FOCUS ON – CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING
CLEAN AIR FILTRATION "VITAL FOR INDUSTRY", CAMFIL PRESIDENT WARNS Industry Europe Speaks With Don Donovan Of Camfil About How Industry Can Best Use Filtration To Tackle Air Pollution.
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he coronavirus pandemic has brought several issues into the public consciousness, but none may be as important as the battle against air pollution in industry's perpetual struggle to lower CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions. According to the UN's Environment Programme, the construction sector alone saw a 2% increase in carbon emissions from 2017 to 2018 and reached its peak in 2019, accounting for 38% of total global CO2 emissions. The sector offers many ways, such as the production of cement, the construction or demolition of buildings and the operation of heavy machinery, to emit pollutants into the atmosphere. Air pollution has been linked with numerous health effects, such as respiratory problems, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that direct building carbon emissions need to decrease by 50% by 2030 - 6% per year - to have a chance of meeting global energy targets. According to the report, most countries have yet to submit their Nationally Determined Contribution targets (NDCs), with the building sector lacking any specific mitigation policies, despite its huge contribution to CO2 emissions. However, the social distancing guidelines, the increased focus on ventilation and filtra14 Industry Europe
tion alongside an environment for infection brought on by the pandemic seems to have had a knock-on effect. "Before the pandemic, air filtration was not on everyone's lips," Don Donovan, the European President of Camfil said in an interview with Industry Europe. "Now, with the rise of an airborne virus, everyone wants good air filtration and good systems in place to minimise the spread and I can see this trend continuing as the world leaves the pandemic behind it." "With Covid, governments have been pushed to ensure cleaner air for the public, whereas before much of the legislation towards air issues primarily tackled pollution or emissions." Air pollution comes in two major flavours: gases and particulate matter, and they can be present in both man-made and environmental emitters. Donovan points to pollen as a classic example of an environmental form of air pollution that can affect people. However, "man-made" air pollution generally comes in the form of dust or greenhouse gases, or even odours, he added. Heavy industry, in particular, has become notorious for the volumes of particulate matter and gases it releases into the atmosphere. Particulate matter can come in various forms. One common example is the spore aspergillus, which can be present when knocking down old buildings.
While normally harmless, those with weakened immune systems or existing respiratory problems may suffer from lung infections, according to the Mayo Clinic. Some strains may even spread into the bloodstream. Aspergillus spores can be found in various climates worldwide and many people breathe in the spores daily without falling ill. "The processes by which the construction sector runs can release gases, odours and heavy dust or any other kind of matter into the atmosphere," Donovan said. "The way this can be controlled from an air filtration point-of-view is by either filtering and collecting the particles, or, in the case of gases and odours, by running it through an abatement system - a carbon air filter - which absorbs it." "However, in a lot of cases, such as with the fumes released by the combustion engines in vehicles, we simply cannot control it," he added. "In cases such as this, reducing the emissions of these fumes, either through electrification or investment in carbon sequestering technology is key. "A key part of dealing with air pollution is tackling the issue at its source." Donovan has noted several manufacturers, from factories to farmers - particularly in his native Ireland - have started generating their own wind power in a bid to cut emissions. Air filtration is often put in place to protect the people and the environment or even to
