Post on 22-Dec-2021
Working to develop and support leaders in school business operations
ACCELERATING RECOVERY WITH BIPOLAR IONIZATIONHOW CAN WE PREPARE FOR A POST-COVID-19 WORLD?
Robert H. Weidner, P.E., LEED AP, CxA
Principal Project Manager &
Mechanical Practice Leader
Jim Mooney, P.E., LEED AP
President & CEO
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About Us
Enginuity is a design build
mechanical contractor with
years of experience designing,
installing and servicing systems
for specialty environments.
For more than 100 years,
Gannett Fleming has been a
leader in global infrastructure
solutions with a focus on
planning, design, technology,
and construction management
services.
Overview
• Crazy times!
• What are we being told about COVID-19?
• How is COVID-19 impacting us?
• Changing and misleading information!?
• What is BPI and how can it help?
• Installing BPI and Monitoring IAQ
• Fake News!
• Technology Comparisons
• Q&A
Overview
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Crazy Times…Right?!?
National Pandemic,
8,188,585 COVID-19 cases
and 219,499 lost lives to date*as of 10/21/20
Healthcare Systems
overwhelmed;
Supply chains depleted
~10.2% unemployment
up from an
all-time low of 3%
US economy
still sluggish
Social distancing
is the new normal
Masks, gloves, shields,
disinfectant sprays and
wipes in high demand
Gas prices
significantly reduced
Live sports and entertainment
limited
4
What are we being told?
• COVID-19 is spread in three main ways:
– Person-to-person direct contact
– Person-to-person from respiratory droplets when an infected
person coughs or sneezes…and aerosols through laughing
singing and even normal breathing
– Surface-to-person from contact with surfaces or objects that
hold the virus, followed by an individual touching their own
mouth, nose or eyes.
• 80% of confirmed coronavirus cases are not severe and do not require hospitalization.
• Vulnerable populations (elderly and people with underlying health conditions) are at a greater risk for infection and severity of symptoms.
• A vaccine may not be ready for months!
• We need to keep the US economy moving!
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Rethinking
Spaces
• Reduced occupancy levels
• Hybrid learning
• Development of reentry guidelines
• Space plan and physical distance analysis
• Face coverings and focus on expanded cleaning
• New traffic flows & increased wayfinding
• Temperature monitoring
• Phased return to the next normal
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What you may not know!
• Building owners have been told by the CDC and by ASHRAE to take preventative
measures with the HVAC System to reduce the risk of infection and optimize buildings
for the return of the workforce! How?
1. Increase ventilation
2. Maintain optimal humidity (40-60%)
3. Upgrade HVAC system air filters
• These HVAC measures have pros and cons!!!
• So what about Bipolar Ionization (BPI)???
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What
is
BPI?
Bipolar Ionization (BPI) is nature's cleansing process! Oxygen molecules are
charged naturally through a high energy exchange of UV solar radiation and
soil radioactivity! This energy exchange makes our mountain air fresh and
enriched…and healthy! Other sources of this high energy exchange occur in
Waterfalls, Lightning Storms and Ocean Waves.
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Ions – How do they help?
In the most pristine
environments there are
naturally higher ion levels.
These levels fall as we
enter more populated
and polluted environments.
So, how do we reinvigorate
our indoor air?
Negative IonsPositive Ions
BPI Treated Rooms (1,000-1,500 ions/cm3)
10
Ionization Technology has Been Around the Block
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The Bipolar Ionization Process
1. INCOMING
POLLUTED AIR
5. BIPOLAR
IONIZATION
TECHNOLOGY
CLEANS THE AIR
2. IONIZATION
TAKING PLACE
3. BIPOLAR
IONIZATION
4. BIPOLAR IONS
REACT WITH PM,
VOCS, BACTERIA,
VIRUSES, GERMS
Bipolar ionization graphic used with permission from AtmosAir Solutions.
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How can BPI help?
13
Third-Party Laboratory Testing
Ultraline Particulate & Mold Spore Reduction Testing
• VOCs, particulate, allergens and asthmagens are potential pollutants that come from
humans, building materials, carpets, finishes, cleaning products, office equipment,
building densification, and outside air.
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How does BPI help with COVID-19?
Microorganism TimePercent Reduction vs.
Normalized Numbers Control
S.saprophyticus 15 minutes 99.32%
ATCC 35552 45 minutes 99.9995%
E.coli 15 minutes >99.94%
K12 45 minutes >99.986%
MS2 Bacteriophage 15 minutes 98.13%
ATCC 15597-B1 45 minutes 99.99993%
According to Dr. Tierno, a professor of microbiology and pathology at NYU:
“Coronaviruses are enveloped viruses; they are easier to kill compared to naked viruses like Noroviruses…”
A Coronavirus is a 1 on the scale from 1-10 in terms of ease to kill. 10 would be mad cow disease.”
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What’s Special About Oxygen Ions?
