PARTICLES AND RELATIVE MICRON SIZE
Particles are generated or become airborne with everyday human, commercial and industrial activity. In the post-pandemic environment, this has become a significant issue to protect individuals and keep everyone safe when at home, work or in the greater community.
Airborne particles are generally measured in microns (millionths of a meter) and vary in size depending on the source. A strand of human hair, which is considered between 50 and 150 microns, is a good reference point when considering the relative size of large and small airborne particles.
Why be concerned about the size of the above particles?
| Common Particles | Size |
|---|---|
| Human Hair | 50-150 microns |
| Household dust and lint | 0.01-100 microns |
| Pollen | 10-110 microns |
| Mould | 1-50 microns |
| Pet dander | 0.1-10 microns |
| Tobacco Smoke or Soot | 0.01-1 micron |
| Viruses and Bacteria | 0.001-10 microns |
FILTER RATING
A filter’s efficiency rating describes the relationship between particles retained or trapped by the filter to the number of particles entering the filter.
For example if you are looking at the table below, it shows the rating and the efficiencies of each filter. If you look at H13 (Merv 17), it shows the filter is a 99.95% efficient filter. This indicates that 99.95% of particles entering the filter are removed from the air by the filter.
FILTER EFFICIENCY TABLE
Download the filter efficiency guide HERE