IISC-Bangalore develops 'green' tech to rid air filters of germs
The Hindu
The antimicrobial air filters were found to be 99.24% effective against SARS-CoV-2 (delta variant).
A newly developed air filtering technique that uses ingredients commonly found in green tea can deactivate germs that find refuge inside air filters, the Ministry of Science and Technology said in an official statement.
A research team led by Prof Suryasarathi Bose and Prof Kaushik Chatterjee at Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, has developed a germ-destroying air filter that can inactivate germs using ingredients like polyphenols and polycationic polymers commonly found in green tea.
The 'green' ingredients rupture the microbes through site-specific binding, the statement said.
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With a prolonged use, air filters become a breeding ground for captured germs. The growth of these germs clog the pores of the filter, reducing their life.
Re-suspension of these germs can infect people in the vicinity, the statement said.
The novel antimicrobial air filters were tested at an NABL accredited laboratory and were found to be 99.24% effective against SARS-CoV-2 (delta variant).