How does the technology work?

Aircode’s ion generators supply the indoor air with negative and positive ions through silent discharge (dielectric barrier dis-

charge). Corona discharge is also an important part of the process. The ions attract particles in the air and cause the particles

and ions to bond together. The airbourne particles will then fall to the ground by it´s added molecule weight.

The method can be used to clean all types of particles from the air. This is a way of reducing the pollutants in the air and we

are prevented from inhaling them.

When the ions are neutralized, the molecules that hold the particles together are separated and the original coalescence is

lost. This means for example, particles, odours and

bacteria will disappear from the treated environment.

The positive ions that are added enables the environment to be controlled. If positive ions were not added, all particles would

stick to walls, people and other objects.

Many positive ions are formed in our immediate proximity during heating or cooling using air conditioning as well as around

computer screens and other monitors. Synthetic materials in curtains, clothes etc also attract negative ions and leave behind

air of poor quality and less suitable for us.

Therefore, by using Aircode™ ion generators to correct the balance between the positive and negative ions, the air becomes

fresh and clean.

Particle reduction

Paper processing up to 99% airborne particlesMetal processing up to 90% smoke, oil mistPlastics processing up to 99% solventsPrint works up to 99% benzene, tolueneFood industries up to 99.9% mould spores, smell and bacteria

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...Ionization...

Alarming information

Particles are continuously on the move in the air. Less than 10% of these are macro-particles that can be seen with the naked eye. The remainder, 90% in other words, are called micro or nano particles and are so small that they are perceived as a fog or smoke.

The human body is fantastic at filtering things but it is sensitive to high concentrations of micro particles. Researchers have now found that humans sufferconsiderably from the particles that enter the lungs and stay there.

Today’s ventilation filters and installations have great difficulty with particles that are so small that they are nano-sized. Filters are unable of capturing these in installations with the result that they are allowed through and enter most environments that exist today.

Will everybody suffer from allergies soon?Air that is beneficial to us contains a good balance between positive and negative ions. The negative ions seem to give us a general feeling of wellbeing and they also have a favourable effect on our bodies. A good indoor environment is important for avoiding health problems. This is particularly important for people with asthma, allergies and other hypersensitivities since they often react sooner and to a greater extent to inad-equacies in the indoor environment than those who are healthy. We spend 90% or more of our time indoors and indoor air is often of a poorer quality than outdoor air.

When more people than usual experience difficulties and these are linked to being in a particular building we normally talk about a sick building syndrome. Mois-ture and mould damage, inadequate ventilation, poor cleaning and air pollution – known as chemical emis-sions – occur. It has also been discovered that people can develop asthma in poor indoor environments such as in a house with moisture problems.

The link between air passage problems and heart and coronary illnesses and outdoor air’s high particle con-tent has been carefully studied with frightening results.

Studies in Sweden show that 350 people in Stockholm and Gothenburg die every year from heart and coronary disease cause by particles. The primary source is par-ticles from petrol-driven and diesel-driven cars, rubber tires and even wood burning. The problem is probably greatest in public areas where ventilation maintenance is not done correctly. But nano particles are also found in houses and indoors there are millions more really small particles in the air.

Nature’s own methodIt is well known that plants, trees, active earth and ra-dioactive substances produce ions. As usual, forests and the countryside are particularly important in this case since they generate a large number of negative ions. Fresh air contains approximately 2000-4000 negativeions per cm3 air. In nature the average distribution is 4 negative ions to 5 positive ions. A distribution of 5 negative ions to 4 positive ions (approximately 2500 ions per cm3 in total) has been measured in the forest in the vicinity of small urban areas.The distribution in densely populated areas and en-closed spaces (indoors) is quite different and there is a marked deficiency of negative ions and sometimes none at all.

Thundery weather — an exampleSeveral hours before bad weather the concentration of positive ions in the air increases. This increase is caused by positive ions preceding weather fronts by one to two days since electricity travels quicker than air. This feels oppressive and the quality of the air feels poor. When there is an outbreak of thunder, wind and rain the concentration of negative ions in the air increases significantly. This increased balance between the ions makes the air fresh and clean.

Therefore we call negative ions the air’s vitamins. An increasing number of researchers see a positive rela-tionship between the number of negative ions and an increase in the oxygen absorption capacity.

...Competition...

4

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) Filtration • Pleated type filter that has proven 99.97% efficient to trap particles

0.3 microns and larger.

• Can be incorporated into central HVAC systems or used as stand

alone units.

• Can not treat the source of contaminants, can only filter

contaminated air from entering an area.

• Is not effective on bacteria and viruses.

• Will restrict air flow when incorporated into central systems and

increase energy costs.

