The typical air filtration system relies on an activated carbon air filter. This type of equipment, like most air filtration designs, passes air from the facility through the filter. Inside, the carbon in the filter absorbs pollutants from the air as it moves through the filter. Just as a screen traps debris in any water flowing through it, the activated carbon air filter traps pollutants in a process known as absorption. This merely holds the contaminant in the filter. When it is time to replace this carbon filter system, it can actually be quite hazardous and may even require special disposal procedures. Also, many of these industrial air filters can become breeding grounds for molds, fungi and even bacteria. Despite the many drawbacks, for many years filters employing carbon were the standard in air cleaning.

Purafil media is a vast improvement over the outdated carbon filter system designs. Instead of using carbon, the air filtration media employed uses a process known as chemisorption. As gaseous pollutants pass through, the media bonds with the contaminants and converts them into harmless compounds. Purafil has devised a wide range of media, each of which reacts to a specific pollutant. A facility's needs are examined and a custom mix of media granules is mixed to specifically address the hazards present. This unique approach means that not only will the filter used be specifically designed for the pollutants present, but also is non-hazardous before and after use. In fact, most used Purafil media can be placed in normal landfills. Purafil's filters are also resistant to bacterial and fungal growth. The filter using Purafil media is clearly a better choice.