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Impact of do-it-yourself air cleaner design on the reduction of simulated wildfire smoke in a controlled chamber environment
Citation:
Holder, A., H. Halliday, AND Pertti Virtaranta. Impact of do-it-yourself air cleaner design on the reduction of simulated wildfire smoke in a controlled chamber environment. INDOOR AIR. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, 32(11):NA, (2022). https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.13163
Impact/Purpose:
Every year wildfires degrade air quality throughout large parts of the U.S. exposing millions of people to poor air quality. Air cleaners are an effective way of reducing indoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5) but often quickly sell out during smoke events and have a cost barrier. Low-cost DIY air cleaners can be built out of inexpensive materials that are more accessible during smoke events than commercial air cleaners. This study demonstrates that DIY air cleaners are an effective approach to achieve cleaner indoor air, despite higher noise levels and power requirements than a similar capacity commercial air cleaner. However, DIY air cleaner designs with a cardboard shroud and multiple filters increase the cost effectiveness of DIY air cleaners making them more effective than higher priced commercial units.
Description:
ORD researchers will summarize and discuss laboratory study results evaluating the particulate matter removal effectiveness of do-it-yourself (DIY) air cleaners. These air cleaners are commonly used to filter smoke particles during wildland fires and are made by attaching an air filter to a box fan with tape or a bungee cord. Multiple designs were evaluated including 1” thick MERV11 filters, 1” MERV13 filters, 4” MERV13 filters, and multi-filter designs with 2 and 4 MERV 13 filters. Power draw, noise levels, and clean air delivery rates were quantified to identify the most cost-effective DIY design.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Impact of do-it-yourself air cleaner design on the reduction of simulated wildfire smoke in a controlled chamber environment