• Requires several maintenance visits to replace used filters

each year.

UV (Ultra-Violet light) Purification• Disinfects by passing air through ultra-violet light.

• Can be incorporated into central HVAC systems or used as stand

alone units.

• UV light can only treat contaminants that pass directly through the

light field. Ambient air that does not enter through the light field

will not be affected.

• UV is dependant on contaminants being exposed to the light field for

a time period long enough for the contaminant to be treated.

• UV is dangerous when exposed to humans.

• Some elements (for example Aspergillus Niger) are resistant to UV

altogether.

• Will not restrict air flow when incorporated into central systems.

• Requires maintenance each year to replace lamps.

“Needlepoint” Ionization• Creates single polarity ionization to attract particles.

• The single polarity will use walls or any nearby surface as the

needed opposite polarity. This will attract the charged particles to

that surface, producing “black or dirty walls”.

• Will only work in a small area around the unit.

• Uses high energy (25,000 to 40,000 volts) to produce ions.

• Mostly ineffective against bacteria, spores and VOC compounds.

• Creates uncontrollable positive ion output – coupled with

high energy output will create ozone.

• Will interfere with radio equipment, etc.

• Can not be incorporated into central HVAC systems.

“Dust Collectors”• Examples of these units are the many “stick style” portable units.

• Will collect particles on a metal surface contained in the unit and

produces single polarity ions by electrifying collector plates.

• Only effective inches from the unit.

• Will create ozone.

• Ineffective against bacteria, spores and VOC compounds.

• Cannot be incorporated into central HVAC systems.

The Aircode™ System• Disinfects air by producing and distributing a controlled amount of

positive and negative ions which restore oxygen molecules to an

active state.

• By controlling positive ion output and using low energy (2,200 to

3,000 volts) ozone is not produced.

• Effective against bacteria, mould spores, VOC compounds and

particles.

• Can treat the source of contamination.

• Can be incorporated into central HVAC systems or used as stand

alone units.

• Will not restrict air flow when incorporated into central systems.

• Requires maintenance each year to replace tubes.

HEPAAIR

FILTERS

Both portable andinduct systems

Entire buildingpurification

Will not restrictHVAC airflow

Uses low energy

Produces positiveand negative ions

Is effective onmould spores

Does notproduce ozone

Is effectiveon particles

Can treat sourceof contamination

Will not interferewith TV or radio

ULTRAVIOLETLIGHT

NEEDLEPOINT

IONIZATION

"DUSTCOLLECTORS" Aircode™

COMPARISON OF AIR PURIFICATION METHODS

Competing products

Comparison between the most common air purification methods and how they operate in comparisonwith Aircode™ technology.

...Products...

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Aircode™ CX-100Location: Wall or ceilingVoltage: 110-120V / 220-230V, 50HzSize of tube: 35 cmNumber of tubes: 1Energy consumption: 35 wattWeight: 5 kgApplications: Waste disposal rooms, garages, cold stores etc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aircode™ TG/TA-400Location: FreestandingVoltage : 110-120V / 220-230V, 50Hz. Sec: 12VSize of tube: 4 cmNumber of tubes: 1Energy consumption: 5 wattWeight: 1.4 kgApplications: mobile towers for meeting rooms, hotel bedrooms, offices, caravans, homes etc---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aircode™ RX-100Location: FreestandingVoltage : 110-120V / 220-230V, 50Hz. Sec: 12VSize of tube: 6 cmNumber of tubes: 1Energy consumption: 10 wattWeight: 0.5 kgApplications: Offices, classrooms, buses, toilets, restaurants, day care centres, salons, homes etc.

Products for all industries and problems

Our products are available for all types of application from the smallest bedroom to the largest industrial ventilation solution. Free-standing consumer products that require only a wall socket for example in: houses and flats, caravans, changing rooms etc.

We can supply free-standing decontamination units for smoke and mould clearance for example. There are also special units for waste disposal areas and environmental room solutions. We also have units for placing in ventila-tion systems for the following applications: sewage treatment plants, industries, commercial buildings, paint-spray-ing workshops, day care centres, schools, care homes, restaurants, static electricity treatment, clean rooms etc. Exhaust air systems deal with odours, gases etc and are tailored fully to meet customer requirements.

We imitate nature’s own way of purifying air and the criterion for a healthy environment is a large ion concentra-tion. Our products control the ion concentration without chemicals or additives and this results in clean, healthy air and no airborne particles.

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...Products...

Installations in industry

Our industry installations are always adapted to the specific requirements of each customer. In most cases we purify the indoor environment to remove pollutants and the result is that the exhaust air also becomes clean. We install units in large industries and quantify the problems before and after installation to achieve maximum effect in our systems.

