Community Chapel Church of the Nazarene
COVID Created Need for Indoor Air Mitigation
INDUSTRY
Religious Institution
LOCATION
Nashua, NH
PRODUCT
(6) HALO HEPA Air Purification Systems
PROCESS
Air purifcation through ceiling mounted Erlab HALO HEPA filtration to Remove:
Indoor Air Pollution
Flue/Viruses
Particulate Matter
Mold
Bacteria
“ERLAB EQUIPMENT PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN SAFETY AND INDOOR AIR PURIFICATION
APPLICATION AREA:
Religous Institution’s Need for Quality Indoor Air
Community Chapel has existed for the last seven+ decades as a church seeking to bring God’s hope and grace to the city of Nashua and surrounding regions. They continue to seek to fulfill that mission in these challenging days we live in. In 2020, due to the COVID pandemic and out of an abundance of caution for the health of their community they were obliged to close the doors on their Youth Center. This much revered gathering place is in the basement of the church where there are no fresh air sources available. In order to make the center safe for all, they needed a solution that fit their specific needs.
THE CHALLENGE
As the area where the students meet for entertainment, leisure time and meetings has no fresh air circulation the space remained vacant for 18 months. The church Pastor and congregation felt the loss of this space was unacceptable. They believed it was essential to find a solution that would allow their youth to gather in a safe environment in order for the church to fulfill their mission to provide opportunities for growth of both a spiritual and social nature.
THE SCOPE
Pre- and post-installation testing was done at the Community Chapel Church of the Nazarene, in Nashua, NH to obtain quantifiable results of the true reduction of the overall particle load. The results on page 3 were collected by taking three different sets of particle readings. On November 4th particles readings were taken pre-installation followed by post-installation testing on November 8th and December 2nd. All samples were collected in the youth center which is 75,000 cu’ with another static 55,000 cu’ separated by a hallway and a half wall, which increases the total volume of air to 130,000 cu’. Within the active youth center (75,000 cu’) there are eight Halo’s installed providing 1 total Air Change Rate per Hour (ACH) in an area that does not receive any current fresh air exchanges. All air change rates are achieved ONLY with the HALO’s.
The testing was done with a Particles Plus 8301-AQM air quality monitor https://particlesplus. com/8301-8302-air-quality-monitor/ calibrated to test for particles in the range of 0.5 – 10 microns which represent the most harmful particles for the human body to breathe in. These particles could either be viable (contains more than one living microorganism) or non-viable (does not contain a living organism but can be transporters for viable particles).
The higher the concentration loads of these present particles contribute to many short and long-term health effects including the risk of airborne infections. An example of a viable particle would be mold, bacteria, and aerosolized viruses.
It is also known that higher infection and mortality rates are linked to the cumulative exposure to pollution and specifically PM2.5 (microns 2.5 and smaller). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7308784/.The chart results below show the effectiveness of the HALO units, delivering an average concentration reduction of particles in the range of 0.5 micron – 10 microns in size by 75% with the highest recorded reduction coming from 2.5 micron – 10 microns mitigating the risk of carrier respiratory droplets.
THE SOLUTION
The idea to review the HALO air purification system by Erlab, as a credible solution, came from a parishioner who was familiar with the capabilities and scientifically tested, proven effectiveness of installed units elsewhere. The suggestion led the Church Board, Pastoral Staff, and Youth Leadership to investigate and research HALO’s success in filtering contaminated air and viruses from the breathing zone, providing clean fresh air, without the need for any renovations or HVAC additions. Upon finding all claims to be true and accurate, they concluded that it made total sense to install the units in the Youth Center. Upon installation in the Youth Center the Pastor noted that the system installed fast and was easy to run.
When asked what benefits the congregation hoped to derive from installing the HALO air purification system in their youth center, the pastor replied: “We believe the HALO system will allow us to gather in this space safely and effectively permit us to minister to the needs of the teenagers in our care both from within and from outside our congregation. In light of the new mandate of socially distancing, imposed by the COVID pandemic, we feel we have found a safer way to provide the socialization component of the spiritual life of our youth, that along with CDC recommendations will allow them to breathe, clean, fresh air while under our roof.”
HALO AIR FILTRATION SYSTEMS
Control airborne hazards for a happy, healthy community with HALO above
Airborne risks pose a unique challenge for administrators, staff, and residents. Air quality control enables you to mitigate the dangers of viral transmission and exposure to harmful particles.
- Reduce the risk of viral airborne transmission
- Mitigate exposure to mold, fungi, and bacteria
- Increase residents’ quality of life with healthier air
- Provide a cleaner environment equivalent to an ISO 8 cleanroom
- Create an environment of comfort for staff knowing the air they breathe is being treated
THE RESULT
The Halo will mitigate the risk of airborne spread, while also improving IAQ (Indoor Air Quality. This is a long-term solution; the HALO is a permanent infrastructure improvement without the infrastructure cost or complexities. A true and tested solution for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s well being.
In the words of Pastor DeFranca: “Erlab has been nothing short of exceptional at delivering on their promises… Erlab’s air filtration expert, Jesse Coiro, was the lead on our project. His representation on behalf of Erlab was very professional, his compassionate concern for our students safety was exceptional. I would highly recommend this system for any similar, enclosed environment.”
ABOUT ERLAB
We provide safety, we protect your health
Erlab invented the ductless fume hood in 1968. With more than 50 years of experience in the field of chemical filtration and protection of laboratory personnel; we know the formula for safety. With Erlab, you will never have to wonder or worry if our products are safe. We build each one of the following 7 ingredients into our products, and without all of them, your health and safety will be compromised.
ERLAB R&D LABORATORY
The engineers and chemists in our state-of-the-art R&D laboratory understand molecular filtration. We are committed to designing products that are safe and of the highest quality, strive to improve our products, and continuously develop new products that provide greater protection in the laboratory.
STRICT SAFETY STANDARDS
We hold ourselves to the highest standard and adhere to the strict AFNOR NF X 15-211: 2009 filtration safety standard as endorsed by ANSI Z9.5-2012.
A PUBLISHED CHEMICAL LISTING
It all begins here. Without this listing, we are not compliant with AFNOR NFX 15-211. Our in-house laboratory tests, as well as independent testing, to verify the retention capacity of over 700 chemicals for our filters.
INDEPENDENT TESTING
Erlab filters have been independently tested multiple times at various concentrations guaranteeing that our safety solutions all adhere to the strict performance criteria of theAFNOR NF X 15-211:2009 standard assuring that the emission concentration at the filter exhaust will always be lower than 1% of the TLV.
APPLICATION QUESTIONNAIRE (VALIQUEST)
Our laboratory specialists will recommend the appropriate filtration fume hood, type of filter, and personalized advice.
CERTIFICATE OF VALIDATION FOR THE CHEMICALS USED IN THE HOOD
A certified PhD chemist issues a Certificate of Validation with a list of the chemicals approved for use in the hood.
Our Safety Program
We back up our products 100%. This program includes your specialized chemical evaluation, validation of your hood upon installation, and a filtration safety specialist at your service to ensure that your hood is operating to its full potential.
