IQAir: Difference between revisions
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IQAir is a Swiss air quality technology company, specializing in helping protect people from airborne pollutants, developing air quality monitoring and air cleaning products. IQAir also operates AirVisual, one of the world’s largest real-time air quality information platforms.<ref>{{cite news |title=Shareholder Agenda: Tea and Blank Pages |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/business/24suits.html |date=23 August 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=IQAir Perfect 16 |publisher=Extreme Makeover |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8cxQ_VvboQ}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAgVbqDoIZo|title=Baby Jaelyn Gets a Heart|publisher=Anderson Cooper Live}}</ref> |
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== History == |
== History == |
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Revision as of 21:56, 5 June 2020
| File:IQAir logo.png | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Environmental technology |
| Founded | 1963 Germany |
| Founders | Manfred Hammes Klaus Hammes |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Frank Hammes Jens Hammes Glory Dolphin-Hammes |
| Products | Air purifiers Air quality instruments |
| Website | iqair |
IQAir is a Swiss air quality technology company, specializing in helping protect people from airborne pollutants, developing air quality monitoring and air cleaning products. IQAir also operates AirVisual, one of the world’s largest real-time air quality information platforms.[1][2][3]
History
IQAir was founded 1963 by brothers Manfred and Klaus Hammes, who introduced an air filter system for residential coal ovens in Germany to help reduce black dust build-up on the walls behind ovens. Manfred Hammes, a lifelong asthma sufferer, noticed that the filter reduced his flare-ups during the winter months. Klaus Hammes continued through the 1960s and ’70s to adapt the air filter for other heating systems such as radiators, baseboard heating and forced-air heating and cooling systems. In 1982, Klaus Hammes relocated the company headquarters to Switzerland. .[4]
In the early 1990s, Frank Hammes, Klaus' oldest son, joined the company and expanded research and development as well as in-house manufacturing. In the spring of 1998, IQAir shipped its first high-performance air purifier from its Swiss factory. In 2001, Klaus Hammes' second son, Jens Hammes, joined the business and helped expand IQAir to Asia and the Middle East.[5]
Products
IQAir currently has products that fall into four product categories:
Air purifiers[6]
In 1998, IQAir introduced a line of compact modular room air purifiers for the removal of a wide range of solid, liquid, and gaseous air pollutants. IQAir products are used by medical, corporate, and private users and have gained a reputation for their high-efficiency particle removal as well as high-capacity removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). IQAir has also introduced accessories and specialized models for medical professionals, such as extraoral suction arms for dental use (extraoral suction), and devices to aid in the creation of positive and negative pressure environments.
In 2013, IQAir introduced two new commercial air cleaning systems: the CleanZone SL and CleanZone 5000, both for use in open plan offices, hospitals, and classrooms. In 2018, IQAir introduced its first personal air purifier, the Atem Desk and IQAir Mask. In 2019, the Atem Car, an in-vehicle air purifier, was introduced.
HVAC-based air cleaning
In 2006, IQAir introduced the Perfect 16, the company’s first air cleaning system to work in conjunction with ducted forced-air heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The Perfect 16 derives its name from being the first independently tested residential and commercial air cleaning system for HVAC systems to achieve the highest minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV 16) under the ASHRAE 52.2 test format. The system also features a very low pressure drop and a filter life of up to 3 years.
In 2008, IQAir introduced a new line of MERV 16-rated high-performance HVAC filters under the trademark of NanoMax. The filters’ 2 inch- (5 cm-) deep form factor allows them to be used in place of lower efficiency HVAC filters while also, as the company claims, providing a comparable pressure drop to that of filters with much lower efficiency.
Air quality instruments
In 2000, IQAir introduced a line of hand-held environmental optical particle counters, under the ParticleScan trademark, to measure airborne particle concentrations. In 2017, IQAir introduced the AirVisual Pro, a low-cost air quality monitor for continuous unattended measurement of PM2.5, CO2, temperature, and relative humidity in indoor and outdoor environments. The monitor connects via Wi-Fi to a cloud data platform, from which users can manage data and contribute outdoor PM2.5 data to the AirVisual global air quality information platform.
Global air quality information platform
In 2017, IQAir integrated technology from air quality monitoring start-up AirVisual into its product line. It has since expanded the AirVisual air quality data platform to provide free global access to real-time air quality data from over 80,000 governmental and privately operated air quality monitoring stations through the IQAir AirVisual App and website. The AirVisual app has been downloaded over 1,000,000 times from the Google app store. IQAir publishes a live city ranking, which ranks over 90 major cities by air pollution in real-time and is referenced widely by journalists. Since 2018, IQAir publishes an annual global air quality report that analyzes and ranks global fine particulate air pollution. The 2019 World Air Quality Report covers 98 countries and over 3,000 cities.
