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Finnish clean air experts, 6GCool, has recently revealed its innovative portable air purifier that leverages the latest air purification technology to enable users to clean the air in their immediate surroundings, protecting their health. The company, which launched on Kickstarter, aims to tackle the growing problem of air pollution with its 6GCool Mobile Air Purifier that protects people from the negative health implications of the allergens, bacteria, dust, smoke, and viruses present in the air. The personal clean air device is one of many emerging defenses against the spread of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic as it functions as a portable air filtration system for COVID-19.
Increasing Concerns Over Air Pollution’s Impact on Health
Air pollution has long been associated with negative health implications. Unfortunately, there are many sources of air pollution in our modern world that contribute to these health risks, including anthropogenic sources such as emissions from factories, aerosols, cars, and planes, as well as from natural sources such as smoke from wildfires and volcano ash.
There are several sources of pollution in indoor air, such as using some kinds of construction materials, insulation materials, and ventilation systems that spread toxic mold. Radon gas can also build up in homes and buildings, and some heating systems, such as those that involve the burning of materials, can also contribute to indoor air pollution.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the urgent need to reduce air pollution worldwide to protect human health. It is predicted that around 4.2 million deaths annually can be attributed to exposure to air pollution. Many of those who die from cancer, stroke, heart disease, and chronic lung disease are considered to have, at least in part, died due to air pollution. Recent estimates suggest that a huge 91% of us live in areas where air pollution levels exceed WHO guidelines.
While the most impactful action to tackle air pollution would be to reduce the levels of pollutants entering the air, which governments and agencies worldwide are currently working on, this strategy will take many years to reduce air pollution to safe levels.
Personal Clean Air Devices
Clean air company 6GCool has developed a personal clean air device to filter the air around the face, preventing the inhalation of dangerous pollutants in the immediate environment. It is hoped that this innovative system of portable air filtration will help to protect people from the severe health implications of chronic exposure to air pollutants.
The company saw the pressing need for a portable air filter system and decided to lean on the technology already developed for leading large air purifiers and scale it down to make it portable. The filter they created is the size of a mobile phone and uses industry-standard HEPA filtration alongside cutting-edge PECO technology and patented 6G filtration technology. The result is a portable air filtration system that allows people to clean the air wherever they are, ensuring they are protected from breathing in harmful pollutants.
6GCool has developed a product that will likely have a significant impact on human health. The device puts the power in the individual's hands to shield themselves from the effects of breathing in pollutants. The innovation cleans the air zone around the person’s face rather than relying on using vast amounts of energy to clean the air of large ambient spaces.
Independent tests across numerous laboratories have proven the efficacy of the device at cleaning more than 99% of common air pollutants at a rate of over 100 times that at which a person usually breathes in a minute, giving confidence in the product which is now being tested in labs across Europe and Asia. The device will be tested against the most rigorous protocols.
Portable Air Filtration System for COVID-19
6GCool’s Mobile Air Purifier has the potential to assist in the fight against COVID-19. Studies have shown a relationship between long-term exposure to air pollution and fatalities from COVID-19 infection. The data suggests that those exposed to higher air pollution levels may be at a greater risk of dying from COVID-19. Therefore, devices such as 6GCool’s portable air filtration system will likely be highly relevant and important in the months and even years that follow as we aim to protect those most at risk from suffering the severe health implications of the COVID-19 virus.
Being able to clean the air directly around the face may prove to be fundamental in reducing mortalities from COVID-19 as well as protecting people from the other health concerns related to breathing in polluted air.
Family-owned company 6GCool is currently looking for crowdfunding and international distributors and resellers to make their device accessible worldwide.
References and Further Reading
Air Pollution. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/air-pollution/
Air Pollution: Everything You Need to Know. NRDC. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/air-pollution-everything-you-need-know
Ambient Air Pollution. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/teams/environment-climate-change-and-health/air-quality-and-health/ambient-air-pollution
Kim, H., Shim, J., Park, B. and Lee, Y., 2018. Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollutants and Cancer Mortality: A Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(11), p.2608. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6266691/
Lee, B., Kim, B. and Lee, K., 2014. Air Pollution Exposure and Cardiovascular Disease. Toxicological Research, 30(2), pp.71-75. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4112067/
Revolutionary Mobile Air Purifier Against Global Pandemics, Wildfires and Pollution. PRNewswire. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/revolutionary-mobile-air-purifier-against-global-pandemics-wildfires-and-pollution-301156752.html#:~:text=The%206GCool%20Mobile%20Air%20Purifier,%2C%20bacteria%2C%20dust%20and%20allergens
Turner, M., Andersen, Z., Baccarelli, A., Diver, W., Gapstur, S., Pope, C., Prada, D., Samet, J., Thurston, G. and Cohen, A., 2020. Outdoor air pollution and cancer: An overview of the current evidence and public health recommendations. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians,. https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3322/caac.21632
World’s smallest, most powerful mobile air purifier. 6GCool. https://6gcool.com
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