[tallhappy]

Thanks for posting this.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Very good!

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[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Will it work on hard spores which is the infectious mechanism of the Anthrax bacteria?

[Cobra64]

Honeywell, Inc. sells electrostatic air cleaners that take care of this. Very common solution for people who have allergies.

[BunnySlippers]

Bookmark and Bump

[John Jamieson]

"High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filter A throwaway, extended-media, dry type filter with a rigid casing enclosing the full depth of the pleats. The filter shall exhibit a minimum efficiency of 99.97% when tested at an aerosol of 0.3 micrometers diameter. The maximum airflow resistance shall be as specified in Section 5.2, Table 1 of this standard."

It looks like standard HEPA filters can catch the spores, but I'm not sure what kills them. Titanium dioxide sounds like the stuff you put on your nose to prevent sunburn.

[John Jamieson]

TITANIUM DIOXIDE (Group 3)

VOL.: 47 (1989) (p. 307)

CAS Nos.: 13463-67-7 - Titanium dioxide; 1317-70-0 - Anatase titanium dioxide; 1317-80-2 - Rutile titanium dioxide

Chem. Abstr. Name: Titanium dioxide

5. Summary of Data Reported and Evaluation

5.1 Exposures
Titanium dioxide is a white pigment produced mainly from ilmenite (iron titanate) and natural rutile (titanium dioxide). It is widely used in paints, paper, plastics, ceramics, rubber, inks and a variety of other products. Occupational exposure to titanium dioxide during its production, the production of paints, in painting trades and during other industrial use is likely to be extensive, but there is a paucity of data on levels, both occupational and environmental.

5.2 Experimental carcinogenicity data
Titanium dioxide was tested for carcinogenicity by oral administration in one strain of mice and in one strain of rats, by inhalation in two strains of rats, by intratracheal administration in one strain of hamsters, by subcutaneous injection in one strain of rats and by intraperitoneal administration in one strain of male mice and two strains of female rats. Increased incidences of lung adenomas in rats of both sexes and of cystic keratinizing lesions diagnosed as squamous-cell carcinomas in female rats were observed in animals that had inhaled the high but not the low doses of titanium dioxide. Oral, subcutaneous, intratracheal and intraperitoneal administration did not produce a significant increase in the frequency of any type of tumour in any species. Intratracheal administration of titanium dioxide in combination with benzo[a]pyrene to hamsters resulted in an increase in the incidence of benign and malignant tumours of the larynx, trachea andlungs over that in benzo[a]pyrene-treated controls.

5.3 Human carcinogenicity data
The only available epidemiological studyprovided inconclusive results.

5.4 Other relevant data
Titanium dioxide did not induce morphological transformation in mammalian cells or mutation in bacteria.

5.5 Evaluation
There is inadequate evidence for the carcinogenicity of titanium dioxide in humans. There is limited evidence for the carcinogenicity of titanium dioxide in experimental animals. Overall evaluation
Titanium dioxide is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans (Group 3).

[Fredgoblu]

The photocatalytic air cleaning system relies on the interaction between light and titanium dioxide, a simple and widely available chemical. When light is absorbed into the titanium dioxide, it acts as a catalyst to produce an oxidizing agent. The agent, called a hydroxyl radical, “is like a bullet for the bacteria,"

??? Hydroxyl radical :OH ???

That would imply that the catalyst acts only on moisture in the air, stripping off one of the hydrogen atoms. I question whether the good doctor's been quoted correctly.

My guess would have been that the system generates oxygen free radicals or ozone, and not the hydroxyl radical. Whether that's the case or not, wouldn't an active ozone generator be better than this passive light-catalyst generator?

[freefly]

fyi bump

[newzjunkey]

Cool. That sounds like the system we got installed in this house a couple years ago. It's a bit noisy with the "pop" and "krackle" of whatever it's zapping--probably due to the location in the house of the cleaner--but seems to do a nice job.

[nimc]

Here is another device that may come in handy. A home made Sarin Gas detector!

Go to How Stuff Works to see.