Bio-oxidizers That Clean the Air: Controlling Odors and
Emissions in Lab Settings
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The
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)
opened in the mid-1970s to become a distinguished education,
administration and research facility. As with many teaching
hospitals, over the years there have been various odor issues,
both in and out of the teaching laboratories.
Looking for a solution to its odor and air quality issues, the
school considered large scale venting, but the cost was
prohibitive as larger vents, duct lines, fans, wiring and
reinforced structures to accommodate the increased weight of
equipment were necessary.
Additionally, venting would increase heating and air
conditioning costs. And venting alone cannot take care of many
odor problems, as odors tend to linger on charged particles that
cannot be swept away by air flow.
When the teaching hospital was introduced to biological air
cleaning technology, it was excited to implement a solution that
could eliminate odors and improve the air quality, while also
saving them both on energy costs as well as expensive
reconstruction costs.
The biological air cleaning system it turned to was Clean Air
Plant, which electrically grounds the air, thus attracting air
pollution and odors, which travel on charged particles. When
captured in the CAP unit, contaminants are biologically oxidized
and eliminated (neutralized).
The hospital first set up CAP-90 units in the patient transport
and orthopedics department to control exhaust fumes infiltrating
the building from nearby loading and unloading areas. In the
gross anatomy lab, four CAP-600s control phenol, formaldehyde
and other chemical odors, while a single CAP-90 controls the
same chemicals in the morgue’s embalming room.
Two more CAP-90 units are set up in the Cell Biology Lab and the
Mouse Research Lab to control animal odors. In the Dental
Operating Labs, where oral surgery is performed under general
anesthesia, teaching dentists and students are often exposed to
high levels of nitrous oxide. A CAP-600 keeps the nitrous levels
under control and lowers exposure levels so that teachers,
students, and patients can remain longer in the operating room.
CAPs are compact and portable bio-oxidizers that treat air
pollution and odors on the spot and in real time. CAPs digest
air contaminants continuously, creating an electrically-neutral
“clean air zone.” Because odors travel on electrically-charged
particles, they are drawn into the clean air zone and oxidized.
CAPs are designed and distributed by Air & Water Solutions, Inc.
For more information, visit their website at:
www.cleanairplant.com or call toll free at 877-661-5912. ❑ |
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