In many healthcare, industrial, and institutional settings, HEPA filter efficiency is necessary to assure high levels of protection against airborne transmission of hazardous dust and harmful particulates that could compromise the health of patients, people, and personnel, or contaminate and adversely affect the quality of products. Depending on the degree of filtration required, dust collectors fitted with HEPA filter types provide end users with maximum air cleaning efficiency, trapping up to 99.97% of airborne particulates as small as 0.3 microns in size. When HEPA filtration technology is utilized in dust collection systems it can effectively control and remove hazardous dust particles from circulation, improve air quality, and reduce health risks.
Advantages of HEPA Filtration in Controlling Hazardous Dust
High-Efficiency Particulate Air filtration or, as it is more commonly referred to, HEPA filtration, offers several advantages in controlling hazardous dust, with the number one reason being the high degree of filtration efficiency that HEPA filters provide. Dust collectors with HEPA filtration systems are highly efficient at removing a range of inorganic dust and harmful microscopic organisms from circulating in industrial and institutional environments, be it a hospital, lab, or factory. The use of HEPA filters is intended for high removal efficiencies and airborne contamination control in environments where air quality is crucial.
High efficiency also contributes to controlling hazardous dust that may pose significant health risks if inhaled or helps to control the spread of airborne contaminants in workplaces exposed to harmful particulates and hazardous dust. The capture and removal of harmful particulates can, for many industries, help ensure compliance with regulations regarding air quality, worker safety, and a clean work environment.
How HEPA Filtration Removes Hazardous Dust Particles
Unlike the composition and design of standard filters, HEPA filters use a thick, pleated media that draws upon a combination of several important design features. First, the outer section of the filter works like a sieve to capture larger particles of dust, dirt, and ultrafine debris. There, a dense, concertina-like mesh traps smaller particles. The outer section, or “pre-filters,” can capture 90% of particles and particulates from the incoming air.
The inner section of the filter catches residual particles while they pass through in the moving airstream. At high air speeds, some particles are caught and trapped as they directly strike the mesh fibers or are caught by the fibers as the air moves past. When the airstream is moving at lower speeds, as particles wander about more randomly through the filter in a Brownian motion, they simply stick to the mesh fibers as they do so. Together, these design features physically prevent airborne particles from passing through the media and effectively keep harmful particulate matter and hazardous dust from entering interior spaces.
How HEPA Filters Improve Air Quality
HEPA filters are highly efficient at improving air quality by capturing a wide range of airborne particles, effectively removing fine particles and pollutants from the air, and leading to cleaner, healthier indoor environments.
As noted, the capture efficiency of HEPA filters is 99.97%. The densely packed, maze-like, pleated design structure of the filters acts to intercept and trap particles upon impact or diffusion as air passes through the fine mesh. The result is particle removal of a wide range of airborne contaminants like bacteria, allergens, irritants, and some viruses, as well as pollutants found in dust, gases, and mold spores. HEPA filters not only capture and remove particles from an airstream but also help reduce the buildup of dust and other debris on surfaces of equipment, machinery, sills, piping, and floors.
How HEPA Filtration Reduces Health Risks in the Workplace
Improved air quality resulting from HEPA filtration systems is effective at reducing health risks in the workplace. By effectively capturing hazardous dust particles, HEPA filtration contributes to a reduction in the potential health risks associated with exposure to airborne contaminants. This is particularly important in healthcare facilities and industrial settings where hazardous dust can lead to respiratory issues and other health concerns.
As HEPA filters are designed to capture particles as small as 0.3 microns with high efficiency, not only are common workplace pollutants, contaminants, and harmful dust removed from the airstream, but microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens too, helping to reduce the spread of infectious diseases in the workplace. In short, HEPA filtration in dust collection systems mitigates health risks associated with indoor air pollution by capturing and removing airborne particles and hazardous dust.
Common HEPA Filter Applications
HEPA filtration systems are widely used in healthcare and industrial environments. Hospitals, clinics, medical laboratories, veterinary hospitals, and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities all employ HEPA systems. Industrial workplace applications for HEPA filtration include a range of diverse workplace environments. Typical among these are microelectronics and the manufacture of microchips and other electronic components that require a clean-room production environment. Precision optics for commercial and military use is another. HEPA systems are used to reduce and remove fine dust particles generated during precision components manufacturing. HEPA systems are used to maintain a clean room environment to ensure safety and quality during the packaging and processing of food-grade products. These systems are particularly important in the bottling process of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, too. Finally, automotive manufacturers employ HEPA filtration systems in the paint and coatings labs and R&D facilities.
Contact the Experts at CPE Filters
CPE Filters offers its customers either stand-alone or integrated pulse-jet HEPA filter systems. In large-scale dust collection systems, we can incorporate our custom-designed filter bags or spun bonded polyester cartridges that provide collection efficiencies of up to 99.97% for most typical industrial applications. For more information on HEPA industrial filtration systems or to discuss your company’s HEPA filtration requirements, contact CPE Filters today.