Oxygen (O₂) in its natural
state is relatively non-
reactive but it can be made
reactive by the actions
described on the previous
slide. These reactive states
are:
• O₂+ dioxygen cation
• O₂ -- peroxide dianion
• O₂- superoxide
“Only superoxide O2- is the most stable and the least
reactive oxygen species. When reacting with water it
produces hydrated clusters of hydroxyl radicals [OH-] which
are formed on the surface of microbes, are short lived (half-
life 2 seconds) and remove H from microbial cell walls
thereby inactivating microbes. This fact makes hydroxyl
radicals one of the safest processes for disinfection. The point
here is that superoxide is least reactive and most stable and
it forms hydroxyl radicals on surface of microbes removing H
from proteins on surface of microbes. Hydroxyls … do not
remain in the airstream as they are produced de novo on
surfaces of microbes.”
Dr. Philip M. Tierno Jr.
Professor of Microbiology and Pathology
New York University School of Medicine
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What does the research tell us? BPI is a Continuous Disinfectant
Mechanism for Inactivating Airborne Fungi
• Ions surround the mold spore.
• Ion break mold spore protein shell.
• Renders them inactive and unable to spread.
Mechanism for Inactivating Airborne Virus
• Ions attach themselves to virus.
• Ions pull hydrogen molecules off the virus to combine
and form water vapor.
• Renders virus inactive and cannot infect even if it
enters the body.
Mechanism for Inactivating Airborne Allergens
• Ions surround the airborne allergen and change into highly
reactive hydroxyl radicals.
• The hydroxyls then deactivate the molecules of
the IgE antibody binding site of the allergen.
• No allergic symptoms occur even if allergens enter the body.
Fungus - Bacteria - Virus
Negative Ion O2
(H2O)m
Negative Ion H+
(H2O)m
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Why Superoxide Kills Bacteria and is Safe for Humans
• Bacteria are simple single celled organisms whereas humans are complex multicellular beings.
• Bacteria have a totally different outer cell envelope compared to humans— bacteria have a cell wall whereas humans have NO cell wall
• Bacteria are very primitive Procaryotic cells whereas humans are comprised of advanced Eucaryotic cells.
In fact, these differences are the very reason that antibiotics kill bacterial cells without killing humans.
Dr. Philip M. Tierno Jr.
Professor of Microbiology and Pathology
New York University School of Medicine
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Conclusion = BPI is Extremely Effective
Dr. Philip M. Tierno Jr., Professor of Microbiology and Pathology
New York University School of Medicine
• Mold and pathogen reduction
• Particulate matter decay
• VOC and odor reduction
• Mold spore reduction
• Energy conservation!!!
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Incorporating BPI into an HVAC System
OUTSIDE AIR
Outdoor
Air Intake
Outdoor air
Temperature sensor
Return air
grille
Freeze stat
Mixed air stat
Heating coil
Cooling coil
And drip pan
Atmos Air
System
Supply air
diffusers
Exhaust air
Outdoor air damper
Mixing
Chamber
Filter
Damper actuators
Ionized Oxygen Molecules
Superoxide anions (30-60) sec life span
Hydroxyl radicals formed (2 sec life span) -> Powerful disinfection component
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Mounting BPI into Large HVAC systems
Supply Duct Mount
Wall or Rack Mounted in Discharge of AHU/RTU
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Mounting BPI into Smaller HVAC Systems
Mounted in Supply or Return of FCU/PTAC/Cassette
DBD BPI in FCU DBD BPI in Small Duct DBD BPI in Cassette/VRF
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Real-Time Measurement & Verification
Air quality monitor made for healthy buildings
Know what is in the air, instantly and accurately:
Sensedge offers 24/7, real-time IAQ monitoring
Display Local Outdoor Air Quality
and Indoor Air Quality on Phone,
App, or Monitor
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Third-Party Validation: Latest UL-2998 Ozone Testing
Products have passed latest
UL-2998 tests (measurable ozone
compliance for electronic air
cleaners)
• OSHA - 100 parts of ozone per billion
(ppb)
• USGBC – 70 parts of ozone per billion
(ppb)
• BPI Ozone Testing Results:
– Indoor background level: 3-10
PPB
– Outdoor background level: 10-50
PPB
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Filter Upgrades and the Consequences to HVAC System Changes
Changing the HVAC system
can have uninformed and
unforeseen consequences.
Filter upgrades have
implications:• MERV 13 significantly impacts
incremental terminal equipment like
fan coils and heat pumps.
• Expensive Installation Upgrades
• Higher maintenance costs with filter
replacement and disposal labor.
• Higher Energy Consumption
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ASHRAE 62.1 IAQ Procedure
ASHRAE established Standard 62.1 - Ventilation for Acceptable Air Quality
This standard governs ventilation rates needed in various environments, offices, schools,
casinos, etc.
ASHRAE researches and develops standards with ANSI (American National Standards
Institute). IMC (International Mechanical Code). IMC is the code compliance a project must
conform to.
