Poor indoor air quality causes discomfort and poses health threats to anyone exposed to it. Poor air quality is usually the result of excessive amounts of airborne particulates and/or excessive levels of gas-phase compounds (V.O.C.'s). Consequently, reducing the concentration levels of both assures improved air quality and reduces the potential for human discomfort and health hazard.

When the air which is confined in a building is continuously passed through a Honeywell filtration system and recirculated back into the building, the original airborne contamination level will be substantially reduced. Contamination levels may be reduced by more than 95% in many instances.

The following is just a surface look at some of the many opportunities to create sales and solve business problems with Honeywell air quality products.

Exposure to the air pollution in many big cities significantly raises the risk of dying from lung cancer. The risk is from what scientists call particle pollution, fine particulate matter of dust, diesel soot, and other carcinogens emitted by cars, trucks, and airplanes. People who live and work next to congested freeways and airports are at least twice as likely to develop cancer from breathing vehicle exhaust than those who live next to highly industrial areas.*

The health risks from particle pollution are greatest for people who work or live near diesel exhaust sources. This includes commercial buildings and offices located near freeways, airports, and other heavily traveled areas. The freeways are packed with diesel fuel burning engines that emit more than 40 chemicals that are considered toxic by the EPA. Also consider the fact that most cars and trucks have radial tires, which spew billions of tiny latex particles into the atmosphere every day by the wear and tear of ordinary driving.

Indoor air can be up to a 100 times more polluted than outdoor air. Standard commercial HVAC systems pull in polluted outside air from roof top air handlers and re-circulate it throughout the building, forming a sort of chemical soup. The outside air is full of diesel soot, dangerous particulate matter, harmful gases, and carcinogens emitted from the thousands of cars and trucks that travel the freeway each day.

Particle pollution causes a broad range of health problems. Exposure worsens asthma and causes wheezing, coughing, and respiratory irritation in anyone with sensitive airways. It also triggers heart attacks, cardiac arrythmias (irregular heartbeat), lung cancer and premature death. The particles are too small to be filtered by the body's defense and they become lodged in the lungs. The smallest of the particles can even enter the bloodstream via the lungs. The gases and ultrafine particles from diesel exhaust can cause mutations in cells that can lead to cancer.

*Report: Freeway pollution ups cancer risk. September 28, 2003
American Lung Association: State of the Air 2004
 

The sneezing and coughing of infected patients result in some of the germs becoming air-borne. This poses a threat to employees, physicians and most importantly patients. People go to physicians in order to regain their health; unfortunately many times they catch another illness while they are at the facility.

Studies show that viruses and bacteria are more likely to be spread when they are in small-contained areas such as physician's waiting rooms. Infectious diseases are human illnesses caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi, and other microbes. They are spread in a variety of ways including contact with an infected person and by contact with contaminated air.

Healthcare facilities have to pay particular attention to indoor air because people who visit them are frequently ill and often have depressed or compromised immune systems. This makes them more susceptible to developing adverse health reactions to poor indoor air quality.

Standard HVAC systems in commercial buildings do not clean the air that is being re-circulated through them. The Filtration in a standard HVAC system is designed to catch large objects and is completely inadequate at filtering out small particulate and especially bacteria and viruses. This is a common misunderstanding that cannot be ignored.

Recommendations:
Honeywell offers an air cleaning and treatment solution that meets the needs of doctors, physicians, and healthcare professionals who are looking to improve air quality for their patients and staff. The Honeywell F111U features a hospital grade 99.9% HEPA filter to trap airborne particles, mold, bacteria and viruses, while an Ultraviolet Air Treatment System kills up to 87% of airborne bacteria passing by the UV light. Combined, these two technologies provide the best defense against airborne bacteria, mold and viruses.
 
