September is in the tunnel vision of teachers across the country. Thrilled to get back into the classroom, but a common, uneasy feeling has fallen over many educational leaders as schools welcome back their students.
Building managers, superintendents, and principals are looking for solutions to make their spaces as safe as possible for their staff and students. Aside from vaccinations becoming widely available, the need for clean air is essential to all educational buildings. Each school facility and space is different, but generally, in order to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) there are a few different approaches.
The Challenge for Schools
- School Facilities Directors often can start by replacing their current filters with higher MERV-rated ones. This approach, while beneficial for air filtration, could be challenging and in some cases more costly. Many schools, daycare centers, and other primary education facilities are working with often old, antiquated buildings with alternative heating and cooling systems or HVAC systems that can't sustain airflow through a dense media filter.
- As recommended by the CDC, school leaders can look to HEPA or better portable air purifiers to enhance air cleaning, increase air exchange and reduce particle load.
Each school district across the nation is looking for a solution all while trying to keep up with the local, state, and federal guidelines. While some will choose to invest in HVAC upgrades, some other districts have invested in portable air purifiers as a means to improve indoor air quality. This solution is considered by many as the best option available, especially with government funding for ventilation upgrades.
Educational facilities continue to persist for in-person classes, for the betterment of the child's learning experience. According to the White House, over 50 million students around the nation will head back to school in the next several weeks.
Which air purifier for classrooms?
Many school districts across the country are looking for a solution that offers the least amount of classroom disruption while simultaneously providing the highest level of filtration. Solutions range in size, sound, efficiency, looks, and more. At the end of the day, efficiency is critically important in improving indoor air quality. To learn more about air purifiers and some of the most commonly found on the internet, we recommend comparing dB, CFM, and single-pass efficiency.
Efficiency is one of the most important criteria, but before you go and buy 30 new air purifiers, you should consider that not all air purifiers are created equally. We recommend an air purifier that achieves HEPA with EN 1822, is certified to emit no ozone, and passes CARB (California Air Resources Board) regulations.
In addition, there have been a few classroom studies suggesting that proper portable air purification can result in a 5x reduction in airborne particles. A recent study conducted by the Well Living Lab in conjunction with the Mayo Clinic utilized Intellipure air purifiers to arrive at their findings. To learn more about this study, check out the Good Morning America segment.
- HEPA - Total System Better Than HEPA Performance
- CARB - California Air Resources Board
- Zero Ozone - Verification from Intertek
The Intellipure Compact holds and passes all of these standards and is a great solution for many environments. The plug-and-play nature of the Compact allows schools to target specific areas based on the need and density of students, staff, and teachers. Only limited room in a small classroom? No problem, we sell wall mounts for every Compact air purifier.
IAQ challenges within an educational facility can be complicated, as there are many sources of pollutants. In some cases, the student could be the pollutant. After following the CDC guidelines to remove the child from others and disinfect, the Compact air purifier is put on turbo fan speed to clear out any remaining airborne pollutants.
Unlike some air purifiers, we don't just add a high-efficiency filter inside the unit. We individually test each and every Intellipure air purifier to ensure it performs at or better than HEPA total system efficiency.
Why choose Intellipure?
- Highest CFM per decibel level compared to noise output.
- Less dense media filters for maximum airflow and filtration power.
- Quick and easy filter maintenance and replacement.
- Individually tested to guarantee better than HEPA efficiency.
- Reduction of dangerous microplastics and mycotoxins.
- Our filters include a proprietary blend of granular particles proven to adsorb a high level of gases and odors.
- Greater lifetime filter performance due to lower density media.
- Highly effective at all fan speeds.
Schools that are choosing portable air purifiers.
NEw york city schools
The largest school district in the United States has chosen to invest in over 30,000 Intellipure Compact air purifiers - placing two in every classroom. Recently, they have purchased brand new filters for all of their units, to make sure they are working at their top quality before students return to their classrooms.
CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Chicago Public Schools has installed over 20,000 Intellipure air purification units provided through Delos, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and an ongoing effort to improve occupant safety. These units will be installed in classrooms and high-traffic areas throughout every school to build a comprehensive "Classroom-Based Air Purification" program.
Syracuse City Schools
Syracuse City Schools has installed 3,000+ Intellipure air purification units, as part of an overall safety program to improve student and teacher wellbeing across the district. Two units will be installed in classrooms and high-traffic areas throughout every school. They describe their entire safety plan including air purification here.
"Nothing is more important than creating the safest possible in-person learning environments for our students and dedicated staff, which is why we are going beyond public health recommendations to place air purifiers in every classroom"
Dr. Janice K. Jackson, CEO of Chicago Public Schools
Get started with air purification.
Intellipure portable air purifiers are being deployed in educational environments across the globe. From local schools to districts across the country, Intellipure can support nearly any size campus or district. We're focused on improving safety for students, staff, and faculty with industry-leading air purification.
Since there is no one-size-fits-all approach to air filtration, building administrators should speak with an indoor air quality expert at Intellipure. Find a solution for your facility, and get more information on our products and technology by taking a look at air purification for education.
Intellipure
We're reimagining the world as a better, safer place with innovative air purification technologies. Our solutions are engineered in the USA and trusted in nearly every industry. To find out more about the latest in clean air take a look at the Intellipure lineup and follow us on Instagram at @Intellipure.
