Medical Construction & Design (MCD) is the industry's leading source for news and information and reaches all disciplines involved in the healthcare construction and design process.
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FLOORS STRONG ENOUGH TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF A The industry must work together and be familiar with a wide range of cutting-edge indoor air quality technology to design facilities that meet air quality standards and provide a safe environment for patients and employees. This article focuses on polarized media filtration and needle-point bipolar ionization to expand solutions covered by Medical Construction and Design in previous issues. MODERN HEALTH CARE FACILITY POLARIZED MEDIA FILTRATION Hospitals must maintain specific levels of filtration for air-delivery systems. Filter combinations may include both "pre" and "final" filter assemblies with an aggregate Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value deemed acceptable for each environment. Hospitals often use passive (mechanical) throw-away filters that offer moderate to high efficiency but have a high air-flow pressure drop and limited capacity to capture and hold particulate matter. These filters consume more energy because of the extra fan motor horsepower required to overcome airflow resistance and necessitate regular replacement and disposal to maintain cleanliness. Passive filters are front loading, so the particulate in the air passing through accumulates mostly on the face of the filter instead of penetrating into the filter, limiting dust-loading capacity. Polarized media filtration combines the best elements of passive filters and electrostatic precipitators. It meets or exceeds ASHRAE standards and can achieve uniform loading throughout the filter depth using safe low voltage/amperage. By polarizing the individual filter fibers, charged particles are efficiently attracted, captured and held in place, removing harmful elements from the airstream before being inhaled. Particulate holding capacity is greatly increased and some media can hold up to 10 pounds of dust while reducing air-flow resistance. A mechanical filter may be fully loaded with less than 1 pound of particulate, reaching up to 1.5 inches in water pressure drop (in wc), while polarized media can remain in service from five to seven times longer before requiring replacement at a final resistance of only 0.57 in wc. Utility cost savings from this reduced pressure drop in a single 20,000-cubic-feet-per-minute air-handling unit could exceed $3,500 per year. Combine the savings from replacement materials and maintenance with the same AHU equipped with polarized technology and total lifecycle costs could be reduced by more than $60,000 over a period of 15 years. NEEDLEPOINT BI-POLAR IONIZATION The EPA reports emissions from industrial facilities, motor vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors and chemical solvents are major sources of harmful mono-nitrogen oxides and VOCs. Hospitals also must address emissions from helipad operations, emergency generators and co-generation plants that enter buildings through the outdoor air supply and are distributed through air-handling systems. In many U.S. cities the outdoor air is so polluted that ventilating a space to comply with code requirements can be detrimental to the occupant, triggering asthma, bronchitis or emphysema. With Level-Right Self-Leveling Underlayments floors marred by sags, wrinkles, dips or weather damage can be transformed into smooth, level floors – just two to four hours after pouring! Plagued by moisture concerns? Install Maxxon DPM or Maxxon MVP before you pour to protect your flooring investment. t New construction or renovation T t Top old ceramic, marble or terrazzo floors t Up to 7200 PSI; water resistant t Provides a temporary wear surface in as little as 2 to 4 hours after application T t Encloses VCT, VAT or asbestos adhesive t Accepts virtually all floor coverings Contains recycled materials t t Level-Right contains recycled material and achieves the stringent emissions criteria of GREENGUARD Select CertificationSM 800-356-7887 t info@maxxon.com t www.Maxxon.com © 2012 Maxxon® Corporation, all rights reserved. www.mcdmag.com November/December 2013 | Medical Construction & Design 51