RESULTS OF FORMALDEHYDE TESTING DONE IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND

ON THE ELECTROMEDIA AIR CLEANER

 

16 West Kirklands Place

Dairy

 

 

12th May, 1996

 

Clean Air (Formaldehyde) Ltd

86 Dumbreck Road

GLASGOW

G41 4SN

 

For the attention of Tom Marshall

 

Dear Sirs

 

On Thursday evening of 9th May, 1996 I attended a test trial of a Type 100C electric air cleaning unit that was mounted on the ceiling of a room of the following dimensions:

 

            Length:             7.92 metres

            Breadth                        5.49 metres

            Height                          3.28 metres

            Volume                        142.62 cubic metres

 

The first test was to provide an atmosphere that was laden with formaldehyde to remove all sources of formaldehyde, and to allow the formaldehyde to disappear without assistance.  About 30 saucers filled with formaldehyde were placed throughout the room and the air was circulated by using two circulation fans.  After 15 minutes the formaldehyde level was 10 ppm and during the next 15 minutes the saucers of formaldehyde were removed from the room with the fans off.  The doors were shut except for entry to the test atmosphere.

 

Time                 Formaldehyde Level                 Comments

 

1745                10 ppm                                    Formaldehyde removed.

1800                6.4 ppm                                   Test started.

1810                3.96 ppm

1820                2.71 ppm

1830                1.75 ppm

1840                1.37 ppm

1850                1.01 ppm

1900                0.76 ppm

 

The speed at which the formaldehyde level dropped was faster than I had anticipated.  However, after an hour there was still an appreciable level of formaldehyde in the room.  One possible explanation for the rapid fall could have been that the formaldehyde had not been dispersed completely throughout the room initially.

 

A second test was carried out using the air cleaner.  The times to load the atmosphere and to remove the formaldehyde were the same as before.

 

Time                 Formaldehyde Level                 Comments

 

1925                11.48 ppm                               Formaldehyde removed.

1940                5.80 ppm                                 Air cleaner activated.

1950                2.20 ppm

2000                1.14 ppm

2010                0.67 ppm

2020                0.44 ppm

2030                0.32 ppm

2040                0.21 ppm

 

It is clear immediately that the formaldehyde level in the atmosphere was lowered much more quickly with the machine in use and that the levels obtained are between 2 and 3 times lower at any time.  The improvement factor increased as the level drops.

 

A test was carried out to simulate a person working over a source of formaldehyde.  This was similar to that carried out on 25th April, 1996.  In this case 236 square centimeters of surface area of exposed formaldehyde were provided to allow for the fact that the machine being tested was more powerful.

 

Time                 Formaldehyde Level                 Comments

 

2045                0.35 ppm                                 Start

2049                1.24 ppm

2053                0.97 ppm

2057                2.27 ppm                                 rogue??

2104                1.04 ppm

2110                1.49 ppm

2115                1.10 ppm

 

Apart from one result the results were comfortably below the allowable limit of 2 ppm.  However they showed a bigger variation than those obtained previously with the 35 F (E) machine.  I believe that both machines should be checked again using some form of clamping to ensure tests are carried out from exactly the same position every time.

 

Yours faithfully

 

I R Fleming