The Safety of Air Filters Are Not Regulated or Tested for Harmful Chemicals

The air filters in our homes and offices are manufactured without any regulation or consideration to off gassing or consumer safety other than its flammability. Flammability tests are important. They let us know a product will not contribute to a fire. But in reality almost any filter will pass the flammability test. Anything without a chemical like gasoline will pass that test.

What I am concerned about is everything else. Over the years I have worked for some of the largest filter factories in the world. In no case did I ever see any consideration to the components of the filter, or their chemical properties and the safety to the buildings occupants. The only consideration when developing new products or sourcing new components was price, and will it make the filter catch fire. This attitude has made me question many other products on the market today.

I have only been in the filtration industry, so can only state the facts here about filters, but I can only assume this practice is widespread.

Why are filters so important compared to other everyday products? I consider it right up there with the container for the water you drink. All of the air your breathe is pushed through the filter. If there are any harmful chemicals in the filter, and they are off gassing, then I can only assume you are being exposed at a higher rate than say a toy in the corner that has the same chemicals.

Here are some areas of concern I have noticed over the years. I say concern, because I have not done any scientific studies to evaluate the effects of these products, but their discussion hopefully will lead to some studies.

• Adhesives

Different glues and adhesives are chosen with no consideration to their chemical composition. I can guarantee you that if you ask your filter supplier what is in their glue, they will say will not know other than it’s sticky. These adhesives are chosen for their price, quality of adhesion, and drying time. There are several types of adhesives. Some are epoxy resins, others are hot melt adhesives, and some use cold glues with air dry and are vinyl based. Hot melt glues are extremely popular and are in practically every home ac filter out there today. We still do not know how this hot melt off gases when slightly moistened with the heat of the HVAC system. The Material Safety Data Sheets for the hot melt adhesives say to flush eyes with water and seek medical attention of exposed to vapors for a prolonged period of time. I wonder what small doses do to your home? Anyone?

• Medias

All medias are made from some form of synthetic fiber and most use a resin or adhesive to hold the fibers together. Some medias that I prefer use a low melt process for the fibers to eliminate the need for resins, but almost all have resins. Newer pleated filters that do not have metal on the back of the media for support must use huge amounts of resin to make the media stiff. When I designed some medias for paint spray booths in the past, we evaluated these resins for their melting properties. There are only two chemicals I saw in the resins. PVC or Poly Vinyl Chloride, and EVCL Ethyl Vinyl Chloride. Again, I can't say if these additives are good or bad for your system. But i know that they are not "friendly" chemicals, and with all of the heating and cooling in your air system, they should be evaualted for safety before going to market.

• Filter frame

The filter frame is made from metal, plastic or paper. This is the component I am least concerned about. However, plastics are becoming increasingly popular without regard to testing. In addition, most of the paper is treated with a moisture barrier in the fibers. These chemicals are considered proprietary from the paper mills.

• Antimicrobial Chemicals

Antimicrobial agents are added to filter medias to prevent the growth of mold. Many suppliers even market the product as "an EPA registered product". Well folks, EPA registered does not mean safe. They are registered with the EPA as pesticides! I don't use pesticides around my kids, and certainly would not spray roach killer in my air conditioner and then stay in the house all day. If we want to avoid bateria and mold, why not just change the filter more often? Really folks, pesticides? Who are these guys? If you see an antimicrobial filter, run away. There are some metals that can be used such as silver ions, so technologies are improving.

• Air fresheners

Did you know that many air fresheners have Formaldehyde? If you see an air filter with a built in a air freshener or some type of scent, just walk away. They are not putting your safety first. It's just another marketing gimmick. I am sure you can find something safe like a scented oil to use in your system if you really need one. Hopefully this article will cause some action somewhere for action. A leader in our market is the green building council. Perhaps some council our organization like ASHRAE can develop some type of safety standard for chemical composition and self regulate our industry. Charlie Sanford Quality Filters Now

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