The air we breathe

Awareness campaign will compare purified air with bottled water

Well over 60 per cent of us have concerns about the quality of the air we breathe but have no specific plans to do anything about it, on the basis that it’s not that dangerous anyway and everyone’s in the same boat, according to a research among 1,600 women shoppers in the South East of England.

Nevertheless over 50 per cent of the same women admitted to buying bottled water on the grounds that it was better quality than from the tap, there were no chemicals and it was safer, according to the researchers Space Air Solutions of Guildford in Surrey.

“It seems likely that if we could somehow purchase pre-packaged fresh air in the same way we buy bottled water, sales would probably be comparable,” says Neil Afram, managing director of Space Air. “But because that option is not available, we seem prepared to live with our concerns about polluted air and its dangers.”

Mr Afram carried out the survey in an attempt to spotlight attitudes to the two most important elements in our lives — fresh air and water. Now he plans to launch a campaign to explain how we can all breathe cleaner air with the help of his new Siesta 7 photocatalytic air purification machines.

“We can live for weeks without water but only a matter of minutes without air so it would seem logical to try, at least, to ensure that we have good quality, purified air in our homes,” says Mr Afram. “The Siesta 7, produced by Daikin of Japan, is able to achieve pure air in the home or office at minimal expense but we still have to find a way to get that message over to the public,” he says.

“Most people drink an average 1.5 litres of water a day but we inhale some 22,000 times during the same period, which equates to an average 11,000 litres of air per day. It would seem logical to ensure that the purity of the air we breathe, at least at home or in the workplace, is comparable with our bottled water.”

The Siesta 7 wipes out bacteria and germs in the air, together with other airborne pollutants like dust, smoke, pollen, mites, smells and cigarette smoke - with an incredible 99.99% antibacterial performance and an impressive 85% odour removal efficiency.

It has already been awarded the Allergy UK seal of approval following a series of official tests by the British Allergy Foundation and has been adopted by a number of hospitals, including the Mount Vernon Hospital in Middlesex and the Mount Alvernia Hospital in Guildford, Surrey. The Siesta 7 is CE compliant and is manufactured in ISO 9001 certified factories.

Space Air has persuaded pubs and restaurants, doctors and vets, hairdressers and other public venues to test out the ’fresh air’ qualities of his device. “The results have been incredibly positive,” says Mr Afram. “Owners, staff and customers have all commented on the clean, fresh smell.”

Hay fever sufferers are all testing out the Siesta 7’s anti-pollen qualities with, once again, extremely positive results.

The British Allergy Foundation report on the device said that tests showed it demonstrated efficiency in the removal or significant reduction of mould spores, tobacco smoke particles in the vicinity of the machine and concluded that it was reasonable to assume that airborne pollen would also be removed as pollen particles are larger than bacteria or moulds.

“We are now working on a variety of different ways to demonstrate air purification to the general public, including the concept of a simple ’comparison test’ which has been so successful in highlighting the improved taste of bottled water against tap water,” says Mr Afram.

Questions asked of 400 women shoppers

Supermarket locations. South East England.

  1. Do you buy bottled water?
    • Regularly [38%]
    • Sometimes [15%]
    • Never [47%]
  2. If yes, why? Main reasons provided:
    • Better quality than tap water.
    • No chemicals.
    • Convenient.
    • Tastes better than tap water.
    • Safer.
  3. Do you have concerns about the quality of air you breathe?
    • Yes [64%]
    • No [36%]
  4. If yes, what, if anything, are you doing about it? Main reasons provided:
    • Not sure what can be done.
    • Nothing you can do about it.
    • Everyone’s in the same boat.
    • It’s not that dangerous anyway — probably.
    • Best to live near the sea.

Conclusions