A significant additional effect of our installations is usually the number of air changes per minute. In difficult environ-ments this is often a case of 15 air changes per hour. When using our equipment we recommend no more than 5-6 air changes per hour. Today, the reduced energy consumption is a major savings that is seen directly on the bottom line. The result is usually better air at lower operating costs. Our operating costs compare favourably with other purification methods. As a rule we incur only half the previous service cost per annum to maintain the high air quality delivered by AirCode’s installations.

Aircode™ ID AC-535 / ID AC-550Location: In-duct modelVoltage: 110-120V / 220-230V, 50HzSize of tube: 35 cm, 50 cmNumber of tubes: 1-5Energy consumption: 35 wattWeight: 7.2 kgApplications: Purification plant, hospitals, factories, offices, clean rooms, properties etc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aircode™ CX-600Location: FreestandingVoltage: 110-120V / 220-230V, 50HzSize of tube: 35 cmNumber of tubes: 5Energy consumption: 50 wattWeight: 11 kgCapacity: Up to 450 m2Applications: Smoke and mould decontamination etc.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aircode™ APX-SystemThe APX-System is custom made to suit the clients need. Exhausted air from industries, waste water facilities, restaurants and other large facilities. APX-System make sure that teh environment is not affected by polluted emisson or odurs.

This sytem is a lowenergy solution for several different exhaustprob-lem with long service intervalls.

...Reports...

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Salmonella and airborne microbes

A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that ionization drastically reduced airborne sal-monella microbes since the organisms die within 60 seconds. Tests were conducted at chicken egg hatching stations whose environments contained large quantities of dust in the air. In a room that housed laying hens that were contam-inated with salmonella, the transmission of salmonella between chickens was reduced by 98% while the salmonella in the air was reduced by 95%. This is also a consequence of the quantity of dust in the air reducing when the air is ionized. This is important since microbes and pollution hitch a ride via these dust particles to lungs and feathers.

Title: BACTERICIDAL EFFECTS OF NEGATIVE AIR IONS ON AIRBORNE AND SURFACE

SALMONELLA ENTERITIDIS FROM AN ARTIFICIALLY GENERATED AEROSOL

Authors: Seo, Kun Ho ; Mitchell, Bailey ; Holt, Peter ; Gast, Richard

Submitted to: Journal Of Food Protection

Publication Acceptance Date: August 31, 2000

Publication Date: February 1, 2001

Interpretive SummaryTo investigate whether ion-enriched air exerts a bactericidal effect, an aerosol containing Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) was pumped into a sealed plastic chamber. Plates of agar were attached to the walls, ceiling, and floor of the chamber and exposed to the aerosol for 3 hours with and without the ionize treatment. The plates were then re-moved from the chamber, incubated at 37C for 24 hours, and colonies were counted. Greater than 1,000 cells/plate were observed on plates exposed to the aerosol without the ionize treatment (control) compared with less than 20 cells/plate on the ionize-treated plates. In another series of experiments, the SE aerosol was pumped for 3 h into an empty chamber containing only the ionizer and allowed to collect on the internal surfaces. The inside surfaces of the chamber were then rinsed with 100 ml saline solution which was then plated onto agar media. While the rinse from the control chamber contained colony counts greater than 400 cells/ml of wash, no colonies were found in the rinse from ionize-treatment chamber. These results indicate that high levels of negative air ions can have a significant impact on the airborne microbial load and that most of this effect is through direct killing of the organisms. This technology, which also causes significant reduction in airborne dust, has already been successfully applied in poultry hatching cabinets and caged layer rooms.

Technical AbstractStudies have demonstrated that transmission of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) within a flock could occur via the airborne route, especially in stressed birds. To investigate whether the ionizer exerted a bactericidal effect on the organisms, a sealed plastic chamber was constructed into which an aerosol containing SE was pumped. On the walls, ceiling, and floor of the chamber were attached XLT4 plates which were exposed to the aerosol for 3 hours, in the presence or absence of the ionizer. The plates were removed from the chamber, incubated at 37C for 24 hours, and then counts were made. Greater than 1000 CFU/plate were observed on plates exposed to the aerosol without the ionizer com-pared with less than 20 CFU/plate on the ionizer exposed plates. Experiments where, after being exposed to the 3 hour aerosol, the inside surfaces of the chamber were rinsed with 100 ml PBS and the rinse plated onto XLT4 plates, showed that, while the rinse from the chamber exposed to the aerosol in the absence of the ionizer contained colony counts greater than 400 CFU/ml of wash, no colonies were found in the rinse from ionizer-exposed chambers. These results indicate that negative air ionization can have a significant impact on the airborne microbial load in a poultry house and at least a portion of this effect is through direct killing of the organisms.

