In an unventilated room, 2 commercial portable air cleaners with HEPA filters and a do-it-yourself box fan air cleaner with MERV-13 filters significantly reduced aerosolized bacteriophage MS2.
Corsi-Rosenthal Boxes can produce extremely low particle counts, whether new or used filters are in place. Air Flow is important, and MERV 13 seems to be just right for capture. The results of using two box filters can result in clean-room level clean air.
The DIY box fan air cleaner operates within acceptable thresholds for market safety standard for electric fans, even under extreme conditions.
The Corsi-Rosenthal Box Filter “was estimated to perform similarly to residential portable air cleaners that are approximately three times as costly in terms of clean air delivered.”
“DIY air filtration units can be an effective means of reducing aerosol exposure. The DIY units reduced aerosol exposure up to 73%”
“DIY) air cleaners, made with a box fan and MERV 13 air filter, are a cost-effective method for reducing smoke concentrations.”
Staying for 2 h in a closed room with a highly infective person, we estimate that the inhaled dose is reduced by a factor of six when using air purifiers with a total air exchange rate of 5.7 h.
How it all started, back in 2020.