Awards
Air Purifiers:
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (Finland) "Best Air Purifier" 2012[7]
- Reviewboard Magazine (USA) "Best Buy" 2012[8]
- Parent Tested/Parent Approved (USA) "Award Winning Product" 2013[9]
- The Gadgeteer (USA) "Best Gadget of the Year" Award 2017, 2017[10]
- International Housewares Association Global Innovation "Award for Product Design Personal Care" 2019[11]
- TWICE VIP (USA) "Award for Home Care Devices" 2019[12]
Air quality monitor:
- AirParif "AirLab" Microsensor Challenge Laureate 2019 [13]
- BK Magazine awarded AirVisual "App of the Year" 2019 [14]
Air quality app:
- AirVisual App, Google Play “Best of” Daily Helper 2018
- AirVisual App, BK Magazine "App of the Year" 2019
Technology
IQAir employs a wide range of particulate and gas-phase removal technologies in its air purifiers and air filters. The company has been a vocal opponent of ionizing and ozone-producing air cleaning technologies. IQAir’s air quality information platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) to calibrate and validate thousands of governmental and non-governmental air quality monitoring stations.
Company organization
IQAir is headquartered in Switzerland with major operations in Germany, the U.S., and China. Product development is based in Switzerland. Manufacturing is based in Switzerland and Germany. Field support and installation teams exist in Switzerland, the U.S. and China, in addition to authorized dealers support customers throughout the world.
Research studies
Hospital Infection Control
A 2006 peer reviewed study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection reported that an IQAir Cleanroom H13 air purifier reduced Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) contamination in hospital isolation rooms. The researchers concluded that "This portable HEPA-filtration unit can significantly reduce MRSA environmental contamination within patient isolation rooms, and this may prove to be a useful addition to existing MRSA infection control measures.[15]
A 2010 peer-reviewed study conducted at Singapore General Hospital and published in the American Journal of Infection Control in 2010 found that the use of IQAir portable air purifiers with HyperHEPA filtration reduced the spread of invasive aspergillosis (IA) by 50%. The researchers concluded that "The cost of widespread portable HEPA filtration in hospitals will be more than offset by the decreases in nosocomial infections in general and in IA in particular." [16]
Dental Aerosol Control
A 2010 peer-reviewed study in the British Dental Journal, found that the IQAir FlexVac extraoral air cleaning system significantly reduced potentially hazardous bioaerosols created during dental procedures. [17]
Classroom Air Pollution Control
A 2013 peer-reviewed US government study conducted by researchers from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) published in the International Journal of Indoor Environment and Health found that IQAir stand-alone air purification and HVAC-based air purification was able to lower concentrations of ultrafine particles, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC) between 87% and 96%. [18]
In-Vehicle Air Pollution Control
A 2014 peer-reviewed passenger vehicle study funded by CARB (California Air Resources Board), conducted by researchers at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and published in Environmental Science & Technology found that an IQAir high-efficiency cabin air filtration was able to reduce ultra-fine particle exposure by 93% while keeping carbon dioxide concentrations in the range of 620-930 ppm. [19]
School Bus Air Pollution Control
A 2015 peer-reviewed study funded by CARB, conducted by researchers at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and published in Environmental Science & Technology, found that an IQAir school bus air purification system was able to reduce harmful air pollutants by 88 percent. [20]
In-home Air Pollution Control
A CARB-funded study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory investigating reducing in-home exposure to air pollution found that IQAir MERV16 filtration on a supply system provided the greatest reductions in outdoor pollutant levels with indoor time-averaged concentrations that were lower than corresponding outdoor levels by 97– 98% for PM2.5, 97–99% for UFP, and at least 84–92% for BC and at least 97% for ozone. [21]
A two-year study conducted by UC Davis and funded by CARB focused on households with asthmatic children found that the use of high-efficiency filtration improves indoor air quality. Installation of IQAir stand-alone air cleaners and high-efficiency filters in central air conditioning systems were shown to improve indoor air quality across all particle size fractions, with the greatest improvement in the smaller size fractions. The study also found that while participants did not report reduced asthma symptoms, they did have fewer visits to doctor's offices and hospitals for asthma care and slept better if they also kept their bedroom door closed. [22]
Special projects
Hospitals
IQAir air purification devices are used in hospitals around the world for infection control. The Hong Kong Hospital Authority selected IQAir air purifiers to help against the spread of SARS. During the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, IQAir provided air filtration to hospitals in Wuhan, China designated to treat people infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Air purification during 2008 Beijing Olympics
IQAir provided air purification to the U.S. Olympic Team during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The U.S. Olympic Committee was concerned about the impact of local air pollution on athlete performance, and asked IQAir to provide air cleaning to U.S. athletes living quarters in the Olympic Village and at the main training facility in Beijing. IQAir also provided air purification to the USA Cycling team headquarters during the Olympics.