...Reports...

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Ionization as an alternative to chemicals in foods

Ionization has been shown to be effective in reducing airborne and surface micro-organisms. This study shows how it has been possible to achieve reductions of up to 99% in the case of certain staphylococci and other organisms within 3 hours. Treatment of the bacillus spores over 6 hours reduced them with an efficiency of 96% The apparatus used generated 1,000,000 negative ions per cm3 measured 1 meter from its electrodes.

Title: USE OF NEGATIVE ARI IONIZATION FOR REDUCING BACTERIAL

PATHOGENS AND SPORES ON STAINLESS STEEL SURFACES

Authors: Arnold, Judy ; Boothe, Dorothy ; Mitchell, B. - USDA/ARS SEP

Submitted to: Journal Of Applied Poultry Research

Publication Acceptance Date: December 27, 2003

Publication Date: January 1, 2004

Citation: Arnold, J.W., Boothe, D.D., Mitchell, B.W. 2004.

Use Of Negative Air Ionization For Reducing Bacterial Pathogens And Spores

On Stainless Steel Surfaces. Journal Of Applied Poultry Research. 13:200-206.

Interpretive SummaryThe use of chemicals in food plant sanitation for removing and killing microorganisms could be reduced by the use of non-chemical methods. Negative air ionization is a new technology that has shown potential to effectively re-duce airborne and surface microorganisms. An electrostatic space charge system (ESCS) generates a strong negative charge that is transferred to bacteria on stainless steel coupons. Current studies have shown reduction of mixed populations from environmental samples, bacterial pathogens, and bacterial spores. The levels of biofilm bacteria on stainless steel surfaces were decreased with a 99.8% efficiency. In this study, the power of the charge was varied by adjustment of the voltage and/or moving the ground plane closer or further from the electrode points. Counts of bacterial pathogens were less from ionized surfaces than from non-ionized surfaces. Treatment of selected bacteria of food safety importance achieved a 99.9% reduction efficiency in 3 hrs. Treatment of selected spores of Bacillus stearothermophilus achieved a 99.8% reduction efficiency in three hours. These data indicate that the ESCS could have an impact in a facility by direct killing of bacteria and spores on surfaces.

...Reports...

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Ions eliminate airborne infections

A one-year study using ionization equipment at an intensive care ward at University Hospital in Leeds, England has shown to be completely successful with one hundred per cent elimination of airborne infections caused by acineto-bacter pathogenes. Infections that occur while in hospital are a very serious problem worldwide. A meeting of doctors estimated that 800 Swedes die every year and that 90,000 – 100,000 become infected.

There are many forms of hospital infection and approximately 20% of these infections are transmitted via the air. In England alone this represents an annual cost of approximately GBP 100-200 million. Acinetobakter infections are a growing problem at hospitals since this pathogen is resistant to nearly all antibiotics that are currently available. The successful study result has resulted in more money being invested in research on negative ions and their effect on resistant pathogens.

Solution to hospital infections could be in the air

A breakthrough in the fight against infections acquired in hospital could be achieved thanks to pioneering new re-search. The project is investigating the use of ionizers to eradicate airborne infections in hospitals – a technique that could deliver major health benefits and financial savings. Starting in December, the 3-year initiative will be carried out by engineers at the University of Leeds with funding from the Swindon-based Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Infections originating in hospital are a serious and widespread problem, affecting around 10% of patients during their stay. There is increasing evidence that up to 20% of these infections are transmitted by an airborne route – at a cost of £100-200 million a year in England alone.

The project will build on a recent successful study at St James’s University Hospital in Leeds. This found that using ionizers to negatively charge air particles in an intensive care unit prevented all infections caused by the Acineto-bacter pathogen. Immune to nearly all currently available antibiotics, Acinetobacter infections are a growing prob-lem in hospitals and can be fatal in some groups of patients.

In the new project, the same team will set out to understand the science behind this success and provide a .rm basis for future use of the technique. They will focus on the biological and physical processes associated with negative air ionization and airborne transmission of infection, and establish guidelines for the effective use of ionizers in hospital buildings.

Much of the research will be carried out in the University’s state-of-the-art aerobiological test facility, which was part funded by EPSRC. The facility incorporates a 32 m3 climatic chamber where temperature, humidity and ventila-tion rate can be varied and controlled. The chamber enables researchers to mimic various clinical environments and perform a wide range of experiments involving aerosols doped with micro-organisms.

Eco Air Technologies Ltd • Unit 96 • Springhill • Salters Lane • Lower Moor • Pershore • Worcestershire WR10 2PE

Telephone & Fax: 01386 860061

www.ecoairtech.co.uk info@ecoairtech.co.uk