On October 1st,2016 an Air monitor was installed at Star Spa, a nail salon located at 10 Bond St. Great Neck, New York.
For a period of 5 days the monitor did constant readings of VOCs and Odor gases to create a baseline of data.
Subsequently two AWE Air Purifiers were installed strategically while the air monitor kept creating constant readings of VOCs and Odor gases in order to see the effectiveness of AWE technology.
Terminology
Odor Gases. The main chemicals found on Nail Salons are: Toluene, Formaldehyde, Dibutyl Phthalate, Methacrylate Compounds. All of them are considered Odor Gases harmful to human health.
VOCs Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors.
Health effects of VOC and Odor Gases exposure Health effects include eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; and damage to the liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Key signs or symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs include conjunctival irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headache, allergic skin reaction, dyspnea, declines in serum cholinesterase levels, nausea, vomiting, nose bleeding, fatigue, dizziness.
PPM Parts per Million This is a way of expressing concentrations of substances. Just as per cent means out of a hundred, so parts per million or ppm means out of a million. Usually describes the concentration of something in water or air.
Threshold The magnitude or intensity that must not be exceeded for a certain result. The threshold shown in the following charts are established by WHO, World Health Organization.
Location and installation of AWE Technology
The Star Spa, located at 10 Bond Street, Great Neck, New York has a surface of over 2,400 SF with 35 different stations.
Two AWE Air Purifiers and an Air Monitoring device were placed on the main floor.
Clients and workers reported headaches due the terrible smell coming from the use of chemicals.
Chart #1 shows the level of Odor Gases read by the air monitor during the period of
October 4th, 2016 to December 30th, 2016.
- The average pollution for the first 5 days showed a level of 10 ppm of Odor Gases and peaked at 12 ppm. The threshold concentrations exceeded the State thresholds permitted of an average 9 ppm/8-hour or an average 3ppm/24-hour.
- After installing the AWE devices, the pollution of Odor Gases for the following 45 days never went over 4ppm. The average reduction was 82% during this period.
- The average ppm of odor gases after installing the AWE devices is 1.1 ppm, 1.9 ppm below the thresholds established by the state.
Chart #2 shows the level of VOCs read by the air monitor during the period of
October 4th, 2016 to December 30th, 2016.
- The average pollution of the first 5 days showed a level of 1.5 ppm of VOCs and peaked at 2.23 ppm.
- After installing the AWE Air Purifiers, the pollution of VOCs for the following 45 days never went over 0.2ppm. Except for a peak of 1.30 ppm occurred on Oct 19th, 2016. The average reduction was 92% during this period.
- The average ppm of VOCs after installing the AWE devices was 0.15 ppm. below the thresholds established by the state.
Conclusions
After installing the AWE Air Purifiers, not only the manager, staff and clients of the Star Spa reported a big improvement in the quality of the air but also the air monitor proved a reduction of over 82% in odor Gases and 92% in VOCs in the past 10 months following the installation providing clean healthy air to workers and clients.