Air purification at the Los Angeles Zoo
The IQAir assisted the LA Zoo in creating a pressurized clean air cage for Minyak, a Bornean orangutan with respiratory problems. Minyak recovered and became a successful member of the zoo's breeding program.
Air purification for schools
IQAir was selected by the South Coast Air Quality Management District and other air quality agencies to provide high-performance air filtration for classrooms in California schools close to major outdoor air pollution sources. As of June 2013, IQAir's air filtration technologies were installed in more than 1,000 classrooms. A study published in 2012 in INDOOR AIR reports that IQAir air cleaning technology is able to protect classrooms from up to 96% of outdoor diesel soot, PM 2.5 and ultrafine particles.
United Nations Air Quality Platform
In February 2020, the United Nations Environment Programme, UN Habitat and IQAir announced a global partnership to increase the availability of real-time air quality data, with a focus to better serve underrepresented regions such as Africa and South America.
World Air Quality Report
Since 2018, IQAir publishes an annual global air quality report that analyzes and ranks global fine particulate air pollution. The 2019 World Air Quality Report covers 98 countries/regions and over 3000 cities.
Educational work
EU Green Week
In 2013, IQAir supported the European Commission, by producing a series of scanning electron microscope images of diesel soot, mold spores and other airborne particulates. The images were displayed at the Green Week 2013 Conference in Brussels.[23]
See also
References
- ^ "Shareholder Agenda: Tea and Blank Pages". The New York Times. 23 August 2008.
- ^ "IQAir Perfect 16". Extreme Makeover.
- ^ "Baby Jaelyn Gets a Heart". Anderson Cooper Live.
- ^ "History of Air Cleaning". Floor Care Professional Magazine: 6–7. June 2006.
- ^ Hügli, Von Daniel (12 August 2013). "Wir erhalten jede Woche Übernahmeangebote" [Every week we receive takeover bids]. Cash (in German).
- ^ "Compact Stand-Alone Air Purifiers". IQAir.
- ^ Koivisto, Joonas; Mølgaard, Bjarke; Hussein, Tareq; Hämeri, Kaarle (8 March 2013). "Sisäilmapuhdistimien hiukkaskokojaotellut puhdistustaajuudet" (PDF).
- ^ "IQAir News Edition HealthPro Plus Review". Reviewboard Magazine.
- ^ "New Edition HealthPro Plus". PTPA. 20 June 2017.
- ^ "IQAir Atem Personal Air Purifier". ConsumerSearch. 26 December 2017.
- ^ "IQAir Atem 5 in 1 Personal Air Purifier". ConsumerSearch. 2 March 2019.
- ^ "IQAir Atem 5 in 1 Personal Air Purifier". ConsumerSearch. 19 August 2019.
- ^ "IQAir AirVisual Pro". ConsumerSearch. 1 January 2020.
- ^ "The BK Awards". ConsumerSearch. 28 February 2020.
- ^ "Reduction in MRSA environmental contamination with a portable HEPA-filtration unit". The Journal of Hospital Infection. 1 March 2006.
- ^ "The impact of portable high-efficiency particulate air filters on the incidence of invasive aspergillosis in a large acute tertiary-care hospital". The American Journal of Infection. 1 May 2010.
- ^ Hallier, C.; Williams, D. W.; Potts, A. J.; Lewis, M. A. (23 October 2010). "A Pilot Study of Bioaerosol Reduction Using an Air Cleaning System During Dental Procedures". British Dental Journal. 209 (8). The American Journal of Infection: E14. doi:10.1038/sj.bdj.2010.975. PMC 7091833. PMID 20953167.
- ^ Polidori, A.; Fine, P. M.; White, V.; Kwon, P. S. (23 October 2010). "Pilot Study of High-Performance Air Filtration for Classroom Applications". Indoor Air. 23 (3). International Journal of Indoor Environment and Health: 185–95. doi:10.1111/ina.12013. PMID 23137181.
- ^ "Application of a High-Efficiency Cabin Air Filter for Simultaneous Mitigation of Ultrafine Particle and Carbon Dioxide Exposures Inside Passenger Vehicles". Environmental Science and Technology. 28 January 2014.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ^ Lee, Eon S.; Fung, Cha-Chen D.; Zhu, Yifang (22 March 2015). "Evaluation of a High Efficiency Cabin Air (HECA) Filtration System for Reducing Particulate Pollutants Inside School Buses". Environmental Science and Technology. 49 (6): 3358–3365. Bibcode:2015EnST...49.3358L. doi:10.1021/es505419m. PMID 25728749.
- ^ "Reducing In‐Home Exposure to Air Pollution" (PDF). Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 21 May 2016.
- ^ "BENEFITS OF HIGH EFFICIENCY FILTRATION TO CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA" (PDF). Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 16 April 2018.
- ^ "Visualizing the Invisible".