When will it be is it safe to fly, take a cruise, go to the movies, see a basketball game, or attend any other events with large numbers of people in confined spaces? That’s the question so many are asking today. Even as states continue to loosen restrictions and certain activities are starting to resume, early-openers are seeing spikes in confirmed COVID-19 cases. Whether the spikes are directly related to re-opening policies is uncertain, but increased activity certainly creates more opportunity for the virus to spread.
So, what will it take for numbers to steadily shrink and for people to truly believe we’ve turned the corner? One of the keys is the ability to disinfect spaces quickly and efficiently – and ideally, without requiring buildings or spaces to be unoccupied for any period of time. If people understand facilities are being continuously disinfected, that could provide a major boost in their willingness to expand their activities in more crowded or confined spaces.
Global Plasma Solutions thinks it can help. In recent lab testing, the indoor air quality solution vendor says its needlepoint bipolar ionization technology can neutralize the COVID-19 virus. The study, conducted with Aviation Clear Air, mimicked ionization conditions in a commercial aircraft’s passenger area. The results showed a clear effect on the virus at various time intervals.
- 10 minutes – 84.2% of the virus was inactivated
- 15 minutes – 92.6% of the virus was inactivated
- 30 minutes – 99.4% of the virus was inactivated
Needlepoint bipolar ionization works to safely clean indoor air, leveraging an electronic charge to create plasma field with a high concentration of positive and negative ions. These ions travel through the air and attach to particles, gas molecules, and pathogens. This continuous particle combination results in larger particles that are more easily filtered. The ions also break down harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) into harmless compounds, like oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water.
While eliminating COVID-19 particles and other pathogens in the air, the solution doubles as an air purifier by eliminating other airborne particulates and odors. The company says its technology can also produce a 30% energy savings through as much as a 75% reduction in outdoor air intake.
“For any kind of facility from commercial buildings to aircrafts, delivering the cleanest, safest indoor air environment will only become increasingly more important, and our ozone-free technology is one of the most sophisticated products on the market.”
Charles Waddell , Founder and CTO, Global Plasma Solutions
While many companies are developing technologies to kill the virus, many of them – like UV-C lights – aren’t safe for use in occupied spaces. GPS’ ionization not only allows continual decontamination, but also make the air generally cleaner.
The company’s clean air technology is being used in the White House, the UAE Presidential Palace, Google’s headquarters, Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Boston Children’s Hospital, Clemson University, Charlotte Airport, among many other recognized facilities and institutions — all business sectors that are currently struggling with managing the pandemic.
