Tag Archives: formaldehyde

Purifiers Combat the Dangers of Methane and Additives found in Natural Gas

Natural gas is an important fuel used for heating and cooling in more than half of all North American homes. But methane, the key component in natural gas, is highly explosive and can become deadly when uncontrolled. Back in 2014, a natural gas explosion in two apartment buildings in New York killed eight people and injured 70 others.

LA Gas LeakIn addition to the risk of explosion, the smell of natural gas can make many people ill. Hundreds of residents of Porter Ranch, near Los Angeles, were recently sickened by a natural gas leak from a nearby underground storage facility a mile away. The cause of their headaches, nausea and nosebleeds was mercaptan, the chemical added to natural gas that smells like rotten eggs.

What is natural gas?

Natural gas is composed primarily (95% or more) of methane, a colorless, odorless, non-toxic flammable gas. Methane is emitted from natural sources such as wetlands and also from industrial and agricultural processes.

Because methane is odorless, an additive known as mercaptan, or methanethiol, is added to natural gas to make the presence of methane detectable. Mercaptan additives contain sulfur, which is the reason natural gas smells like rotten eggs. Exposure to mercaptan can result in a variety of adverse health effects, including irritation of the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. Natural gas can also contain small amounts of potentially harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as ethane, propane, butane and even toxic compounds such as benzene and toluene.

Methane cannot be filtered. Mercaptan and VOCs can. Unfortunately, methane is not just dangerous – it’s also unfilterable. Adsorption and chemisorption, the two processes by which gas and odor air filters remove chemicals from the air, are ineffective against methane, which has an extremely low molecular weight. As a result, the only effective strategies for reducing indoor methane levels are source control/reduction and increased ventilation.

Mercaptan and VOCs, however, can be efficiently filtered with a high-performance air filtration system with a combination of high quality activated carbon and potassium permanganate – such as the IQAir HealthPro Plus or GC MultiGas (at right) room air purifier. The activated carbon provides adsorption of VOCs, and the potassium permanganate provides excellent chemisorption of mercaptan and many other VOCs, such as formaldehyde. The combination of these two filtration media is ideal.

The IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier- made in Switzerland
The IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier- made in Switzerland

Importance of monitoring methane levels.

Because methane is so highly explosive, high-performance air filtration to remove the odors associated with natural gas (mercaptan) is not recommended unless sufficient monitoring with a methane detector has determined that levels are safe. Methane detectors, also known as explosive gas detectors, can be purchased at hardware and home-supply stores.

This article is brought to you by The IQAir Group, friends of the Silo who develop innovative air quality solutions for indoor environments around the globe. IQAir is the exclusive educational partner of the American Lung Association for the air purifier industry.

High Tech Houseplants That grow air

Clairy is an astounding handcrafted object that monitors your indoor air quality and when VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds such as cigarettes, solvents, pesticides, copy machine chemicals etc.) levels are bad, eliminates pollution in your homeIt makes you and your beloved ones breathe better and live better. It is much more than a pretty houseplant.

How is that possible?

Following an 80s NASA Clean Air Program research project, Clairy uses the power of specific species of plants to trap the air pollutants into their roots. That’s why it doesn’t need filters: the plant is the filter!

Clairy smartphone appClairy has also tech sensors that communicate with an app, so you can check directly the levels of humidity, temperature, and VOCs of your home with your smartphone.

What makes Clairy so beautiful?

It’s 100% Made in Italy by the artisans of Nove, near Vicenza, where the techniques of working with ceramics have been transmitted from father to son for centuries.

You can choose from four different colors: Corallo, Alabastro, Acquamarina and Blu Mare.

You should also consider our Premium Edition, Nero and Rame, made with the special technique called “Terzo Fuoco”. A masterpiece of Italian design you must have in your home. Holiday time is approaching, and we all want to give a gift that can be beautiful and useful at the same time. Clairy is the answer. For the Silo, Andrea Passador. 

Importance Of Indoor Air Quality Testing

Have you ever wondered whether the air that we breathe indoors can be equally harmful as outdoors?

When it comes to healthy living, the air that circulates inside our house is often more crucial than the outdoor air, pollution, smog and other environmental factors. Research suggests that the indoor environments can have up to five times more pollutants than outdoor ones thus affecting several parts of our body including skin, lungs, nose, eyes, and throat among others. Once inhaled, these very air pollutants can continue to have harmful effects as and when it is processed through our systems. Just think over it. Ever felt stuffy in a room only to feel refreshed once you have stepped out? That lethargic feeling is directly related to the poor quality of air inside the house. And when you are exposed to such an indoor environment year after year, it can have a serious effect on your daily life.

 

What are the root causes of poor indoor air quality? 

According to the experts from The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) here are the factors that can lead to poor indoor air quality: 

  • Building Design and construction 
  • Building wasn’t checked thoroughly to see if it was suitable for the occupants 
  • Ventilation systems are dirty and damp 
  • Indoor contaminant sources 
  • The equipment and activities carried out indoors that add to the contaminants 
  • Moisture trapped in the building enclosures 
  • Failure to check filtration and air cleaning 
  • Poor outdoor air quality 
  • Poor ventilation rates 

 With Canadians spending over 90% of their time staying indoors combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now more than ever that the role of indoor air quality has gained prominence. First, we need to understand the need for getting an air quality test done within your premises. 

https://gatewaymechanical.ca/indoor-air-quality-testing/

Why is an Indoor Air Quality Testing required? 

  • Healthy buildings improve performance and productivity of the residents 
  • Healthy folks take lesser sick leaves 
  • The test validates your space’s current indoor air quality 
  • Verification of your space meeting the indoor air quality standards 
  • Address any concern or issue arising due to a complaint 
  • Prioritize the health and safety of the occupants 
  • Obtain or renew LEED, WELL or BOMA BEST certification 

Gateway Mechanical as a company continuously strives to assess, audit and improve health and safety program to reduce the risk of injury in a changing work environment. The indoor air quality test offered by Gateway Mechanical will solve all your queries regarding the health of your space’s air quality. This test investigates the air quality within your premises for the following: 

  • Temperature 
  • Relative Humidity 
  • Particulate counts for PM2.5 and PM10 
  • Carbon dioxide (CO2) 
  • Carbon monoxide (CO) 
  • Total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) 
  • Ammonia (NH3) 
  • Chlorine (Cl) 
  • Formaldehyde (HCHO) 
  • Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) 
  • Nitrogen Oxide (NO) 
  • Sulphur Dioxide (S02) 
https://gatewaymechanical.ca/can-hvac-systems-spread-coronavirus-covid19/

For in depth information on the procedures involved in getting the Gateway Mechanical air quality testing done within your premises, you can always go and check out on gatewaymechanical.ca  

It turns out there’s a lot we can do to control and reduce these contaminants to make our facilities, buildings, and spaces safer. To summarize, good indoor air quality significantly increases occupant health and experience in the provided space, enhances performance and productivity, drastically reduces absenteeism, optimizes returns on your investments, and eventually boosts your triple bottom line.  For the Silo, Mike Robert.