Air is one of the core elements for us and every living creature for existence on earth. Just think we inhale and exhale or breathe about 12-16 times a minute. In this process, we inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. So living in clean air is necessary.
Various research and studies have found that polluted air contains harmful gases and particles like carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, ground-level ozone, particle pollution, sulfur oxide, etc. So living under polluted and unhealthy air can cause you harm and eventually may get infected with several diseases. In some cases, polluted air can be deadly.
How Is Molekule’s PECO Different from HEPA Air Purifiers?
So we are here today to discuss two air purification technologies. One is Molekule’s PECO technology, and the other is HEPA technology. In this article, we will try to cover the difference between these two air purifiers, understand the technology’s premise, and conclude which is the best. So let’s go.
What is PECO?
Molekule introduced Photoelectrochemical Oxidation Air Purifier, shortly known as PECO, to purify air pollutants in 2014. This technology uses UV light rays to create unstable molecules to destroy allergens and toxins from the air. Molekule claims that it can purify air more efficiently than HEPA technology.
This technology uses physical filtration and photochemical reaction with nano-coated filters to remove toxins. Through this process, it can destroy 1000 times smaller particles than HEPA. This technology can easily remove less than 0.3 microns (μm) of pollutants.PECO can efficiently remove and demolish organic substances, bacteria, viruses, mold, and VOCs.Using 1 hour, Molekule’s PECO air filter can eliminate more than 99% of SARS-CoV-2. So this air filter can be helpful in this pandemic situation as we are not fully protected from the corona.
How does PECO work?
PECO purifier has two filters. A small carbon pre-filter and a larger nano catalyst-coated PECO-Filter. The small filter with carbon can remove large particles, while the nano catalyst-coated filter removes smaller particles. This filter converts harmful organic compounds into neutral and harmless compounds. Now let’s move on to understanding the premise of technology. PECO technology works in 3 steps to destroy smaller pollutants:
Capture
When air blows through a nano catalyst-coated PECO filter, small pollutants like mold get stuck with this filter.
Oxidation
The protein part of the mold breaks apart, and eventually, the mold’s oxidation occurs.
Destruction
In this step, the oxidized mold gets destroyed, and the air is purified.
What is HEPA?
HEPA was first introduced in the 1950s and is one of the most effective types of air filters out there. HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air and is a pleated mechanical air filter. This is one of the well-known types of air filters and has the efficiency of filtering 99.97% of toxins from the air.
It can filter pollen, dirt, dust, moisture, bacteria, viruses, and submicron liquid aerosols. So it can filter pollutants of 0.3 to 10 microns (μm).
Using photocatalytic oxidation, HEPA can filter some microorganisms like Aspergillus niger, Penicillium citrinum, Staphylococcus epidermidis, etc.
The HEPA filter was first invented in the Manhattan project to prevent the contamination of radioactive particles. In modern times it is compatible to be used in laboratories, factories, and even at home.
How does HEPA work?
Modern HEPA filters include twisted glass fiber that is turned into myriad directions for making fibrous mazes. HEPA filters use the following techniques to filter air:
Direct impaction
Large Polluted and toxic items like pollen, dust, mold, etc. travel in a straight way and stick with the fiber.
Sieving
The air travels through the fibrous maze. So the polluted or contaminated items came along with it as the gap between this fibrous maze is so small that the contaminated items get stuck and become ensnared.
Interception
Because of its fast velocity, air can easily pass through the fibrous maze. But for inertia, contaminated particles continue on their path and get stuck.
Diffusion
In the diffusion process, particles of a minimum of 0.3 microns(μm) are filtered. Tiny polluted particles move more haphazardly than larger ones. So for this haphazard motion, they easily fall on the fiber and get stuck.
Differences between HEPA and PECO filtered air.
HEPA filters target individual pollutants when the air passes through the fiber due to the small strands of the filter. So the technology to filter pollutants is more complex. So individually, all molds, viruses, bacteria, and other pollutants get destroyed.
