COVID-19 is largely spread by respiratory particles in the air. Large droplets drop to the ground quickly but smaller particles (“aerosols”, roughly 0.3 to 3 micrometers) can stay in the air for hours. Fortunately there is a low cost method to remove these droplets using a simple box fan and filter. The goal is to get as much air through the filter as possible to increase your clean Air Changes per Hour (ACH).
Hugh Churchill, ARA Academy member and a professor of physics at the University of Arkanas, worked with the UA’s facilities management division and the Arkansas Research Alliance for several weeks to create and test a prototype of a basic box-fan filter that helps purify indoor air. The best part? You can make one for yourself. Duct tape, a basic box fan and commercially available air filters are all you’ll need.
“Improving filtration and ventilation in classrooms is a common recommendation to help fight the spread of COVID-19 and improve indoor air quality,” Churchill said. “There are commercial products that do this, but they can be cost-prohibitive. Our teachers and school districts have worked extremely hard and used many tools to keep our kids’ classrooms safe. This is one more tool to help them.”
To learn more: view this video.
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