People are always indoors. Save for those whose job requires them to be outdoors, 90 percent of our time is spent inside an enclosed space—may it be at home, at school, in the office, at the mall.
Surely those ceilings and walls provide a barrier from a number of elements—sun’s harmful rays, rain showers, people you’d rather not see—but not air pollution.
Pollution in the air we breathe
According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is the greatest environmental threat to human health. The threat is so serious that seven million people died prematurely due to illnesses attributable to air pollution in 2016.
The WHO further reported that nine out of 10 people worldwide do not breathe “safe air.”
We are in a bad situation here in the Philippines, as we rank third (after China and Mongolia) in the list of countries with the most number of deaths due to air pollution, according to a 2018 study by the WHO. It could be worse, but that shouldn’t be the goal.
People up in the air have the best view of the situation. Pilot Nick Gitsis, co-founder of South East Asian Airlines (SEAir), was one of those who have noticed the thick haze surrounding Manila upon aircraft take-off and landing.
“It bothered me 25 years ago, and as it got progressively worse, it truly disturbed me once I had children, knowing this was the air they were breathing,” he lamented.
While the air outside needed a multi-sectoral cooperation to be improved, indoor air pollution can be resolved.
Allergy, asthma, and immunology specialist Dr. Lou Ver Leigh Manzon-Reyes said indoor air pollutants exacerbate a number of illnesses, including respiratory diseases and allergies as well as cardiovascular diseases, reproductive disorders, immunologic disorders, and even cancer.
Exposure to these air pollutants, as in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and allergens, results in more cases of allergies today.
“A person’s risk of developing allergy is predetermined by family history. However, studies now show that even without history of allergy in the family, there’s already a five to 15 percent chance for a person to develop allergies because of our environmental exposures in the form of volatile organic compounds, allergens, air pollutants,” said Dr. Manzon-Reyes.
She continued, “These actually cause genetic changes, and these changes can lead to immune deviation, causing a previously non-allergic person to become allergic. And these bad genes can be subsequently passed on to the next generations.”
But the specialist offered a glimmer of hope.
“Indoor air pollutants have been declared by the WHO as one of the most preventable risk factors for global disease burden,” said Dr. Manzon-Reyes.
While taking allergy medication helps, she said: “elimination of triggers is equally important.”
Clean air for the family
As a new mother, Dr. Manzon-Reyes said her son’s health is always a priority.
“With all these air pollutants that my son is potentially exposed to, and all the microorganisms that I might be bringing home from work, this technology gives me that peace of mind that I’m able to protect my son,” she shared.
Dr. Manzon-Reyes was referring to air purification system Intellipure, which, fellow parent, Capt. Gitsis discovered in the US and brought here in the country.
After using several underperforming HEPA (high-efficiency particulate) air purifiers that did not provide “any noticeable difference” in the indoor air, Gitsis found Intellipure, known for its revolutionary Disinfecting Filtration System (DFS) technology developed through a US military grant given to help fight germ warfare.
“I was very impressed with the first machine I had and became even more so when I was able to visit their factory and offices in the US,” shared Gitsis.
“After seeing and experiencing their product line and solutions,” Gitsis said he knew “this was something very different from what you can pick up in any department store in the USA or in the Philippines.”
Intellipure offers a line of air purifiers said to be 40 times more efficient than other HEPA filters, as each unit captures 99.99 percent of pollutants down to 0.007 micron in size.
Within the patented DFS system, a charge in the filter creates microbiostasis, eliminating dangerous viruses, molds, and bacteria effectively. All systems come with a proprietary gas and odor filter eliminating up to 95 percent of formaldehydes and chemicals.
According to Vinny Lobdell, co-founder and president of Intellipure USA, they are the only brand with air purification systems that address all three pollutant categories: ultrafine particles, VOCs, and microorganisms.
Intellipure offers a range of products for residential and commercial use.
The Intellipure Ultrafine 468 and Intellipure Compact machines are portable, point-of-use air purifiers designed for small to medium-sized spaces, from 35 to 140 square meters.
Meanwhile, the Intellipure Super V Whole House is a point-of-entry machine installed directly into existing HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system. The unit is ideal for homes, offices, and schools.
Finally, the Intellipure 950P is a portable commercial unit utilized in environments with a high level of smoke, gases and odors, and other VOCs such as smoking areas, medical clean rooms, and offices.
Prices for compact machines range from P47,000 to P89,000. A customer service is available to help with the maintenance and purchasing of filters after a year or two.
Gitsis, through his company Air Intellipure Inc., has also brought the Pure Wellness program to the Philippines. The program is based on a patented surface and air purification technology that removes indoor pollutants from any indoor space and maintains a high sanitary state with regular service. It eliminates and protects against 98 to 100 percent of viruses, bacteria, and other irritants.
“The Belo Clinics will be the first Certified Pure Wellness clinics in Asia, with the first location slated to open in BGC in November,” announced Gitsis.