Blueair Globe, April 2015 by Blueair

GLOBE Q1, 2015

hidden sources of indoor air pollution p. 11

blueair launch in south korea p. 8

The art of wow

p. 12

blueair at international home + housewares show

CONTENT Blueair Pro launches in China

Blueair Pro Wins World’s Top Design Honor

Thrilling Launch of the Blueair Classic Family in South Korea

Marketplace: South Korea

Hidden Sources of Indoor Air Pollution

The Art of Wow: Blueair at International Home + Housewares Show

India Faces Up to Air Pollution

Listening to what customers want, around the world

Are our homes health hazards?

Bad Air Alerts

What I think of Blueair: Annika Waller

A word from the founder

I am discovering there’s a lot of truth in the belief that every year goes faster as you grow older!

his year it will be nineteen years since I founded Blueair to bring cleaner, healthier indoor air to people. And we have never been as crazy busy working on turning our hopes, dreams and concepts generated into tangible product solutions. In a world where too many cities suffer lung clogging particle pollution, one of our big triumphs in 2014 was the launch of our sleek-looking, super efficient Pro family of indoor air purifiers. Before the year was out, the Pro was honored with two major design awards, including a highly prestigious 2014 Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design GOOD DESIGN® award.

But we are not slowing our pace of development, there’s plenty more exciting technology on the horizon for 2015 – including perhaps the biggest mystery of all: the Blueair ‘face mask’. Stay tuned to our Blueair website about what we have in store for you. Our wings are spreading ever further. Today our fabulous indoor air purifiers help people in over 50 countries. And this year sees us step up our efforts in India, which has cities suffering some of the worst air pollution on our planet. It’s a big step, but we cannot wait to see how far we can fly to contribute to making life healthier for India’s children, women and men. When I look back at what we have achieved at Blueair over the past years, I have a great sense of ap-

preciation for everyone who has contributed to our journey. We are so much more than just a company. Blueair today is truly a collaborative, innovative family who educate, promote and agitate for cleaner, healthier indoor air. You know, listening to all the climate change news can sometimes make the future look bleak and uncertain. The good news is that as we expand at Blueair, we are making a promise: We will ceaselessly challenge the limits of design and technology to evolve ever better products. We will continue to speak out and provide information on indoor air pollution for the media, thought leaders and consumers. And we will engage and influence others to build a movement behind our core belief that everyone has the right to breathe clean air. Bring it on!

Bengt Rittri, Founder & Principal

BLUEAIR GLOBE, Q1 2015

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Sam Li, General Manager at Blueair China, at the launch event of Pro in Beijing.

Blueair Pro Launches in China

HOW BLUE IS YOUR SKY? Blueair scored a huge success in China with the official launch of its stunning Pro family of powerful indoor air purifiers at a media event in Beijing in December 2014. Some 28 articles were published in major print newspapers and magazines, while coverage online saw over 46 articles published.

he latest addition to Blueair’s existing lineup of indoor air cleaners, the Pro family sets a new benchmark for the industry. Not only by efficiently removing airborne chemicals, dust and viruses, and looking amazing at the same time, but also when it comes to energy efficiency and use of sustainable materials. So it is little wonder that the Blueair Pro won the hearts and minds of media as well as other VIPs and trade partners attending its launch in Bejing, the Chinese capital, in early December. Staged as the winter fog and pollution haze season started getting underway in the vast city of 19.6 million inhabitants, the invitees were treated to a free course in how to meditate and breathe properly to enhance health and wellbeing.

Growing awareness “Ever more people in China are aware of the health and wellbeing problems associated with bad air quality, both outdoors and inside their homes and offices. It’s a hot topic in China and at Blueair we believe it is important not only to sell great products but also to educate people so they can

make the right choices when it comes to purchasing an indoor purifier,” said Candy Li, Head of Marketing at Blueair China. She noted how Blueair in China now offers to help test the air inside people’s homes or offices before they make a final purchase decision. The Blueair Pro XL won two top ‘Envisioneering Innovation & Design Awards’ at its premier launch at Berlin’s 2014 IFA tech show thanks to its technologies that deliver sizzling performance from a slim, sleek shape. Inside the air purifier is the world’s most advanced modular filtration system featuring unique V-shaped filters, which require little more energy than an average light bulb to remove viruses, PM2.5 particles and VOCs from indoor air. In early December Pro was honored for its design excellence with a 2014 Good Design Award by the prestigious Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design.

Eye-catching design, higher performance “The Pro utilizes a sleek, eye-catching vertical tower-like design that reduces depth for greater in-room usability without sacrificing

performance. We engineered a high performance fan technology designed from the inside out to provide near-silent operation and ultra low energy consumption without hampering high-end air purification efficiency,” Blueair founder and CEO Bengt Rittri told journalists attending the Beijing media event. Mr. Rittri added that Blueair views Pro as a silent sentinel protecting people and their loved ones and colleagues from the consequences of polluted air indoors at home and work. “We believe the day is getting nearer when indoor air purifiers will be as natural part of the appliance line up in homes and workspaces as a vacuum cleaner or refrigerator,” said Mr. Rittri. “Blueair is where it is with the likes of our Pro family because we are not afraid to be innovative, to take risks, to do more research, to talk to other experts and to employ awesome people who go that extra mile for our customers. That is what we do to bring cleaner, healthier indoor air to consumers in China and in the rest the world.

BLUEAIR GLOBE, Q1 2015

Smart Homes, Healthy Living Highlight Trends at World’s Leading Home and Housewares Show Blueair has been honored with a 2014 Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design GOOD DESIGN® award for the sleek design and its powerful performance of its new Blueair Pro family.