Molekule introduced two filters in PECO technology. The combination of these two filters made this technology more innovative and effective. The pre-filter halts the larger particles, like hair, when air passes through it. The remaining smaller pollutants get destroyed by nano catalyst-coated PECO filters. So the pollutants that pass through the pre-filter partake in reactions with nano catalyst-coated PECO filters and chemically vanish.
The main difference between these two technologies is that the Molekule PECO filter chemically destroys the smaller pollutants. In contrast, HEPA technology gathers pollutants of a certain size on a net of fibers.
Which Technology Steps Ahead?
Both PECO and HEPA technology helps to purify indoor air destroying airborne pollutants. But the PECO technology is more advanced and more effective. The two drawbacks of HEPA technology:
- HEPA technology can not effectively remove pollutants with small structures. Some poisonous gas like formaldehyde and ozone don’t get stuck with HEPA filter fiber.
- HEPA technology can’t chemically react with organic pollutants like mold, bacteria, etc. Unfortunately, if HEPA filter fiber has dust and water, organic pollutants can form colonies on the fiber as there will be a suitable environment for these toxins to grow. Eventually, they can even release spores through HEPA filters into the room. you
So Molekule PECO technology is more advanced and effective in purifying indoor air than HEPA air purifiers.
Let’s see these Molekule PECO technology air purifiers:
- Molekule Air Pro FDA-Cleared Medical Air Purifier
- Molekule Air Large Room Air Purifier
- Molekule – Air Mini+ – FDA-Cleared Medical Air Purifier
Advantages Of Having An Air Purifier
- Odorless atmosphere: Air purifiers not only purify the air but also maintain your home’s freshness. It can keep away bad smells and scents from your home.
- Smoke-free: we all know smoking is injurious to health. It can passively harm your children and family members. So an air purifier can help you to handle this situation.
- Dispose of volatile organic compounds: Air purifiers can remove unknown structured cancer-causing volatile organic compounds.
- Air purifiers are energy efficient: Air purifiers can work as ventilators and temperature maintainers. They are energy efficient and don’t cost many electric bills.
- Allergic Microorganisms are Away from your House: If you are a pet lover, you should get an air purifier now. It can make your home pet smell free. Besides, having a pet can be trouble for Asthmatic people who are sensitive to dust. Air purifiers can be helpful in these conditions.
Disadvantages Of Having An Air Purifier
Despite having more beneficial sides, air purifiers have some drawbacks too. Let’s talk about this now.
- Ozone emissions: Air purifiers can emit ozone gas. This ozone gas is responsible for increasing the temperature of the earth. This is also dangerous for you and your pet. Air purifiers may be helpful, but ozone emitting may threaten you. For ozone gas, you may face health threats like shortness of breath, chest congestion, coughing, and other respiratory diseases.
- A multiplicity of Molds and Bacteria: As mentioned earlier, HEPA purifiers have fiber filters. If you don’t clean the filter, it can be home to mold and bacteria. They can make colonies there and can turn your home air even worse.
- UV Rays: Though UV ray helps to remove pollutants from your air, it tends to react with water and oxygen and eventually rise ozone and hydroxyl. These ozone and hydroxyl are even more reactive and can quickly react with other pollutants to worsen the air condition.
Air purifiers are one of the essential devices in our daily life. In this era of industrialization, various elementary components of our existence on earth are getting polluted.
Our Recommendation
If you have an air purifier, then you should do the following tasks for your health concerns,
- Clean or change the filter of the purifier timely
- For better purification, leave the air purifier turned on 24/7.
- Please choose the purifier’s size according to your room’s size and place it perfectly so that air can easily enter the filter.
- Keep windows and doors closed in the room where the air purifier is.
More info: Can an Air Purifier Help With COPD?
Final Verdict
Though HEPA and Molekule’s Peco are good and efficient air purifiers, PECO steps ahead of HEPA for its photochemical reaction with nano-coated filters. Besides, it can destroy pollutants and toxic organic compounds of size less than 0.3 microns (μm). But HEPA can work faster than PECO.
In this era of industrialization, the air is being polluted daily. So air purifier is our only choice to have clean and fresh air. As we can see, air purifiers have more beneficial sides. You should get them to turn your home air clean and healthy. Besides, it reduces the risk of infection and various diseases.
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