used with classroom air purifiers, and test kits, safety increases

Get Air Purifiers for the Classroom Today!

Indoor air quality is always a concern in the classroom. Start protecting the health of students and faculty today. For more information on how to get air purifiers in your school, call 727-572-4550 today.