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Automotive Air Purification
Driving a car may be your most toxic daily activity!
Motor vehicles emit several pollutants that EPA classifies as known or probable human carcinogens. EPA estimates that motor vehicles account for as much as half of all cancers attributed to outdoor sources. One fact is clear: vehicles are such an integral part of our society that virtually everyone is exposed to their emissions.
SMOG is caused by air-born particles from burning fossil fuels, trash and industrial smoke-stacks. It dirties the sky, public places and our sensitive lungs.
ACID RAIN results when auto industrial and public utility emissions create sulfuric acid in the atmosphere. It is killing many of our waterways, forests and wildiffe.
OZONE DEPLETION IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE is another effect of CFC release auto exhausts. It will cause increases in skin cancer and possibly plant animal and human genetic mutation.
VOCs are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids and many can cause adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs can be up to ten times higher indoors than outdoors. VOCs are emitted by tobacco smoke, fuels, plastics, solvents and fragrances. A bioaerosol is a microscopic-size powder or droplet of biological origin suspended in air. Frequently encountered bioaerosols include molds, bacteria, viruses, pollens, and pet dander.
PARTICULATE AIR POLLUTANTS are coarser matter between 2.5 & 10 micron in diameter, known as PM10. Diesel engines emit extraordinarily amount of particulate airborne waste.
On top of all the above, you & your occupants are constantly bringing dirt & moisture into the vehicle cabin, trap them in a confined area w/ all windows up, let it sun-bathe, & render the cabin a perfect breeding ground (i.e. incubator) for a broad-spectrum of bacteria & pathogens.
Another major concern is the so-called "new car smell" which comes from toxic chemicals being released from plastics, foams & fabrics used to make steering wheels, dashboards and seats. One of the common ways chemicals are released is referred to as “off-gassing,” and evidence of this is sometimes present as a window film or “fogging” that develops on the inside of the windshield. Heat and UV-ray exposure can accelerate this process and may also cause chemicals to break down into even more toxic compounds. These chemicals are inhaled or ingested by drivers and passengers through dust and air, potentially causing allergic or other acute reactions or even long-term health impacts such as birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity and cancer.
The same chemicals that may cause human health issues can also cause problems in the environment. When vehicles are discarded at the end of their life, the majority of plastic and other nonmetallic parts are shredded and put into landfills or burned in incinerators. When discarded in landfills, harmful chemicals contained in vehicle plastics and other materials can leach out and contaminate soil and water. When incinerated, toxic chemicals are dispersed throughout the atmosphere.
The Approach:
There are many ways to eliminate airborne antigens, pollutants & pathogens:
- Allow your cabin air filter (a.k.a. A/C filter) to collect the particulate waste & dispose of it manually.
- Collect them inside a device using fiber filter/pads & dispose of them manually.
- Absorb & adsorb them by an activated carbon filter/pad & dispose of them manually.
- Denature & deactivate microbes by UV-lamp.
- Electrostatically charge, repel & make them attract to positively-charged objects like dashboard, floors, seats, overhead lining, etc. via ion generators (a.k.a. negative ionizer).
- Oxidize them at molecular level via photocatalysis (i.e. TiO2 + UV-lamp)
- Ozonize them at molecular level via ozonizer or plasma generator.
- Deactivate & kill microbes by 100% essential oil w/ the proper antiviral/antibacterial blends via Aromatherapy Diffusers.
- Some or all of the above combined methods.
There are many ways to eliminate settled antigens, pollutants & pathogens:
- ClO2 (chlorine dioxide) - area to be treated with no humans present
- O3 (ozone) - area to be treated with no humans present
- TiO2 (titanium dioxide, a.k.a. Photocatalysis) - safe for humans & pets
- Manual removal like vacuum, wipe down, etc.
Apart from treating the pollutants, you can also choose to treat the driver & his occupants too:
- Make the driver more alert via the use of 100% essential oil blends.
- Make the driver more alert via the use of negative ions that in turn increases the dopamine level in driver.
- Make the driver more alert via beneficial brain wave called alpha (SPA) wave.
- Make the driver more alert & breathe better by balancing & enhancing the cabin air quality.
A few rule-of-thumb & precautions:
- For newer vehicles with factory cabin air filter (a.k.a. A/C filter), upgrade your filter with a higher MERV rating submicronic +/or activated carbon combo filter. OE equipment is marginally passable, this substantially better aftermarket combo filter costs more but filters much better.
- If such combo filter is not available for your vehicle model, you can still enhance your OE cabin air filter capacity by using a negative ionizer. This device negatively-charge airborne particulate waste & microbes & make them attract to your cabin filter more powerfully.
- For older vehicles with no factory cabin air filter at all, use an aftermarket standalone air purifier that collects particulate airborne waste or you can vacuum & wipe-off your vehicle interior regularly.
- Do NOT use ozonizer when occupants are present no matter what such device's output claim is, this is because our ambient ozone level in the city already exceeds the EPA safety level, any additional O3 level, no matter how minute, will only worsen the air quality & our health. Ozone also corrode certain car parts.