Honeywell F111U  

Bacteria, Viruses, body and urine odors, and other forms of particulate and gases combine to make indoor air quality a major issue in Health Care facilities. Offensive odors and other indoor air quality problems are readily noticeable to employees, visitors, guardians, patients, and prospective patients. Eliminating these pollutants will allow Health Care facilities to attract new and retain existing health care patients.
 
CRISTA Senior Nursing Center Testimonial  

Print shops, copy centers, and photographic reproduction represent another niche market with excellent potential. They have a significant problem with odors and solvents permeating their customer areas and creating kidney and other serious internal organ difficulties for employees.

Many inks, fountain solutions, press washes and solvents contain volatile organic compounds, or (VOCs) and hazardous air polluntants, or (HAPs), which are both regulated because they have the potential to cause health problems and environmental contamination at very low concentrations.

Additionally, particulate in the air can compromise the quality of their product and create a waste factor. Even the cleanest of stock carries spray powder, paper dust, lint, loose fibers, and paper chips into the press. Roll stock also carries slitter dust, paper lint and loose paper fibers into the printing process as delivered from the manufacturer. As the sheets and webs are fed through the printing stations, all of this particualte accumalates, more frequent wash-ups are required, dramatically reducing production speeds.

Particulates that are not removed from the material or deposited on the blanket become part of the finished product. This particulate leaves residual markings such as hickeys and voids in the printed images. Air cleaners can pay for themselves very quickly by eliminating this problem.
 
American Speedy Print Success Story  
Graphix Unlimited  

Children's exposure to air pollution is a special concern because their immune system and lungs are not fully developed when exposure begins, raising the possibility of different responses than seen in adults.

Daycare Centers are full of common indoor air pollutants such as pollens, mold spores, animal hair and dander, dust mites and general room dust. All of these pollutants contribute to respiratory irritation, asthma, hay fever, or allergies.

Even more important are the bacteria and viruses present in the air. The sneezing and coughing of infected children result in some of the germs becoming airborne. This poses a threat to other children and the staff. As a result, the children are home sick with the sniffles, the sneezes, the cough or other symptoms. This can pose a real hardship for many parents who have to take off work to care for their children when they are home sick. And then, just when the child is ready to go back to school, the parent comes down with whatever the child had and has to miss even more work.

With Honeywell's 99.97% True HEPA filters, you can offer Day Care Centers the same advanced technology that is used in medical laboratories and other applications where totally clean air environments are required. You can assure them that their children are in a clean, healthy environment that studies have shown reduces airborne transmission of bacteria and viruses and other airborne contaminants that affect health, attendance and learning.
 
The Rainbow Connection Early Childhood Development Center  
Pike Lake Elementary School  

Data processing centers located in medium to large office settings pose health threats to employees. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) generated from photocopiers and printers contribute to the already poor air quality in general office settings. The poor air quality is a combination of many undetected dangers - from the carbon monoxide and other contaminants sucked into a building when air intake vents overhang exhaust-filled loading docks and parking garages, to the VOCs seeping out of building materials, furniture, office equipment, carpet, paint, and pesticides, to the molds and bacteria funneled through heating, ventilation, and cooling systems (HVACs).

Some of the common symptoms that are associated with a 'Sick Building' range from headaches, nausea, dizziness, short-term memory loss, irritability, and itchy eyes and throats - to possible damage of the nervous and respiratory systems.
 
Mid-Com Communication Testimonial  

The smoke driven markets have been a natural for air cleaners and continue to offer business opportunities. Bowling centers, bingo operations, billiard rooms, fraternal organizations, restaurant lounges, and hotels are good prospects for solutions to an air quality problem. Seven out of ten adults don't smoke. No business can afford to alienate 70% of their potential customer base. Tobacco smoke odors and eye burning chemicals are offensive to non-smokers. The feedback from Honeywell users in this market segment is universally positive. The first benefit to the end user is an immediate reaction of appreciation from customers and staff. The second is increased revenue.

 
Lowell's Restaurant Testimonial