Something in the air kills flu virus
(Credit:
CDC)
A British company continues to offer a portable decontamination device that should come as breath of fresh air to a flu-weary public.
In fact the unit duplicates the ability of "outdoor fresh air" to destroy a wide range of airborne viruses and bacteria including the H5N1, influenza, and SARS, all within minutes of contact, according to Tri--Air Developments. "It's almost so good that nobody is going to believe it," admits Martin Wyatt, of the Buildings Research Establishment, a quasi-government agency that has been involved with the development.
The London based company claims it has already produced a prototype compact enough to fit in the ventilation systems of trains and aircraft (10 inches by 5 inches), and expects to follow up with a personal belt, clip-on unit, according to Tri-Air technical director Alan Mole.
The biotechnology device generates a continuous flow of hydroxyl radicals, same as those found in natural abundance in the great outdoors, (especially in forested mountain areas.) These hydroxyl radicals, when combined with a couple of other decontamination technologies--i.e. non-thermal plasma and ultraviolet catalysis-- make quick work of flu and cold viruses, boasting a 99.9999 percent kill rate or "100 percent more effective" than anything else currently on the market, according to the company.
"Our way of life is continually threatened by viruses and bacteria," according to a company press release. "When someone sneezes the particles of mucus ejected are full of viruses: the hydroxyl radicals from the unit condense onto these particles and rapidly destroy the viruses even in close human proximity."
The technology can also be deployed as standalone units or incorporated within large ventilation systems of commercial and public buildings. And, it's safe to use to operate "whilst people are present," according to the company.
Mark Rutherford is a West Coast-based freelance writer. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and is not an employee of CNET. Email him at markr@milapp.com. Disclosure. 
Not saying this is bad necessarily, but we should be careful.
If it can survive hydroxyl radical contact,
non-thermal plasma exposure, and
ultraviolet catalysis
what's left isn't likely to find the human body as the most optimum environment to reproduce in.
As for survival of the human species, don't count on our being around for very long.
Some single-celled bacteria species may have existed unchanged for as much as a billion years. Sponge, coral and jellyfish species may have stayed the same for as much as 800 million years, but impossible to tell for sure if they are the same species as fossils. Horseshoe crabs have existed as the same species for 400 million years (let's hear it for the crabs!) The coelocanth or some sharks may be the longest existing species of fish; but even that is in doubt due to differences in the living fish to fossils.
As far as mammals are concerned, most species only exist unchanged for a few million years at most. The average humanoid species only lasts about 600,000 years, the median is 500,000 years, the most disturbing is the mode, or most frequently occurring species survival number, which is 200,000 years. It is quite possible that **** sapiens is soon to become extinct, as we've been around for 200,000 years at most. However, if 100,000 out of Africa is how long we've been around, it's possible we are still in the middle of our existance as a species.
Only time will tell.
I can tell you that i laughed till i cried.
But then i read on to see that it generated hydroxyl.
The plasmas are much better at producing ozone. Most ozone generators on the market advertise the "outdoor fresh air", including this device. Most people in the scientific and medical community know that intentionally producing ozone in the air around you, is really stupid. The only people who say it is good are the people selling products that make ozone.
Take a look at this website and you can see the EPA's position on ozone: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html
Several recent studies in major cities around the world have demonstrated an increase in the death rate, when the ozone from pollution increases, slightly. This also holds for ozone concentrations far below the EPA limits for outdoor. Because of this the ozone regulations are being reviewed.
- by royofchicago May 14, 2009 6:04 AM PDT
- Here is the EPA's comments on the use of ozone to kill microbes. If they have data that shows that their device can kill flu viruses, they must have put it in a small chamber with some viruses, so that the ozone concentration could be very high.
- Reply to this comment
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(10 Comments)"If used at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone applied to indoor air does not effectively remove viruses, bacteria, mold, or other biological pollutants.
Some data suggest that low levels of ozone may reduce airborne concentrations and inhibit the growth of some biological organisms while ozone is present, but ozone concentrations would have to be 5 - 10 times higher than public health standards allow before the ozone could decontaminate the air sufficiently to prevent survival and regeneration of the organisms once the ozone is removed (Dyas, et al.,1983; Foarde et al., 1997).
Even at high concentrations, ozone may have no effect on biological contaminants embedded in porous material such as duct lining or ceiling tiles (Foarde et al, 1997). In other words, ozone produced by ozone generators may inhibit the growth of some biological agents while it is present, but it is unlikely to fully decontaminate the air unless concentrations are high enough to be a health concern if people are present. Even with high levels of ozone, contaminants embedded in porous material may not be affected at all. "