Mostly good progress during January!

Our electronics designers have met with the main design team and agreed where the electronics will located and how the wiring will be built into the body. Some changes have been made, including the replacement of a physical push down on / off switch with a more reliable back-lit touch switch and the information LEDs have now been clustered close to the on / off switch.

Our objective is to make the Airora supremely simple to use, with no Apps or controls at all beyond on/off. We are able to do this because the main action is not controlling a fan (for example to reduce its speed so that you can sleep!) and the intensity of the hydroxyl cascade is largely self regulating, in that the higher the level of contaminants the greater the number of hydroxyls are created during the cascading process.

One of the trickiest problems we have solved is how to warn users both when the Essential Oil Cassette is coming towards the end of its life and to automatically switch off the device when it is completely depleted. The cassettes are designed to last for just over three months, and now that has been tested and calibrated we have opted to embed a timer chip in each cassette so that the core electronics know what to do and when. This means that when you have several devices, even if cassettes are moved between devices for some reason, the central electronics will still know their status.

While there has been a little time slippage during January, the improvements we have made have been well worth it.

Discussions with packaging specialists kick off this month, even though they only require six weeks lead time and are not on the Critical Path, I like to have things done in good time.

Eat an Egg!​

​The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that our indoor air is nearly 5x more polluted than outdoor air. Some homes may even have 100x more pollution.

​Here are thirteen common sources of indoor air pollution:

This then is the conundrum; we need air to circulate from outside to inside, but in areas with substantial external pollution that circulation continuously brings harmful outside pollution into our homes.

​Outside, Nature wages a powerful war of attrition against atmospheric pollution. ​

Wind disperses pollution, diluting its local effects. Natural chemical and photochemical interactions create an abundance of ‘hydroxyl radicals’ (called ‘Nature’s Detergent’ by scientists) which attack and neutralise a wide range of pollutants, and rain and snow wash pollution and its by-products out of the air. ​

Of course, in the urban environment, pollution can build up where it is created more quickly than nature can remove it.

Inside, the natural conditions which create hydroxyls are absent, and pollution, well, it hangs around for us to breathe it in!

​These days, the major threat to clean air is now posed by traffic emissions. Petrol and diesel powered vehicles emit a wide variety of harmful pollutants, principally carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM2.5). Additionally, the photochemical reactions resulting from the action of sunlight on nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and VOCs create ozone. 

​CO (carbon monoxide) is a dangerous, colourless gas which reduces your blood’s ability to carry oxygen and can make you ill. 

The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution recently reviewed the evidence for the adverse health effects of NOx and concluded that:

• Short-term exposure to NO2 likely causes respiratory ill health, may cause an increase in hospital admissions for heart problems, and may cause an increase in overall mortality.
• Long-term exposure to NO2 may cause an increase in respiratory and cardiovascular mortality, children's respiratory symptoms, and decreased lung function.

​VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which can have short- and long-term adverse health effects.

​Ozone can trigger asthma attacks and cause shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, headaches, nausea, and throat and lung irritation, even in healthy adults.

​Particulate matter, also called PM or soot, consists of microscopically small solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in the air.

Ultrafine particles (UFPs) are particulate matter of nanoscale size (less than 0.1 microns in diameter). UFPs are the main constituent of airborne particulate matter. Owing to their numerous quantity and ability to penetrate deep within the lung, UFPs are a major concern for respiratory exposure and health​

PM pollution can cause lung irritation, aggravates the severity of chronic lung diseases, causes inflammation of lung tissue, causes changes in blood chemistry and can increase susceptibility to viral and bacterial pathogens.

​Think about it this way: Sit an air cleaner, however effective, next to an open window, and it will be overwhelmed by new pollution to the point where it will have no effect. For an air cleaner to be effective, you have firstly to slow the flow of new air into a room to give it time to work.

So, reducing leakage is only the first step in mitigating the pollution problem. The second step is using an air cleaner that really works!

​Having reduced air leakage, let’s look at our options for removing or neutralising polluting gasses and particulates before we breathe them in:

These are sometimes suggested to remove these gasses from the air and can be implemented either as stand-alone filters or in combination with a HEPA filter to capture the larger particulates.