The hardware & how they work:
- Negative ionizer - repels pollutants in particular submicronic particulate airborne waste from breathing zone, deactivates certain microbes, induces dopamine secretion in humans. It doesn't target fume / benzene though.
- Photocatalytic air purifier - oxidizes a vast group of organic pollutants (incl. benzene, CO, fume) at molecular level, but it doesn't target particulate waste & such accumulation can impair its purifing effectiveness.
- Arometherapy diffuser - denatures & deactivates microbes with the proper blends, makes driver more alert and with other therapeutic effects on occupants. Certain essential oil blends can even kill MRSA (i.e. Superbug)!
- Ozonizer (or Plasma Generator) - powerfully oxidizes pollutants & microbes. But very corrosive & should not be used when occupants are present.
- Particulate air filtration - dust, lint, and other emaller airborne waste, organic & inorganic.
- UV sterilizer - disrupts the RNA replication in microbes (i.e. deactivate pathogens).
Links:
Click on each of the following product images to go to its dedicated page for more info & to order.
Standalone Air Filtration Products:
Why Cabin Air Fiter (a.k.a. A/C Filter)?
Without cabin air filters, pollens, soot, dust and gases, plus unpleasant odors, would pass directly into your car. Drivers and passengers would then be inhaling unfiltered pollutants. It’s not only traffic-related and industrial fumes that can significantly impair the health and wellbeing of drivers and their passengers: agricultural substances, too, like fertilizers or manure, and natural irritant gases like ozone, have adverse effects. The resultant health risks are considerably exacerbated by what is called the tunnel effect.
The tunnel effect: Vehicles in front of you cause an exhaust fume tunnel. The pollutants thus released are sucked into the passenger compartment in concentrated form. The exhaust fume concentration there is significantly higher than outside. In vehicles without a cabin air filter, the unfiltered pollutants reach values up to six times as high as at the edge of the roadway. Possible consequences: headaches, nausea and allergic reactions.
Protection and safety
SigmaAuto's line of cabin air filters do more than just filter pollutants and gases out of the air. They also protect the air-conditioner, help to prevent windows misting up.
Extended lifetimes for air-conditioners
Dirt in heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems will adversely affect the atmosphere inside the car, directly impairing perceived levels of wellbeing, and shortening equipment lifetimes, with all the attendant costs involved.
Protection against misted-up windows
Poor visibility inside the car increases the accident risk. It’s often caused by soiled filters that haven’t been replaced in time. A new cabin air filter ensures clear visibility, with concomitantly enhanced levels of comfort and safety during the drive.
Protection against small particles and fine dust
A cubic meter of respiratory air may contain between 10 and 80 billion particles – depending on the weather and the local conditions involved. Where precisely the particles will be deposited when inhaled will depend on their size. Basically, a distinction is drawn between two particle size categories: larger than 2 micrometers (µm = a thousandth of a millimeter) and smaller than 2 micrometers.
Small particles: particles that are larger than approx. 2 µm will mostly be deposited in the respiratory passages. They may trigger allergic reactions and impair wellbeing. Allergy-sufferers, in particular, suffer from the small particles. Streaming eyes, dripping noses, shortness of breath or sneezing attacks reduce concentration levels and increases the risk of accidents. Sneezing at a speed of 60 miles an hour means you´re driving blind for 30 m.
Fine dust: particles that are smaller than approx. 2 µm will predominantly be deposited in the lower parts of the respiratory passages and in the lungs. They are the ones most commonly encountered in the air. Particles of this size cannot all be retained by the mucous membranes in the nasal and pharyngeal cavities. Most of them are deposited in the lower respiratory passages and in the lungs. These respirable particles include pollutants like bacteria and fungal spores, industrial dusts, fine abraded particles and soot or diesel soot. This is particularly injurious to human health, because it may trigger infections in the lung, and also transports toxic substances. Diesel soot is regarded as a cause for diseases of the respiratory tract, cardiovascular complaints and asthma. A carcinogenic effect is also ascribed to it. micronAir offers applications providing particularly good protection against precisely these fine dusts.
Protection against gases and odors
Besides the small solid particles, gases (ten thousand to ten million times as small) also reach the deep regions of the lung. In enclosed spaces, particularly in vehicle passenger compartments, the oxygen channels are exposed to a multiplicity of harmful substances: e.g. benzene, toluene or ozone. Ozone is a dangerous irritant gas: it causes reactions like headaches, coughing fits or streaming eyes. The activated-charcoal layer of certain cabin air filter breaks down up to 99 percent of the ozone. A survey we conducted has revealed that drivers want to be effectively protected against odors and pollutants and respirable dusts.
Wellbeing inside cars
Wellbeing inside the cars a vital preconditions for a relaxed drive. Besides a pleasant temperature, it’s the quality of the air that also plays a paramount role. Thanks to its ultra-efficient filter media, the cabin air filter we present here ensure maximum purity. The effect: the vehicle’s passenger compartment is continuously supplied with fresh air. This enhances concentration levels and thus reduces the risk of accidents.
Cabin Air Filtration Products:
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