HEPA Air Filters

IQS Newsroom Articles on HEPA Air Filters

HEPA Air Filters

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters are a specific style of filter used in home or commercial heating ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC). Originally designed to prevent discharge of radioactive particles from nuclear reactor facility exhausts, HEPA air filters are now mainly used to remove small particulates such as allergens and other common irritants from the air. These filters are also widely utilized in industrial settings because of their high efficiency of capturing a wide range of air contaminants.

HEPA air filters are the highest efficiency air filters available for the filtration of small particles. In order to be classified as a HEPA filter, the filter must undergo rigorous testing and performance standards regulated by the government. Defined by the Institute of Environmental Science, a certified HEPA filter must capture a minimum of 99.97% of contaminants 0.3 microns in size.

In addition to situations that require “absolute filtration,” such as in hospital operating and isolation rooms and pharmaceutical manufacturing, HEPA air filters have many applications in the nuclear, electronic, aerospace, military, and medical industries. HEPA air filters are also highly useful for asthma and allergy sufferers.