A new study conducted by Henderson Building Solutions LLC found that standard elevator cabin air filtration systems cannot remove the most dangerous airborne pathogens from the cabin, including pathogens with COVID-19 characteristics.
The study pointed out that standard elevator filters only include ventilation fans that cannot filter out the finest and ultrafine particles that are the most dangerous to human health. The study also found that the installation of advanced air purification technology can remove 77-99% of air pollutants from the air in the elevator cabin and reduce particles by 88% on average.
The study measured the amount of pollutants in the elevator cabin air with and without advanced air purification technology. The control cabin includes a simple ventilation fan with a minimum efficiency report value (MERV) rating of 13. The other cabin is equipped with Active Particle Control (APC) technology, which can adjust the binding of harmful particles together, making them more susceptible to air flow and allowing them to be easily filtered out. It was found that the use of APC resulted in a significant reduction in particle quality, indicating that the use of such systems can reduce exposure to particle pollutants and also reduce the airborne transmission of viral or bacterial diseases among elevator passengers.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pointed out that the confined space in the elevator car will increase the risk of disease transmission, and recommended that office buildings add supplementary air ventilation or local air treatment equipment in the car to protect passengers from COVID-19.
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According to data from the National Elevator Industry Inc. of the American Trade Association, each of the 1.03 million elevators in the United States transports an average of 20,000 people per year.
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