In the past few years, consumer interest has increased in products like robotic vacuums that utilize smart technology or products that can be monitored or controlled by smart phones, tablets or computers such as the new range of Blueair Sense+ air purifiers. “The world of synced devices, including wearable technology and smart home appliances, will mainstream as trusted retailers and manufacturers satisfy consumer appetite for collecting data and controlling devices. Smart devices - from watches to ceiling fans - appeal to consumers because they save time and money but also promise convenience and control,” according to Consumer Goods Technology, which discussed trends identified by Mintel, a leading global supplier of consumer, product and media intelligence. “Mintel’s research finds that interest is high since 59 percent of U.S. consumers would consider using an app or website to control their home,” Consumer Goods Technology said. “Yet, savvy consumers are recognizing that there should be synergy between these smart services. Four in 10 U.S. consumers would like to buy technology products that easily connect to products they already have.” The broad umbrella of healthy living, which includes healthy eating, healthy homes and healthy cleaning, is expected to rapidly escalate in coming years as consumer interest in ensuring every aspect of their home is healthy and safe for their families grows. Products such as Blueair’s indoor air purifiers that remove broad spectrum of contaminants from indoor air are examples of this broader trend.

ver 2,100 exhibitors from 34 countries and buyers from over 100 countries around the world gathered in Chicago in early March for the annual International Home + Housewares Show staged by the International Housewares Association. The show brought together over 60,000 home goods professionals from more than 100 countries, making it the largest such gathering in the world. According to the IHA website, these professionals “come to explore new, creative business opportunities as well as strengthen existing relationships.” Consumers, intrigued by the idea of saving time and money without sacrificing convenience, are clearly becoming more interested in home automation and smart home appliances. Healthy living, healthy eating and simplicity are other top trends forecast for 2015 and new products highlighting this increased focus on smart housewares were widely on display. Home automation products have piqued consumer’s interest in smart products that can integrate devices together to centralize, communicate and control multiple appliances within the home. Transparency Market Research, a global market intelligence company, valued the global home automation market at $4.41 billion in 2013 with the expectation it will account for $21.67 billion in 2020.

Read more about the new Blueair launches on page 12!

The new Blueair products (Blueair App, Blueair Aware and Sense+) launched at International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago in March.

BLUEAIR PRO WINS WORLD’S TOP DESIGN HONOR Blueair has been honored with a 2014 Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design GOOD DESIGN® award for the sleek design and its powerful performance of its new Blueair Pro family.

Unmatched The Blueair Pro family boasts unmatched breakthrough filtration technologies and design geared to remove practically all contaminants such as viruses, carcinogenic PM2.5 dust particles, allergens, mites, smells and volatile organics compounds from household chemicals and building materials. “Blueair’s new Pro family, which harnesses up to three sets of unique v-shaped filters and an inbuilt particulate monitoring system, reflects the insight that indoor air cleaning has come of age in a world where homes are built tighter to conserve energy,” Joakim Nygren told Blueair Globe. “Designing and building more airtight homes is an environmental dilemma that results in indoor air being many times more polluted than that outside with trapped allergens, dust, viruses and chemicals building up to previously unseen levels.” At its global launch at the Berlin IFA tech fair in Germany last September, Blueair Pro XL also received a top design and innovation award from Envisioneering, the industry research firm. The Pro XL was judged on its engineering qualities, including technical specifications and materials used, the product’s intended use/ function and user value, aesthetic and design qualities, unique and novel features, and how the product’s design and innovation directly compares to others in the marketplace.

he latest Blueair family of air purifiers may be the ‘new kids on the block’, but their sizzling good looks and outstanding performance are already winning praise from the world’s top design enthusiasts. Just a few months after being launched at the Berlin IFA tech trade show, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design in December honored the Blueair Pro with a prestigious 2014 GOOD DESIGN® award. The Museum’s annual design awards program for the most innovative and cutting-edge industrial, product, and graphic designs produced around the globe is the world’s oldest and most prestigious awards program. Now in their 64th year, the annual Chicago Athenaeum awards honor both products and industry leaders for design and manufacturing that has chartered new directions and pushed the envelope for competitive products in the world marketplace. The awards jury selected projects from over 30 nations that embodied such visionary criteria as ‘innovative design, new technologies, form, materials, construction, concept, function, utility, and energy efficiency’. “We are thrilled that Blueair’s new Pro family of indoor air purifiers has received this international design honor,” said Joakim Nygren, head of the Pro product development project. “Winning such a prestigious award underscores how design excellence can integrate technological innovation and functionality to create an indoor air purifier that helps create safe havens inside homes and workplaces for enhanced wellbeing and health.”

BLUEAIR GLOBE, Q1 2015

Top: Blueairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Joakim Nygren with the Pro he developed. Bottom: Blueair Pro was first showcased at the IFA Berlin Trade Show last year. Photo: Oskar Bakke

Thrilling Launch Of the Blueair Classic Family In South Korea

During the press conference.

A growing number of Korean consumers will have access to Blueair’s Classic E-series air purifier models as the company steps up its activities in South Korea.

lueair saw a highly successful launch of its Blueair Classic electronic models (650E, 450E and 270E) last December in Seoul, the South Korean capital. The launch marked the move by the company to step up its activities in South Korea.

