Hello there, i wish to share with you some info i recently discovered about odor removal and air sterilization for your indoor grows… If you have any info that can expand my knowledge, please reply so we can figure this out together… =)
There are couple of types of air scrubbing:
-
activated charcoal - works great for removing odor for smaller grows, but it doesnt kill the mold, only stops it from leaving once it gets grabbed by large surface activated carbon particles have, and neutralizes mycotoxins they produce (so it means whatever is caught in your carbon filter stays in there alive)
-
HEPA filters - works amazingly to mechanically filter out >99% of particles in size of 0.3 μm and more, but it still holds on to fungi and bacteria which it stops, so in medicinal cases it is uses combined with UVC lights to kill off what is in there
-
Ozone generators - they create highly unstable O3 molecules which kill off any live organisms, but as those particles are harmful for bacteria, so is for people and plants especially (it destroys stomata of a plant leaves), and it is proven to cause respiratory problems in humans, and i strongly advise you against using, unless you use carbon filter at the end which will bind ozone to itself and clean it from your air… you can read more about harmfulness of ozone here: Ozone Generators that are Sold as Air Cleaners | US EPA
-
Hydroxyl generators - they produce hydroxyl radicals from O2 and H2O (average humidity in air is enough) via UVC lamp at 254nm which is reacting with TiO2 (titanium dioxide) mesh filter, and they neutralize VOCs, odor particles, and also destroy any living organisms like bacteria or mold, but have a very short “lifespan” of 2 seconds, which makes them somewhat less harmful than ozone created (note that UV lamps need to produce only 254nm light when being shinned on TiO2 mesh, because UVC lamps with 185nm produce harmful ozone, and 254nm UVC is also good at destroying ozone back to oxygen), but its still a must to have a activated carbon filter after the light, or at least air that will travel trough pipes for about 2 seconds before it gets to you… Since their short lifespan, it is recommended to have high throughput of air over the light, “5,000+ CFM will do a much better job than 500 to 600 CFM” as stated here: https://www.randrmagonline.com/articles/86169-what-you-need-to-know-about-hydroxyl-generators
Summary: activated carbon and HEPA filters mechanically stop any bad particles and organisms, but they dont neutralize them, UVC lamps neutralize bad organisms, but can be producing harmful O3 if on wavelength of 184nm, hydroxyl generators neutralize bad organisms and VOCs and odor particles, but are expensive and potentially dangerous…
Im interested in hydroxyl generators, but as they can be expensive to buy, from 500 to 5000 usd, i am searching for materials to make my own, but it seems hard to source needed materials… im looking for UVC lamp with 254nm only (there are options with 185nm and 254nm, and that would be ok since although 185nm in reaction with O2 produces O3, 254nm neutralizes it, but to be on safe side im looking for 254nm only), there are some viable options on ebay and amazon but i want to investigate those some more, so far i could find TiO2 coated mesh only via Alibaba (B2B site), ebay ones seem sketchy (look like normal filters), but when i find something good ill post links here (im waiting for response from alibaba company if they would sell me as a customer, not as a business)… there is also this product: https://www.v1airpurifier.com/uv-germicidal-light-air-purifier/57373807.html but im still to contact them about specs about their product, looks good but china… thats it for now, ill write what i find next as soon as i get anything solid for you guys… have fun and happy growing! <3