The ‘gold standard’ for particulate filters is the High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. Filters meeting the HEPA standard remove 99.97% of particles that have a size 0.3 microns or larger from the air passing through them.

However, 90% of particulates in the air, including the most harmful ones, are smaller than that, so most HEPA air purifiers only catch a fraction of all particulates, and none of the potentially most harmful ones. 
X Hepa Filters will only remove 10% of the particulates.

​​Correct. And air filters don't work well in the real world anyway! Not only are there no suitable and affordable filters for the purposes we require, the unfortunate fact is that portable air filtration devices, of whatever type, are not very effective at treating any kind of pollution. ​

All portable air filters share the same fundamental shortcoming; even if they do filter the air passing through them effectively, they only clean that limited amount of air that passes directly through them, not all of the air in the room. You can find out more here.

​Outside, Nature wages a powerful and successful war of attrition against atmospheric pollution by employing natural chemical and photochemical interactions to create an abundance of ‘hydroxyl radicals’ (known as ‘Nature’s Detergent’ by scientists) which attack and neutralise a wide range of pollutants.

Find out more about how Airora breaks down harmful gasses and vaporises key ultra-fine particulates that are too small to be trapped by HEPA filters here.

​​​Hay fever is a type of allergic rhinitis caused by pollen or spores. Allergic rhinitis is a condition where an allergen (something that causes an allergic reaction) makes the inside of your nose inflamed (swollen).

People with hay fever can experience their symptoms at different times of the year, depending on which pollens or spores they are allergic to.

​Hay fever symptoms vary in severity and your symptoms may be worse some years than others, depending on the weather conditions and the pollen count (see below). Your symptoms may start at different times of the year depending on which types of pollen you are allergic to.
The symptoms of hay fever include:

• frequent sneezing
• runny or blocked nose
• itchy, red or watery eyes (also known as allergic conjunctivitis)
• an itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears

​Less commonly, you may experience:

• the loss of your sense of smell
• facial pain (caused by blocked sinuses)
• sweats
• headaches

​​Hay fever symptoms are caused by protein molecules in pollen grains. The immune system ‘over-reacts’ to these allergens, which it manifests in the form of an allergic reaction. Immune molecules known as Immunoglobulin E are produced and these cause the release of the inflammatory chemical called histamine from mast cells (a type of immune cell).

​It is histamine that produces the characteristic symptoms of an allergic reaction.

A non-allergic person’s immune system will not produce this reaction on exposure to allergens in pollen.

​Research shows that students’ academic performance may be affected during exams, given that the exam season usually coincides with the height of the pollen season. 

​Hay fever is a relatively new disease, first described in 1819. It took nine years to accumulate enough hay fever cases to present a paper on this new condition to a medical journal. Now hay fever is much more common, particularly in the UK, which has more cases than anywhere else in the world (followed closely by Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and Canada). Hay fever:

• ​is the most common allergic disease
• affects 10-25% of adults in the UK
• affects 10% of children (aged six-seven) and 15% of those (aged 13-14)
• is now being seen in children as young as three and four years old

​If you have asthma, your asthma symptoms may get worse when you have hay fever. Sometimes, asthma symptoms only occur when you have hay fever. These symptoms include:

• tight chest
• shortness of breath
• coughing
• wheezing

Hay fever symptoms are likely to be worse if the pollen count is high. The pollen count is the number of grains of pollen in one cubic metre of air.​

​​Air samples are collected in traps set on buildings two or three storeys high. Taking samples from this height gives a better indication of the pollen in the air from both local and distant sources. Traps on the ground would only collect pollen from nearby trees and plants.

The air is sucked into the trap and the grains of pollen are collected on either sticky tape or microscope slides (glass plates). The pollen is then counted. Samples are usually taken every two hours, and the results are averaged for a 24-hour period. ​

​Hay fever symptoms usually begin when the pollen count is over 50. The pollen count is usually given as part of the weather forecast during the spring and summer months.

​Spores that cause hay fever can come from:

• fungi, such as wild mushrooms, and
• mould, for example from compost heaps​

​​Different trees and plants produce their pollen at different times of the year.