“We are thrilled our premium Classic E-Series models are now available to Korean consumers, bringing them ease-ofmind benefits such as remote control and instant digital access to particle and gas levels, speed settings, and filter change status,” said Bengt Rittri, CEO and founder of Blueair. At a well-attended press conference, Blueair International Sales Manager Jonas Holst provided journalists a detailed insight into Blueair’s products, technology, interna-

tional sales growth and plans for the Korean market. “Korea is an important key to Blueair’s ongoing future growth,” Mr. Holst said. Airborne contaminants Mr. Holst noted how the Blueair 650E, 450E and 270E are designed to remove practically all indoor airborne contaminants in rooms measuring 65 square meters, 34 square meters and 22 square meters, respectively. Blueair indoor air purifiers have

BLUEAIR GLOBE, Q1 2015

also received the highest Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) ratings, awarded internationally by the U.S. Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, an industry organization representing manufacturers of major, portable, and floor care home appliances. Blueair’s E-series models are to be marketed in Korea under an exclusive distributor agreement with Cosmo & Company Co., LTD (Cosmo C&C), a leading force in the Korean appliances marketplace, representing key brands such as Dyson, iRobot, OXO, Cremesso and, now, Blueair. Unique niche Mr. Rittri told South Korean journalists that Blueair occupies a unique niche in the indoor air cleaning market as a high-end brand that focuses exclusively on innovating and marketing the world’s best air purifiers with a focus on design and quality. “We are proud Blueair has built a solid reputation in the 50 markets where we are sold for the efficiency of our air purifiers in removing practically all airborne pollutants such as PM2.5 dust, smoke particles, VOC chemicals, dust mites and viruses, for example,” said Mr. Rittri. He added that the effectiveness of Blueair’s unique filtration technologies has

led to its appliances also being used in professional environments, from medical institutions and dentist surgeries to hotels and offices.

Top left: CEO Bengt Rittri giving a speech. Bottom left: International sales head Jonas Holst with the Classic family. Right: Blueair Classic 450E and 650E.

‘Korea is an important key to Blueair’s ongoing future growth.’ — jonas holst

©istock/Vincent_St_Thomas marketplace south korea

Land of the Morning Calm Seoul

We take a brief look at Asia’s third-largest economy, a nation officially called the Republic of Korea (ROK), but more commonly known as South Korea.

he highly industrialized and high tech nation is compact in size and a place where ancient and modern calmly co-exist. Despite having almost no natural resources of its own, South Korea has grown into one of the most affluent nations in Asia, transforming since the end of the Korean War in 1953 into a major world economy and a leading exporter of cars and electronic goods. The Korean War ended with no peace agreement, which means South Korea and North Korea remain technically at war with tensions running high. Almost 49 million people live in South Korea, which is around 100,000 square kilometers (38,300 square miles) in size or around 20 percent as large as California. The capital city is Seoul, a 10-million population round-the-clock, ‘work hard, play hard’ multifaceted metropolis that destination guide Lonely Planet describes as a ‘contemporary urban marvel’.

Yin & Yang The blue and red circle at the center of the South Korean flag is a Yin and Yang symbol epitomizing the country’s seamless mix of old and new, underscored by the ease of travelling within an hour from the frenetic ‘can do’ atmosphere of Seoul to peaceful remote forests, mountains or seaside fishing villages. Take a look at Korea’s spellbinding cloud-enshrouded mountains and the lush green lowland fields that surround them and you quickly understand how the nation won the epithet of being the ‘Land of the Morning Calm’. Urbanites Almost 80 percent of Koreans live in urban areas. The nation’s citizens take great pride in their ethnicity, language and culture. For example, a survey by the Korean Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry, involving 2,537 people aged between 19 and 79, showed pride in cultural heritage (93.1%); Korean food (92.7%); Confucian values, including loyalty and respect for the elderly (85.9%); and pop culture, including K-pop (81.5%).

BLUEAIR GLOBE, Q1 2015

HIDDEN SOURCES OF INDOOR AIR POLLUTION

Molds

Volatile Organic Compounds

Water damage, high humidity regions, and humid areas of homes, like bathrooms and basements.

Paints, solvents, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, cleaners and disinfectants, copy machines/printers/faxes, carpets, moth repellents, air fresheners, dry cleaned clothes.

Biocontaminants

(airborne bacteria, viruses, etc.) Humans, pets, moist surfaces, humidifiers, ventilation systems.

Phthalates (plasticizers)

Vinyl flooring, food packaging, shower curtains, wall coverings, adhesives, detergents, personal care products.

Combustion By-products

Unvented kerosene and gas heaters, gas appliances, fireplaces, chimneys and furnaces.

Pb Lead 207.2

Tobacco Smoke

Heavy Metals

(lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, etc) Paints, cars, tobacco smoke, soil and dust.

Cigarettes, cigars, pipes.

Radon CH2O

Building materials such as granite, well water, soil, outside air, smoke detectors, certain clocks and watches (radon is second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.).

Formaldehyde

Pressed wood products (hardwood, plywood, fiberboard, etc.), urea-formaldehyde foam insulation, mattresses, clothing, nail polish, permanent press textiles, glue and adhesives. 11

The Art of Wow

SHOW-STOPPING AIR PURIFYING INNOVATIONS ATTRACT CROWDS Blueair revealed a host of new products on its booth at the International Home + Housewares show in Chicago in early March, attracting wide interest in both the brand and the category.

hree new product innovations hallmarked the slick, open-space Blueair booth at the prestigious International Home + Housewares Show (IHHS) in Chicago. The new Blueair Sense+, ‘Aware’ air sniffing sensor and Blue air purifier wowed visitors to the stand with their innovative technologies, design and colors. Launched at the 2015 IHHS, the Sense+ is a smart air purifier that improves upon

the design prowess, whisper-silent operation, and exceptional cleaning power of the award-winning Blueair Sense. “Like its predecessor, the Sense+ is capable of removing dust, allergens, chemicals, viruses, odors, and other indoor air pollutants from rooms. And with a CADR of 130 cubic feet per minute (CFM) and the capacity to purify a 200 sq. ft. space (versus the Sense’s 100 CFM and 150 sq. ft.), the Sense+ is an innovation in both performance and technology,” Blueair Inc. President Herman Pihlträd told Blueair Globe. “The Sense+ is a Wi-Fi enabled air purification unit that marks Blueair’s first contribution to the ‘Internet of Things’. Controlled

by the new Blueair mobile app, the Sense+ offers a significant upgrade over the original Sense with a 30 percent higher clean air delivery rate (CADR), 24 percent more purification capacity, and a new color palette.” Combined with the new Blueair Aware™ air quality sensor, Sense+ owners can respond to real-time indoor air quality updates. The Blueair Aware™, also a Wi-Fi enabled device, monitors indoor air quality 24/7 and sends data to the Blueair mobile app. The Aware™ sensor can detect levels of particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon dioxide, and volatile organic compound (VOCs) as well as temperature, air pressure, and hu-

