Air systems treatment guidelines

Problems

The treatment of indoor air not only intended

as a regulation of comfort by controlling tempe-

rature and humidity, but more generally as the

maintenance of an environment intended for the

use of people who is healthy and comfortable,

and constitutes a complex and always relevant

topic. We can describe the air treatment based

on its two main functions:

• Comfort regulation: obtained by tempera-

ture and humidity control with the help of ma-

chinery using different technologies, such as

direct expansion air conditioners, heat pumps ;

air handling units (UTA) and so on.

• Maintenance of the health of the air: obtai-

ned with the control and relative elimination of

pathogens, such as mold, bacteria, fungi and

viruses, thanks to the use of products that act

directly on air through air dispersion, but also

through cleaning and disinfection of surfaces of

equipment suitable for air treatment.

The Indoor Commission, in 2001, assessed

that many chronic diseases are related to It can

therefore be said that the treatment of air-con-

ditioning agents, intended as an activity aimed

at the prevention and elimination of pathogens

that can spread via air, is a fundamental ele-

ment of a more complex process, known as sa-

nitization: the Italian legislation gives the defini-

tion of sanitization, in the M.D. no. 274/1997,

in Art. 1:

> “are sanitizing activities that concern the com-

plex of procedures and operations aimed at

making certain environments healthy the acti-

vities of cleaning and/or disinfection and/or of

disinfestation or by controlling and improving

the conditions of the microclimate with regard

to temperature, humidity and ventilation or with

regard to the lighting and the noise”

Air quality is the measure of how harmless and

free from pollutants air is. Relative to closed

spaces, i.e. indoor, even the presence of patho-

gens has particular relevance.

aspects of indoor air quality (IAQ), and that the

economic and social damage attributable to in-

door pollution in Italy is likely to be relevant, as

reported on the website of the Ministry of He-

alth. [Link 1 in bibliography] Consequently, the

importance of proper cleaning and sanitization

of environments is evident, without neglecting

aeraulic systems. These are essential for obtai-

ning an optimal microclimate, but cleaning them

plays an essential role as they could constitute

a source of health risk.

We quote the Ministry in this regard:

>“Air conditioning systems may present dange-

rous sources of bio-logical or chemical pollution

especially if poorly designed, in poor condi-

tion of cleanliness and maintenance. Colonies

of microorganisms can nestle and multiply in

plants where there is presence of water, mostly

stagnant, such as: humidifiers and air conditio-

ners, vaporizers, heaters, self-frosting refrige-

rators, water systems. “ [Link 2 in bibliography]

Health risks can be classified into three types:

toxic, infectious or allergic risk, men-three pa-

thogens are divided into:

1) microorganisms (fungi, bacteria, viruses, pa-

rasites, protozoa)

2) indoor allergens (dust mites, plant and ani-

mal derived allergens)

3) mold

Areaulic pipelines

Over time the ducts can easily become prey to

microorganisms such as bacteria, mold and fun-

gi which, thanks to the flow of air, significantly

increase the potential contagion among people

present in the same environment.

Indoor pollution - the risks

Pollution by fine dust, dust, pollen, fibres and spo-

res can make life really difficult for those suffering

from allergy (damage to eye mucous membra-

nes, skin, respiratory system), also accelerating

the deterioration of the equipment present inside

the rooms. Bacteria, viruses and fungus, poten-

tially pathogenic, are the cause of contamination

of diseases.

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