During their pollen season, plants release pollen early in the morning. As the day gets warmer and more flowers open, pollen levels rise. On sunny days, the pollen count is highest in the early evening.

​It is very difficult to completely avoid pollen or spores. However, reducing your exposure to the substances that trigger your hay fever should ease the severity of your symptoms. Follow the advice below to avoid being exposed to excessive amounts of pollen and spores. 

When indoors:​

​Finally, check the pollen count regularly to know when your efforts need to be more concentrated. 

​While numerous manufacturers of ‘air cleaners’ / ‘air filters’ claim to be able to clear pollen from the air, they can only reduce, not eliminate, the problem, because:

• they can only clean the air that passes through them, and stratification, eddies and more means that some air in the room never passes through the filter
• they don’t clean surfaces at all and it only takes a small disturbance to put settled pollen back into the air

​Pets produce dander  (microscopic skin flakes that they shed), and the protein in it can cause severe allergic reactions for some people.

Pet dander is a little like dandruff flakes, only smaller; at around 2-3 microns in size it easily becomes airborne and can be inhaled. ​

​Dander can cause allergic reactions for a long period and may persist for many months after the pet has left the house.  

​​The origin of the allergens is in the pet’s urine, sweat and saliva. These excretions adhere to their skin, for example when they clean themselves, and become of the dander they shed.

​Cat dander is the most commonly inhaled allergen after house dust mite and pollen. Other types of pet, such as dogs, mice and guinea pigs, may similarly cause allergic reactions.

​Because they are so light, pet allergens are widely distributed in the air, remaining airborne for several hours before settling, only to be easily stirred up into the air again.

Clearly, the best way of avoiding pet dander is to not have a pet! However, many of us love our pets too much to do without them! In that case, there are various measures you can take to reduce your exposure, including controlling the pet’s access to certain rooms, and using an effective air purifier to neutralise the dander.

​Pet allergies are known to play a role in:

• Asthma - around 40% of people with asthma are sensitive to cat allergen.
• Atopic dermatitis - characterised by a skin rash.
• Conjunctivitis - an inflammation of the linings of the eyelids.
• Rhinitis - a runny nose and sneezing.

​People with a tendency to allergy (known as atopy), should avoid owning pets if possible. Unfortunately, some people who don’t initially exhibit allergic reactions, can nevertheless develop symptoms after continued exposure.

​Allergens usually enter the respiratory system through the nose. Mast cells in the airways release mediators, which trigger the allergy attack. This attack is an overreaction of the body’s immune system to the invading allergens that have bonded with antibodies. Mast cells are one of the human body’s principal defences against allergens and are found in connective tissue and mucous membranes. One of its biological functions is innate immunity including involvement in host defence mechanisms against parasitic infestations, tissue repair, etc.

​​Pet dander is very ‘sticky’ and can stay in your hair, clothes and other belongings for long periods of time. This is why you can still suffer symptoms when you are away from the pet causing those symptoms.

The major cat related allergens are found in the cat’s sweat and saliva and the major dog related allergen is found in its saliva.

Perhaps the best pets for a pet allergy sufferer are fish, as they are not associated with allergy!

​Before turning to technological or other solutions, careful allergen avoidance / environmental allergen control is important. For example:

• Do not let your pet roam the entire house, as it will shed allergen-containing dander wherever it goes, and that dander persists for months, both in the air and on the surfaces it sticks to.
• Never allow your pet to enter the bedroom of an allergic person. The worst thing you can do is to allow the animal onto the bed itself.
• If practicable, confine your pet to an outdoors dry and comfortable shelter, or to just one well-ventilated room. This gives the person who suffers with the allergy the best chance of controlling their symptoms. If your pet is to be allowed controlled access to the house, the kitchen, with its lack of soft furnishings, is a good choice.
• If possible, and if you spot it in time, put a cat outdoors as soon as it starts washing itself because this is when allergen starts to spread.
• Reduce dander spreading by washing your pet regularly with an allergen shedding control shampoo, such as PET+, which claims to reduce allergen load by more than 85%.
• Cuddling your pet is part of the fun of ownership, and it is therapeutic for both of you, but be sure to thoroughly wash your hands afterwards, otherwise you will in turn quickly spread any dander on your hands to surfaces and the surrounding air. Similarly, don’t touch your face if your hands have dander on them as it will quickly reach your eyes and lungs.
• If your dog has hair that moults, ask someone to brush its coat regularly outside to remove excess hair and prevent it moulting in the house.
• Your carpets, curtains and soft furnishings become a reservoir of pet dander wherever your pet has been. So be sure to vacuum regularly with a vacuum that collects dander efficiently and doesn’t leak it back into the atmosphere, and damp dust daily (rather than using a dry duster).
• If practical, consider reducing soft furnishings and carpets.