BLUEAIR GLOBE, Q1 2015

Top left: Johan Skåntorp, Head of Product Development. Bottom left: The Blueair IHHS 2015 team. Right: The Blueair booth at IHHS 2015.

midity. This data empowers consumers to understand more about their surrounding air quality, detect dangers, and use the Sense+ when it is most needed. The new Sense+ offers an improved user experience, enhanced features, and stunning new design choices. The user interface, controlled by a simple swipe of the hand over the Sense+’s tempered-glass surface, includes a Wi-Fi strength indicator, a Wi-Fi connection button, and filter change indicator. With the Wi-Fi enabled remote control or Blueair mobile app, owners can turn the Sense+ on or off, adjust fan speed, set a timer, dim or sharpen LED intensity, program, night mode, enable child lock, and see when a filter change is needed. In addition, the new color palette goes bold with midnight blue, leaf green, and ruby red joining the Sense’s original polar white, warm gray, and graphite color options. “We aimed to make Sense+ the most ingenious indoor air purifier on the planet

by introducing Wi-Fi connectivity, a mobile app, and air purification strength far superior to any device in its class,” said Herman Pihlträd. “With its eye-catching design and top air purifying performance, the Blueair Sense+ sets a whole new standard for indoor air cleaners by embracing the ‘Internet of Things.’” Blueair also took the opportunity to wow crowds at IHHS with a completely new midrange air purifier called Blue, which is to be sold as its own standalone brand. Blue will provide a smart-design, high performing air purification choice for the mass-market retail channel, while leveraging parent brand Blueair’s decades of research and development in the world of cleaner, healthier air. Blue’s fresh look won it a 2014 Envisioneering Innovation and Design Award at IFA Berlin, the world’s leading trade fair for consumer electronics and home appliances. Offering a fun and sleek Scandinavian design, Blue features five fabric pre-filter colors, which can

easily be removed, washed and exchanged for a fresh new look. “We were thrilled to launch Blue in the US at IHHT because it fills a gap in the market for indoor air purifiers, which traditionally have either been very costly or dubiously cheap, and often don’t meet their performance claims,” said Herman Pihlträd. Blue was also chosen as a finalist in the IHHS Innovations Award, one of 60 selected from 500 entries.

UN Climate Change

WIDESPREAD AGREEMENT ON NEED FOR EMISSION CURBS Climate change is an inescapable reality with the last 14 years being among the 15 hottest ever recorded. But after a meeting of government negotiators from over 190 countries in Lima, Peru, hopes are riding high that a deal may be finalized in 2015 which would for the first time commit all countries to cut their greenhouse emissions to help avoid triggering catastrophic climate change.

T T

he UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has praised the outcome of the Lima climate meeting as one that advanced the effort to stem global warming on several fronts. he new WHO data reveal a stronger “Governments built on the success of the Climate Change Summit, which I convened in a link between both indoor and outdoor September meeting this year, and put in place the building blocks for a meaningful climate air pollution exposure and cardiovascular change agreement in Paris next year,” he told reporters in his year-end news conference at diseases, such as strokes and ischaeUN Headquarters in New York City. mic heart disease, as well as between air The United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP21, will be held in Paris, France in pollution and cancer. This is in addition and is supposed to produce a global agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions. to air 2015, pollution’s role in the development And Ban Ki-moon predicted the success to date of his recent climate change initiatives are of respiratory diseases, including acute likely to be expanded next year. respiratory infections and chronic ob“The stars are aligned for the world to take historic action to transform lives and to protect the structive pulmonary diseases. planet,” he said.

The new estimates are not only based on more knowledge about the diseases Too weak caused by air pollution, but also upon everyone agrees with Ban Ki-moon’s upbeat analysis. A number of climate change cambetterNot assessment of human exposure paigners described the Lima plan as far too weak to limit warming or protect poor countries to air pollutants through the use of improfrom the impact of climate change. ved measurements and technology. This Alden Meyer of the Union of Concerned Scientists told euractiv.com, an independent has enabled scientists to make a more pan-European media network, that results from the Lima climate change talks were “…defidetailed analysis of health risks from a winitely watered down from what we expected”. The view that too many contentious issues der demographic spread that now incluunresolved was repeated by Mohammed Adow, Christian Aid’s senior climate change advisor, des rural as well as urban areas. who was quoted as saying that “Countries had the chance to give themselves a head start on Regionally, low- and middle-income the road to Paris but instead have missed the gun and now need to play catch up”. countries in the WHO South-East Asia Nonetheless, Ban Ki-moon stressed the thousands of delegates who met in Lima adand Western Pacific Regions had the larvanced an action agenda designed to show the opportunities offered by the transition to a gest air pollution-related burden in 2012, with alow-carbon total of 3.3pathway. million deaths linked to While noting that “a great deal of work remains to be done on finance and other difficult indoor air pollution and 2.6 million deaths Ban Ki-moon said one obstacle has been overcome: “All governments, along with relatedissues,” to outdoor air pollution. businesses and others, civil society, now agree that they must curb growth in emissions,” he said.

