Breathe Better with a Do It YourSelf Air–Purifier
1 April 2019
Research Institute for Health Sciences
Each year during the dry season, northern Thailand has an air pollution problem due to agricultural burning and forest fires. This year the ultrafine PM 2.5 particle pollution level has reached a crisis level and poses a serious health threat to all residents. Unfortunately air- purifiers are expensive to buy and have been out of stock before the crisis began.
CMU’s Professor Kwanchai Suparatpinyo, Director, Research Institute for Health Sciences, has constructed a D.I.Y. air–purifier with inexpensive materials. He has demonstrated that an air-purifier can be constructed by attaching a HEPA Air Filter on the back grill of the electric fan fastened with sticky tape. He found it to be an effective solution given the difficulty in purchasing an air-filter during the pollution crisis while the cost of purchasing an air filter could be a prohibitive factor for many residents.
To construct a D.I.Y. air filter, one needs to purchase an air filter (30 baht /sheet) and cut it to size to suit the electric fan. Then tape the air-filter sheet to the back grill of the electric fan with sticky tape and then simply turn the fan on.
He has tested this D.I.Y. air-filter in a 4?4 meters size room and found that before turning on the electric fan, the PM 2.5 level was at 100 microgram/cubic meter and after running the electric fan for one hour, the PM 2.5 level reduced to 20 micrograms/cubic meter, thus a reduction of around 80 %. However if the room has a larger volume then one needs more electric fans with an air-filter attached, in proportion to room size. It is suggested that an air-filter can be used for approximately 4 weeks before replacing it, however in Chiang Mai during the extreme pollution levels this will require more frequent changes, yet it is an inexpensive investment to stay healthy.