While numerous manufacturers of ‘air cleaners’ / ‘air filters’ claim to be able to clear pet dander from the air, they can only reduce, not eliminate, the problem, because:

• they can only clean the air that passes through them, and some air in the room never passes through the filter
• they don’t clean surfaces at all and it only takes a small disturbance to put settled dander back into the air

​There is a long history of disease caused by inhaled particles that stretches from observations by Agricola and Paracelsus in the 15th and 16th centuries up to the present. In the 20th Century the twin scourges of asbestos and crystalline silica (quartz) exerted a terrible toll of death and disease. The bad old days when these dust related lung diseases were common are fortunately gone but as we move into the 21st century a new particle type, the ultra-fine particle, has emerged as one with a potential role in causing disease. 

​Ultrafine particles (UFPs) are particulate matter of nanoscale size (less than 0.1 μm or 100 nm in diameter). This size class of ambient air pollution particles, which are far smaller than the regulated PM10 and PM2.5 particle classes, are believed to have several more aggressive health implications than those arising from larger particulates.

​There are two main divisions that categorise types of UFPs. UFPs can either be carbon-based or metallic, and metallics can be further subdivided by their magnetic properties.

​UFPs are the main constituent (by number) of airborne particulate matter. UFPs arise from a range of indoor sources that including printers and copiers, cooking, tobacco smoke, vaping, candles, chimney cracks and vacuum cleaners. Those indoor sources are often considerably supplemented by the penetration of contaminated air from outside, where vehicles and industry are the major contributors.

​Unlike their larger PM10 and PM2.5 brethren, UFPs that are inhaled, because they are very small, can penetrate tissue and / or be absorbed directly into the bloodstream where effects may become apparent quickly.

​Exposure to UFPs, even if the underlying materials are not very toxic, may cause oxidative stress, inflammatory mediator release, and could induce heart disease, lung disease, and other systemic effects. A robust association has been observed between fine particulate levels and both lung cancer and cardiopulmonary disease.

​The exact mechanism through which UFP exposure leads to health effects remains to be fully understood, but effects on blood pressure may play a role. It has recently been reported that UFP is associated with an increase in blood pressure in schoolchildren with the smallest particles inducing the largest effect.

​Standard HEPA filters as fitted to almost all air cleaners only collect particles down to around PM2.5 although specialist HEPA filters such as 'HyperHEPA clean room grade filters' can collect particles across much of the ultra-fine spectrum.

​Ion generators have been found to have mediocre UFP removal performance and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) has demonstrated very limited or no UFP removal capabilities.

​In this approach, the ultra-fines are subject to in-situ oxidation by hydroxyl radicals. Oxidation by hydroxyls is known to fragment organic carbon ultra-fine particles, which typically constitute most ultra-fines indoors, changing them over time from solids to harmless gasses.

​Although the number of people suffering with an allergy has increased in the last few decades, there is more education and a greater understanding of the immense impact that allergies have on our lives, from allergy symptoms to causes to treatments.

​This immune overreaction can results in symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose and scratchy throat. In severe cases it can also result in rashes, hives, lower blood pressure, difficulty breathing, asthma attacks, and even death.