Joint declaration The ratcheting-up of climate change commitment was underlined by a joint declaration in Beijing at the close of 2014 that saw the U.S pledging to cut its emissions by up to 28 percent by 2025 from 2005 levels and China saying its emissions would peak by 2030. The U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivered an impassioned plea in Lima to the climate negotiators to put aside their concerns over individual responsibility and to focus instead on forging international agreement to ultimately reverse the impact of climate change. While acknowledging that the world’s biggest carbon emitters must contribute more than other countries to finding a solution, Mr. Kerry told delegates that ‘the fact is we simply don’t have time to sit around going back and forth about whose responsibility it is to act. Pretty simple, folks: It’s everyone’s responsibility, because it’s the net amount of carbon that matters, not each country’s share”.

©istock/stockcam

BLUEAIR GLOBE, Q1 2015

India Faces Up To Air Pollution Faced with growing concern abut India’s air pollution problems, described by WHO as the worst in the world, the Indian government says it is fast tracking policies to help tackle the problem.

lights and trains services in New Delhi were disrupted or cancelled in mid-December for several days when the Indian capital was hit by one of the worst air pollution episodes of the year. Thick grey smog, fuelled by increasing vehicle numbers on the city’s streets and industrial growth, reached a health threatening level seven times higher than what the government considers safe. The smog also sparked a 25 percent jump in people seeking help for breathing difficulties. Nitin Gadkari, Indian Road Transport Minister, told the Times of India that the government would introduce clean fuel policies to encourage greater use by public transport vehicles of biodiesel, bioethanol and electricity to tackle air pollution. His statement came a few weeks after India’s environment court criticized the government for New Delhi’s air pollution problem, which it said was ‘getting worse’ every day. The National Green Tribunal said all vehicles older than 15 years should be taken off the roads of the Indian capital and pollution checks carried out on all state-run buses. The tribunal, in a case filed by a lawyer and activist, directed New Delhi authorities to crack down on burning rubbish in the open, construct cycle tracks and bypasses for heavy vehicles. The challenge faced is immense in a city where around 1,400 new vehicles, including cars, motorcycles and scooters, hit the streets every day on average. Tracking owners is no easy task as those owning private vehicles do not need to renew their registration annually, which has sparked some environmentalists to say the proposed ban is unenforceable and instead propose a congestion tax.

On a national level, India in October launched a new air quality index to help its citizens better understand pollution data by providing one color, one number and one description to describe a current level of air pollution”. According to news24.com, the new index, launched as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ’Clean India Mission’, will provide one consolidated number after tracking eight pollutants and will use color-coding to describe associated health impacts. India is prospering and its citizens are on the move thanks to the growth. Prosperity brings many benefits, but there is a sting in the tail as a recent report noted. Prepared by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the report - titled ’Options to Reduce Road Transport Pollution in India – said if the current trends of vehicle population, fuel and emission standards persist it will cause an alarming rise of deadly Particulate Matter (PM). According to the report, the Indian transport sector contributes about 15 to 50 percent of PM 2.5 emissions in cities, and is a dominant contributor to NOx emissions. India’s transport sector is experiencing significant growth and vehicle population has grown seven-fold in the past two decades.

health problems associated with smog:

Taj Mahal is slowly turning brownish-yellow because of air pollution. Photo: ©istock/stockcam

E ye and nose irritation Dryness of nose and throat Inflammation of breathing passages Shortness of breath Wheezing Coughing Decreased lungs’ working capacity Pain during deep inhalation Decreased ability of the body to fight infection thereby increasing susceptibility to illness Worse and more frequent asthma attacks With regular longterm exposure, it may cause lung cancer.

Karin presenting the Blueair Pro family. Photo: Oskar Bakke

LISTENING TO WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT, AROUND THE WORLD 16

BLUEAIR GLOBE, Q1 2015

We talk to Karin Kruse about her key job as Blueair’s Global Product Marketing Manager and what it takes to deliver on customer expectations in over 50 markets around the planet.

hat does your job as Global Product Marketing Manager involve? I’m responsible for driving product launches globally in cooperation with product development, marketing communication and sales in all regions. This also includes finding ways to improve Blueair’s air purifying product lines globally. To prepare the launches, I work with market analysis, segmentation and the positioning of our products. I listen to consumer and customer feedback on things like user experience, customer service and general questions that can be used as input for updates, product optimization or new development projects. I also keep a close eye on what our competitors are up to, which means I can be a good speaking partner for our local advertising agencies. You travel the world a lot, how widespread do you think awareness about indoor air quality is? Most people I meet are usually quite aware about the indoor air quality, but that’s probably because they also work for Blueair or in the air purification industry. When it comes to people outside the industry, my experience is that general awareness about indoor air quality is quite low, especially in the European countries. What sets Blueair products apart from the competition? Products from Blueair stand for robustness, quality, and excellent performance. Our products are built on trust and confidence. I believe our patented HEPASilent™ technology enables us to achieve the highest clean air delivery rate (CADR) possible for each specific room size. Our products are third-party tested by Intertek, a leading provider of quality, safety, testing, inspection, and certification, and we have a number of quality seals confirming the performance of our products (AHAM, Energy Star, ARB 0-ozone). Then, of course, we have achieved a huge number of independent design awards over the years…

