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5 Reasons You Need a Gas Phase Filtration System

Breathing is pretty important to our survival as human beings, but have you ever thought about what exactly you’re breathing every time you inhale? We are surrounded by traffic, industrial plants, furniture and so many other sources of contaminants that are polluting the air. So, how do we know what’s in the air? Or how it can impact our health? We’re covering five common contaminants and how you can protect against them. Check them out below!

1. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2). We power our cars with gasoline and utilize copper for almost every one of our electronic devices, so, both are a pretty important part of our lives! Not to mention the industrial processes that make our paper and clean that lovely toilet water we flush down every day. But the processes to create usable forms of these substances and clean the water can let off a nasty gas: sulfur dioxide. This highly toxic gas can be released in the air by volcanic eruptions, but more commonly, it’s released when we burn oil or coal, during copper smelting or in other industrial processes. While SO2 has become infamous for its pungent odor, it also has some nasty effects on human health. These include:

    • Wreaking havoc on our respiratory system (if it’s inhaled)
    • Trouble breathing and nose and throat irritation
    • Tightness around the chest and excessive coughing

    Yikes! While we can wear masks to help protect ourselves, that’s really only a temporary fix. A better solution? Install a gas phase filtration system to remove SO2 from the air, so you and your team can quite literally breathe a little easier.

    Traffic Gases

    2. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2). Overpowering and extremely poisonous, NO2 isn’t something we want to mess around with. It is, however, almost everywhere. NO2 is a reddish-brown toxic gas that is typically released from combustion engines. Yep, your car is releasing nitrogen dioxide every day when you’re sitting in traffic with thousands of other cars that are also emitting NO2. The worst part? You don’t even have to be in traffic; NO2 gases can find their way into your office, restaurants, even the places you shop. Indoor sources include cigarette smoke or fuel-powered heaters. It’s also used in industrial applications as an oxidizer. NO2 can cause:

      • Lung damage and diseases
      • Skin irritation, burns and respiratory problems

      It also creates ozone (O3) which can create more health problems such as eye irritation, asthma and other respiratory issues. Avoid these kinds of health problems and protect your workers by removing NO2 from their work environment with a gas phase filtration system.

      NO2 Exhaust

      3. Ozone (O3). Remember the nitrogen we were just talking about? That same nitrogen is responsible for creating ozone! When mixed with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and in the presence of heat, it creates this colorless gas. O3 is typically used in industrial and chemical processes such as water treatment (odor and taste control). It can act as a water or air disinfectant, oxidant or even a bleaching agent.

      This very odorous (think chlorine), highly toxic gas can be devastating. It can:

        • Lead to acute to chronic lung damage
        • Cause respiratory problems, burns and asthma
        • Cause skin and eye irritation and cardiopulmonary problems

        The best way to defend against ozone is to remove it from the air. Not only will this protect those who work around O3, it will vastly improve indoor air quality. Purafil’s PuraGRID and Purafilter are great places to start.

        O3

        4. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). With “volatile” in the name, it’s a safe bet that you want to steer clear of volatile organic compounds. So, what exactly are they? VOCs are chemicals—either naturally occurring or man-made—that are emitted as gases. They can come from cars, refineries, paints, air fresheners, aerosol sprays, furniture, wastewater treatment plants and more. VOCs are nearly everywhere, which is why it’s so important to filter them out of the air before they can impact our health.

        These common gases can cause:

          • Headaches and nausea
          • Eye, nose and throat irritation
          • Liver and kidney damage
          • Allergic reactions in babies and children
          • Vomiting, dizziness, lung damage and a whole host of other problems

          These contaminants tend to be more common indoors, which makes it even more important to get rid of them. Our commercial grade media is an effective way to filter out VOCs, which allows you to provide a safer, healthier and more productive environment for your team.

          VOCs

          5. Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S). Best known for its incredibly pungent rotten eggs smell, H2S is a poisonous, colorless gas that our bodies actually create! Can’t be that bad if we create it, right? Wrong.

          With some of the harshest effects on human health on the list, H2S is no joke. This flammable gas is produced when organic matter is broken down without oxygen, like in sewers or, in the human body, when we digest food. It can occur naturally, too, in volcanic and natural gases, hot springs and in crude petroleum. However, H2S is also very common in industrial and chemical applications, including paper mills, refineries, mining, manufacturing processes and, of course, sewage treatment plants.

          Many of our customers in the pulp and paper mills, refineries and mining industries eliminate the risks of H2S exposure by utilizing personal protective equipment (PPE) and our filtration systems that remove this toxic gas from the air. Curious about the risks they’re avoiding?

            • Burning and inflamed eyes, headaches and fatigue
            • Excessive coughing and shortness of breath
            • Insomnia, weight loss, nausea and vomiting
            • Weight loss, severe respiratory irritation and trouble breathing
            • Unconsciousness, coma and death

            Hydrogen Sulfide

            These gases might seem terrifying, especially considering the potential health effects they could have on us, but there is a solution. We can simply remove them from our environment. It really is that simple. Purafil’s filters and media are engineered to eradicate harmful gases from the air, which allows you to breathe a little easier. We’re dedicated to making the world safer, healthier and more productive by removing these damaging gases from your environment.