The IMC section which covers needed ventilation rates is Chapter 4 Section 403.
ASHRAE Offers Two Compliance Paths to Meet Ventilation Requirements:
1. The Ventilation Rate Procedure (aka: VRP method) and
2. The Indoor Air Quality Procedure (aka: IAQ Procedure)
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CASE STUDIES: Education, Corporate, Health Care, Transportation
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Education Case Studies
ARIZONA STATE
UNIVERSITY
Energy Innovations project –
16 buildings; BPI for demand
control ventilation and
energy efficiency.
UNIVERSITY OF
MARYLAND
VOCs and PM reduced,
ventilation reduced by 50%.
UNIVERSITY OF
COLORADO
Reduction in HVAC by 15%;
Real-time IAQ measurement.
USC UNIVERSITY OF
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Four buildings on campus
installation
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University of Southern California Case Study
BPI improved indoor air quality significantly, and the
reduction of particulate matter and TVOC was substantial.
PM10 particles are small enough to be breathed in and
enter the lungs. These particles can cause illness and
discomfort. TVOCs are gaseous elements that can cause
odors and irritations.
• VOC Reductions: 90%
• PM2.5 Reduction: 50%
• PM10 Reduction: 95%
BPI is currently installed in multiple USC Athletic Facility
buildings, including the entire John McKay Center and
Heritage Hall.
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Bipolar Ionization (DBD) vs. Competing IAQ Technologies
BIPOLAR IONIZATION (DBD) VS. COMPETING IAQ TECHNOLOGIES
BPI (DBD)****Media
FiltrationUltraviolet (UV)***
Photocatalytic
Oxidation (PCO)
Needlepoint
Ionization
Photohydroionization
(PHI)
Affects Contaminants "In the Space" Yes No No Yes Yes Yes
Reduces Odors Yes No No Yes Yes Yes
Reduces VOCs Yes No No Yes Yes Yes
Reduces Particles (PM) Yes Yes No No Yes No
Effective on Bacteria and Virus and Germs Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Significant Ozone Production No (UL 2998 Cert.) No Yes **** Yes **** No (UL 2998 Cert.) Yes****
Low Pressure Drop Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Maintenance Every 2 Years Quarterly Yearly Yearly 7-10 Years ** Every 2 years
Reengineering of HVAC system Needed No* Yes No * No * No* No*
New Design and Retrofit Applications Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Reduces Energy Cost Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes
No Chemicals or Byproducts Yes Yes No No Yes No
Tested Contaminant Reductions in Occupied Space Yes No No No No No
Published and Peer Reviewed Research Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Not Available to Public
"Smart" System (Integrated with Sensors and Monitors) Yes No No No Yes No
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What about other BPI Systems?
BPI has been used for years as a
mechanism to:
Remove particulate matter from the
air in:❑ Dusty factories
❑ Cleanrooms
Reduce static charges in:❑ Sensitive manufacturing
❑ Electronics
❑ Pharmaceuticals
❑ Airplanes and rockets
Just because other technologies
create air ions, doesn’t validate their
effectiveness against pathogens.
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Needlepoint Ionization (NPI or NP BPI)
BPI can also be accomplished with a process
called Needlepoint Ionization.
NPI is marketed by several companies, but it
has a major shortcoming.
According to the largest NPI manufacturer, NPI
does not create O₂- superoxide
The ions created by NPI systems do not linger
in the air as long as the superoxide ions
making NPI less suitable for longer ducted
HVAC systems and less effective at killing
pathogens.
32
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❑ Consists of a titanium dioxide catalyst and UV light to excite it.
❑ Using the moisture in the air, it creates hydroxyl radicals on the surface of the catalyst which have a life expectancy of 2 seconds
❑ Creates superoxides
❑ A recent test indicates good results on airborne pathogen remediation
33
Photocatalytic Oxidation (PCO)
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Ultra Violet (UV)
❑ “The average bacterium will be killed in ten seconds at
a distance of six inches from the lamp in an American
Ultraviolet Germicidal Fixture.”
(https://www.americanultraviolet.com/uv-germicidal-
solutions/faq-germicidal.cfml)
❑ The average duct system moves air at 25 feet per
second. To allow the UV light the 10 seconds needed to
kill the bacterium, the light would need to be 250 feet
long (10 seconds x 25 feet/second = 250 feet) before
getting to the first diffuser! Also one duct side would
need to be a maximum of 6” in length, thus making the
duct extremely wide.
Bottom line, UV is great for killing stuff on things that are stationary.34
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HEPA
❑ In order to install HEPA filters in a
typical office, a filter closet would have
to be created (taking up floor space)
and the ducts rerouted to it.
❑ The fan and its motor would have to be
increased in size or a secondary fan
added to overcome the pressure drop
of the filter.
35
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Contact us!
Bob Weidner, P.E., LEED AP, CxA
717.497.1762
rhweidner@gfnet.com
Jim Mooney, P.E., LEED AP
717.796.9226
jmooney@enginuity-llc.com
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