Blueair has recently launched its exciting Pro family of indoor air purifiers. What’s the difference between it and the Classic family? The Pro family builds on the heritage of the Classic family, harnessing the same patented technology for filtration and efficiency. However, that technology has been further refined and optimized to reach an even better level of performance. The main difference is that Pro provides one platform for three different products, meaning it uses the same fan and same filters, which makes it easier for the customer to not only select the right size of unit for their need, but also eases filter choice. Are there any interesting developments in the pipeline that you can already share with us? Absolutely! We have very exiting launches coming up during 2015. We would also like to build consumer awareness about indoor air quality and enable people to take control of their home indoor air quality. Making it easy to make the right choice and increasing digital integration are both areas that we are exploring. You mentioned that European consumers do not seem as ‘aware’ of indoor air pollution as their counterparts in Asia and the United States. Why is that? It is not always obvious to people that the outdoor air quality has a direct impact on the air we

are breathing indoors. Nor do many appreciate that we increase the poor air quality ourselves simply by being in a room. As it is not possible to see bad indoor air quality, we need to increase awareness. One approach will be our upcoming products during 2015, which I believe will increase curiosity thanks to the new technologies we are using. Since joining Blueair close to a year ago, have your attitudes to indoor air quality changed and, if so, how? The more I explore poor indoor air quality, the more engaged I get in our mission at Blueair to provide clean air to as many people as possible. It’s almost like a movement to create a healthy environment for us all. What Blueair air purifiers do you have in your home in Stockholm and why? I have the Sense, Polar White, because I like the design, which best fits my home interior. However, now that we also have the Pro family, I definitely plan to get a Pro M for my home as well!

we have very exciting launches coming up during 2015

Indoor Air Quality

ARE OUR HOMES HEALTH HAZARDS?

No matter how clean or beautiful, our homes may be a hazard zone. A host of chemicals can be found in or on your furniture and textiles and could spark health problems.

lame retardant chemicals surround many of us as we go about our daily lives at home and work. You will find them in curtains, carpets and couches as well as other upholstered furniture. The problem is, no one knows for sure just how hazardous to human health exposure to such chemicals may be later in life. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) admits that many potential sources of chemical household pollution exist, including building materials and furnishings. The EPA unequivocally writes on its website that ‘building materials and furnishings can contain harmful chemicals’. A key concern for many is the use of chemical flame-retardants in a range of plastic, textile and foam products. Commonly used for decades in the foam in practically all upholstered furniture to inhibit ignition, there are now scores of different chemicals around designed for use in combustible organic materials. The issue dates back to the 1970s when California enacted rule TB-117 to establish a requirement for materials inside furniture to meet certain safety requirements. The

decision created a market in the USA – and elsewhere – for chemical flame-retardants. While the idea of making the furniture able to withstand exposure to a small flame, such as a candle, may sound like a great idea, the problem is that the flame-retardants do not stay put in the foam. The chemicals migrate out to accumulate in dust, people and animals. And some, such as polybrominated diphenyl, have been linked to cancer and fertility issues. According to the EPA: ‘test data and monitoring studies in humans and the environment have demonstrated that certain flame retardant chemicals can persist in the environment, bio-accumulate in people and animals, and have been shown to cause adverse developmental effects in animals’. Fears about the impact outgassing toxic chemicals may be having on human health have mounted since the 1970s. According to an article titled Killer Couch Chemicals, by the acclaimed environmental health scientist Arlene Blum, published in the Huffington Post in 2007: “when tested in animals, fire retardant chemicals, even at very low doses, can cause endocrine disruption, thyroid disorders, cancer, and developmental, reproductive and neurological problems such as learning impairment and attention deficit disorder”. More recently, in 2012 in the New York Times, Arlene Blum cited a study of tod-

dlers in the United States conducted by researchers at Duke University who found flame-retardants in the blood of every child they tested. How did children get those chemicals into their systems? A possible answer may lie in a 2011 study in Environmental Science and Technology, which detected flame-retardant chemicals in 80 percent of 101 commonly-used children’s products containing polyurethane foam they tested, including nursing pillows, changing table pads, car seats, sleeping wedges, portable cribs and strollers. A breakthrough came in 2012 when a hugely successful investigative series by the Chicago Tribune on flame-retardants revealed that the chemicals provided no meaningful protection against the start of a fire. A year later, Californian legislators in 2013 amended TB-117 to require only that covering materials, not interior materials such as foam, be flame resistant, and also started steps to require labeling on upholstered furniture to tell shoppers whether it contains toxic flame retardant chemicals. How can consumers protect themselves from the risk of breathing toxic chemicals in the air around them? Apart from making an effort to use non-toxic products, the alternatives are to ventilate rooms regularly or use an indoor air purifier that is proven to efficiently remove airborne contaminants.

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BLUEAIR GLOBE, Q1 2015

Tracking Bad Air Days From Space Will we soon be getting air pollution forecasts alongside the weather forecast on TV? That likelihood is getting closer now that NASA scientists have developed an instrument called the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System, or CATS, to investigate the layers and composition of clouds and tiny airborne particles like dust, smoke and other atmospheric aerosols. The instrument, which launched to the International Space Station in December 2014, will explore new technologies that could also be used in future satellite missions. From space, streaks of white clouds can be seen moving across Earth’s surface. Other tiny solid and liquid particles called aerosols are also being transported around the atmosphere, but these are largely invisible to our eyes. Aerosols are both natural and manmade, and include windblown desert dust, sea salt, smoke from fires, sulfurous particles from volcanic eruptions, and particles from fossil fuel combustion. Studying clouds and aerosols will not just help scientists study the climate, it is also a chance to investigate air quality and how

atmospheric particles affect daily life. That can range from volcano ash plumes, to dust storms, to pollution outbreaks, to wildfires, all creating particles that can pose health risks to populations, especially to the medically vulnerable. CATS will orbit aboard the space station, which flies at an altitude between 230 miles (375 kilometers) and 270 miles (435 kilometers) above Earth’s surface at a 51-degree inclination. This unique orbit path will allow the CATS instrument to observe locations at different times of day and allow scientists to study day-to-night changes in cloud and aerosol effects from space.

(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. “NASA’s CATS eyes clouds, smoke and dust from the space station.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 1 December 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141201191449.htm>).