​​People who have allergies often are sensitive to more than one substance. Types of natural allergens that cause allergic reactions include:

In sensitive people, as soon as the allergen lands on the lining inside the nose, a chain reaction occurs that leads the mast cells in these tissues to release powerful chemicals, including histamine. These powerful chemicals contract certain cells that line some small blood vessels in the nose, causing fluids to escape and the nasal passages to swell—resulting in nasal congestion. Histamine can also cause sneezing, itching, irritation, and excess mucus production, which can result in allergic rhinitis. ​

​Asthma attacks are usually temporary, but if an asthma episode is severe, a person may need emergency treatment to restore normal breathing. Despite the far reaching effects of asthma, much remains to be understood as to what causes it and how to prevent it.

​​Then along came Airora 4-in-1 ...

​In the open air, 'Hydroxyl Radical Cascades' are continuously created by the complex chemical interactions that occur naturally in the atmosphere. Hydroxyls are the powerful but entirely safe and natural air cleaning agent, often referred to by scientists as 'Natures Detergent', which continuously decontaminate the air and gives 'fresh air' that clean and refreshing feel that we all love.

​Indoors, the natural atmospheric ingredients that continuously create hydroxyl radicals don't exist and allergens remaining active, smells remain smelly and bacteria and viruses constantly build up in the air and on surfaces. Consequently, indoor air is generally much more polluted than outdoor air, yet until recently it has received far less public attention. 

​Indoor air pollution is a complex mixture of microbes and substances in the air that are potentially harmful to health. The composition of this indoor air pollution can vary greatly depending, for example, where you live and on the contents of your home.

​In a home in a non-urban setting for example, house dust mite, pollen and mould spores can be a major cause of indoor air pollution and related health problems. In a new-build home or office, fumes from paints and insulation, new carpet and furniture can significantly contribute to the pollution. Especially in industrial or built up areas, traffic and industry pollution also play an increasing part in indoor air pollution.

The main components of dust which can affect your health indoors are:

• house dust mite
• mould spores
• pollen
• soot
• pet dander (including cat saliva)
• particulate cigarette smoke
• bacteria and viruses

From 0.1 microns and smaller, pollution falls into the nanoparticle and molecular size range and includes:

• the gaseous, that is non-particulate, components of cigarette smoke
• combustion products such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides from boilers and cookers
• volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde, which slowly seeps out from carpet or medium-density fibreboard often used in DIY or flat pack furniture and ​as found in a wide range of household products including cleaning solutions, air fresheners, aerosol toiletries and paint​
• ozone, which at too high a level is a known lung irritant
• radon is a radioactive gas that can be found in homes in certain areas if they are built on rocks containing uranium which naturally decays to radon

It is always better to try to prevent indoor air pollution occurring before attempting to reduce or remove it:

• if you smoke, it is best to do so outside and to ask smoking visitors to do likewise
• If you suspect you live in a radon-affected area, get the radon level in your home tested and take appropriate corrective advice and action
• check any DIY products or household aerosols or air fresheners for VOC content

Read the label and note whether the product should not be used in an enclosed space and remember that there are often more 'environmentally-friendly' alternatives to conventional paints, glues and similar products, so choose wisely:

• avoid MDF and other products which release formaldehyde into an enclosed environment
• getting rid of clutter, which attracts dust, will help reduce mould spores, bacteria and house dust mite
• carpet is a prime reservoir for house dust mite - consider replacing your carpets with hard flooring
• invest in a leakage free HEPA vacuum cleaner
• keep humidity low to discourage mould and house dust mite

Where the main source of pollution is internal rather than external then letting fresh air into your home to displace internally polluted air is a good way of improving indoor air quality.

​Where the main source of pollution is internal rather than external, it is helpful to open windows after bathing, showering or cooking so that damp and mould don't build up.

An effective air purifier can play an essential part in reducing indoor air pollution in your home or place of work. But the key word here is ‘effective’ and the unfortunate truth is that most traditional air purifiers are not very effective!

​Various types of traditional air purifier focus on different pollutants, typically pollens, spores and other particles or on gaseous pollutants. Some combine technologies to address more than one type of pollutant.

​But all have the same drawback, they only clean the air passing through the device and rely, to only limited effect, on a high throughput of air to draw in pollution from the ever changing air in the room. However good the filter mechanism, they will only ever clean a modest proportion of pollutants from the air in a room because constant air changes, re-contamination, re-circulation and eddy formation means that there are always significant airborne pollutants in a room which have not been drawn into the device.