Dubai, UAE: Bipolar ionisation is the right approach for ensuring good Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), said Mehmood Abdul Rehman, Managing Partner of UAE-based Greenfield Trading. Saying that the technology produced positive and negative ions, just like in a thunderstorm, he added that it mimicked nature. The ions, he said, removed impurities in the air, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), CO₂, methane, ethylene, perfumes and odour.

By virtue of being an ion-based technology, Rehman said, the system could be used in the presence of humans, as opposed to ozone generators. Saying that ozone was harmful for humans, he added that he was concerned about the high volumes of the gas in the built-environment. “Electronic equipment produces a lot of ozone,” Rehman said. “It is simply because any switch mode power supply (SMPS) is emitting ozone.”

A controls-based bipolar ionisation system, he said, could control the total IAQ by sensing the quality of the air to detect VOCs, CO₂ and odour. The system, he added, introduced ions in the space and killed micro-organisms right at the place of origin.

The technology, Rehman said, helped balance IAQ and energy efficiency needs. “With the system in place, you don’t have to supply extra pressure in the room,” he said. “Naturally, when you flush out, a lot of air conditioned air is going out. You are using a lot of energy. This system takes care of bad odour, impurities and suspended particles. It takes care of most of the IAQ-related problems, so you have a balance. You have better air quality with lower energy consumption.”

The technology, Rehman said, was ideal for retrofitting jobs, adding that it came in portable and duct-mounted models.

(The writer is the Editor of Climate Control Middle East and the Editorial Director & Associate Publisher of CPI Industry.)