BAD AIR ALERTS

400 hospitalized

Taj mahal darkens

Almost 400 people were hospitalized at the end of December in Tehran, the Iranian capital, with heart and respiratory problems caused by heavy air pollution, according to news reports. Almost 1,500 other people were reported to have required treatment.

India’s Taj Mahal, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World and famed for its white hue, is slowly turning brownish-yellow because of air pollution. An Indo-US study says the color change is due to deposits of dust and carbon-containing particles resulting from burning fossil fuels, biomass and garbage in and around Agra, in Uttar Pradesh state, where the Taj Mahal is located.

food growth slashed

air pollution cost in eu

Smog and air pollution reduced grain production in India by 50 percent, says a study by scientists at the University of California. Analyzing 30 years of data, the scientists developed a statistical model suggesting that air pollution caused wheat yields in densely populated states to be 50 percent lower than what they could have been in 2010, the study said.

Air pollution, chiefly from coal-fired power plants, cost society up to €189bn in 2012 - equal to the gross domestic product of Finland, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said in a new report. At the end of last year, EU policymakers unveiled draft law to curb air pollution from industry and traffic. 19

The new ”WHO guidelines for indoor air quality: household fuel combustion” stress the need to improve access to cleaner home energy sources such as liquefied petroleum gas, biogas, natural gas and ethanol, or electricity, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. “Ensuring cleaner air in and around the home is fundamental to reducing the burden of disease from air pollution, especially in lowand middle-income countries,” says Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director for Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. “The new WHO guidelines aim to help countries introduce cleaner technologies, improve air quality in poor households, reduce pollution-related diseases and save lives.”

©istock/didecs

3 billion WHO says nearly 3 billion people worldwide still lack access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking, heating and lighting. Millions of people die each year as a result of household air pollution; 34 percent are due to stroke, 26 percent to ischaemic heart disease, 22 percent to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 12 percent to childhood pneumonia and 6 percent to lung cancer. These diseases are primarily caused by high levels of fine particulate matter and carbon monoxide released by the burning of solid fuels such as wood, coal, animal dung, crop waste and charcoal in inefficient stoves, space heaters, or lamps. The new WHO guidelines include emissions targets for different kinds of domestic appliances, for both carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter. The targets are the result of years of review of the health impacts of household air pollution emissions and careful examination of the levels by which emissions would have to be reduced in order to meet WHO guidelines for air quality. “If the new emission targets are met, then some 90 percent of homes globally will meet WHO’s air quality standards,” said Dr Neira.

WHO Sets New Emission Standards to Reduce Indoor Air Pollution

100 times higher In homes with open-burning and unvented coal or biomass stoves, emissions of particulate matter and other pollutants can be 100 times higher than WHO-recommended levels. Such pollutants are carcinogenic and cause heart and lung disease through impairing immune response, reducing the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, causing systemic inflammation and ischemia, among other physiological disturbances. “Women and young children, who spend the most time near the domestic hearth, are particularly vulnerable,” says Dr Flavia Bustreo, WHO Assistant Director General, Family, Women’s and Children’s Health cluster. “Globally, more than 50 percent of pneumonia deaths among children under five years are linked to household air pollution.” Way forward In order to meet the new targets, there needs to be rapid scaleup in access to cleaner and more modern cooking and heating appliances, as well as lamps, in developing country homes, says Dr Carlos Dora, WHO Coordinator for Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. “We need to scale up the use of clean fuels such as biogas, ethanol, or natural or liquefied petroleum gas with appropriate venting, as well as solar electricity solutions for lighting,” he said. “And clean technologies and fuels should be priced within reach of the lowest-income households.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) has set new targets to reduce emissions of harmful indoor pollutants from domestic cooking stoves, space heaters and fuel-based lamps.

HO has highlighted the dangers of indoor air pollutants by issuing new guidelines to reduce health-damaging emissions in the home. As many as 4.3 million children and adults die prematurely each year from illnesses caused by household air pollution, says WHO.

BLUEAIR GLOBE, Q1 2015

what i think about blueair

Favorite music: I am a dance person, so I love music that makes me dance. For work, I have almost become addicted to a set of classical pieces called ’Concentration Music’. Works all the time. Favorite artist: I have some favorite artists that have followed me in life, like David Bowie, U2, The Blackeyed Peas, Coldplay. Erasure is good for jogging. And with two teenagers in the family, I get fed new music like David Guetta, Avicii and Bruno Mars… Another artist I admire is Julianne More, the actress. If someone was to play the role of me in the film of my life - it would be her... Favorite reads: Right now I am very much into Chinese history and I am also reading about yoga. The first is to get to know the Chinese culture better and as for the yoga I am trying a ’15-minute’ morning yoga. A very nice way to start the day. Last summer vacation I went in to the local bookstore and decided to only read stories and authors from countries I did not know. The Japanese author Haruki Murakami with his strange stories became a favorite!

A GENUINE AND HONEST COMPANY We ask Blueair China’s Annika Waller to tell us something about her marketing job in China. What does your job involve? I work with the Blueair China Team, working on marketing and business development. We are in an exciting period with a strong market growth and we have a quite new team which has grown from about 20 people a year ago to over 75 today. We are all pretty busy developing marketing campaigns and materials as well as sales systems and routines. Just recently, we launched a brand and air quality awareness campaign, which will run in social media, online, print, PR and most importantly, will be seen in all our stores across China. We expect to make more consumers aware of the Blueair brand and we share our knowledge about how to purify air, and try to demystify words like CADR and HEPA.

at work, in school or wherever they spend their time. Our entrepreneurial spirit and and the speed at which we can move idea to action is something that makes it extra fun and inspiring. Blueair is for me a genuine and honest company that cares for consumers, employees, customers and the globe. A happy company. :)

What is your impression of Blueair as a company? Annika: I am proud to work for Blueair – a company where we produce products that are good for real! I like the passion around clean air and making it possible for everyone to have good air in the home,

What is your favorite color of Sense – and why? The super sophisticated black Sense - the sophisticated black sheep. It is the little 'Diva' of the family, the mysterious Garbo… with no excuses for its posh look.

What’s so great about the job you are doing? Every day I feel like I am contributing to the development of Blueair in China. My work is very hands-on and I have the opportunity to work with such inspiring colleagues. We are developing the Blueair brand and the Blueair company in China, and that is very rewarding for me.

7 MILLION DEATHS ANNUALLY LINKED TO AIR POLLUTION The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that in 2012 around 7 million people died – one in eight of total global deaths – as a result of air pollution exposure. This finding more than doubles previous estimates and confirms that air pollution is now the world’s largest single environmental health risk.

he new WHO data reveal a stronger link between both indoor and outdoor air pollution exposure and cardiovascular diseases, such as strokes and ischaemic heart disease, as well as between air pollution and cancer. This is in addition to air pollution’s role in the development of respiratory diseases, including acute respiratory infections and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. The new estimates are not only based on more knowledge about the diseases caused by air pollution, but also upon better assessment of human exposure to air pollutants through the use of improved measurements and technology. This has enabled scientists to make a more detailed analysis of health risks from a wider demographic spread that now includes rural as well as urban areas. Regionally, low- and middle-income countries in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions had the largest air pollution-related burden in 2012, with a total of 3.3 million deaths linked to indoor air pollution and 2.6 million deaths related to outdoor air pollution.

“Poor women and children pay a heavy price from indoor air pollution since they spend more time at home breathing in smoke and soot from leaky coal and wood cook stoves.” says Dr Flavia Bustreo, WHO Assistant Director-General Family, Women and Children’s Health. The new estimates are based on the latest WHO mortality data from 2012 as well as evidence of health risks from air pollution exposures. Estimates of people’s exposure to outdoor air pollution in different parts of the world were formulated through a new global data mapping. This incorporated satellite data, ground level monitoring measurements and data on pollution emissions from key sources, as well as modeling of how pollution drifts in the air. Risks factors “The risks from air pollution are now far greater than previously thought or understood, particularly for heart disease and strokes,” says Dr Maria Neira, Director of WHO’s Department for Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. “Few risks have a greater impact

OUTdoor air pollution-caused deaths – breakdown by disease:

Indoor air pollution-caused deaths – breakdown by disease:

40%

34%

ischaemic heart disease

stroke

40% stroke 11% COPD

26% ischaemic heart disease 22% COPD

lung cancer

12%

acute lower respiratory infections in children

on global health today than air pollution; the evidence signals the need for concerted action to clean up the air we all breathe.” After analyzing the risk factors and taking into account revisions in methodology, WHO estimates indoor air pollution was linked to 4.3 million deaths in 2012 in households cooking over coal, wood and biomass stoves. The new estimate is explained by better information about pollution exposures among the estimated 2.9 billion people living in homes using wood, coal or dung as their primary cooking fuel, as well as evidence about air pollution’s role in the development of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and cancers. “Excessive air pollution is often a by-product of unsustainable policies in sectors such as transport, energy, waste management and industry. In most cases, healthier strategies will also be more economical in the long term due to health-care cost savings as well as climate gains,” says Dr Carlos Dora, WHO Coordinator for Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health.

acute lower respiratory infections in children lung cancer

BLUEAIR GLOBE, Q1 2015

Exposure to traffic pollution during pregnancy can damage future child’s lungs Women who are exposed to traffic pollution while pregnant are increasing the chances of damaging the lungs of their unborn children, according to a recent study. Researchers led by Dr Eva Morales of the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), an ISGlobal research center, Barcelona, Spain, examined the association of exposure to air pollution during specific trimesters of pregnancy and postnatal life with lung function in preschool children. Children whose mothers lived in a high traffic air pollution area for benzene during the second trimester of pregnancy

had a 22 percent higher risk of impaired lung function than those living in less polluted areas. The risk for children of mothers living in a high traffic air pollution area for NO2 during their second trimester was 30 percent higher than those from less polluted areas.

(BMJ-British Medical Journal. "Exposure to traffic pollution during pregnancy can damage future child's lungs." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 October 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141020212512.htm>.)

High-pollution days linked to increased risk of cardiac arrest Rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are elevated after days with high levels of air pollutants, reports a Japanese study in the October Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). Many recent studies have reported associations between outdoor air pollution and cardiovascular disease. The findings linking increased pollutant levels to a subsequent increase in cardiac arrest in Japan are consistent with previous data from other countries. ”The evidence presented provides further support for the hypothesis that exposure to outdoor air pollution

increases the risk of cardiac arrest,” Dr Yorifuji and coauthors conclude. The results suggest that particulate matter and ozone may induce cardiac arrest via ”two distinct pathways.” Exposure to particulate pollution may result in myocardial infarction, while ozone may worsen other cardiac conditions, increasing the risk of cardiac arrest. (Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. "High-pollution days linked to increased risk of cardiac arrest." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 October 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2014/10/141007091653.htm>.)

Fine particulate air pollution linked with increased autism risk Women exposed to high levels of fine particulate matter specifically during pregnancy – particularly during the third trimester – may face up to twice the risk of having a child with autism than mothers living in areas with low particulate matter, according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). The greater the exposure, the greater the risk, researchers found. It was the first U.S.-wide study exploring the link between airborne particulate matter and autism.

Blueair Globe is published by Blueair AB, Sweden, Editor under Swedish Law: Henrik Fernsund, Layout and illustrations: Matilda Hübinette, written by David Noble, Copyright Blueair AB, Stockholm, Sweden

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