ASTM WK81750
New Test Method for Chemical Assessment of Air Cleaning Technologies
1. Scope
1.1 This test method measures the removal rate of injected challenge chemicals and ultrafine particles by portable air cleaners. This test method also evaluates the extent that portable air cleaners produce a limited set of reaction byproducts; formaldehyde, ozone, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and ultrafine (< 300 nm) particles. 1.2 This method involves placing a single portable air cleaner in a full-scale chamber. The concentrations of chemicals and ultrafine particles are compared in sequential experiments with the air cleaner on and off. Chemical and particle removal and generation are quantified. 1.3 This method does not determine all potential byproducts produced by air cleaning devices. 1.4 This test method is not relevant to the efficacy of biological aerosol inactivation by air cleaning devices nor any biological induced chemistry. This test method is not relevant to the efficacy of radon or radon decay particle removal or induce chemistry. This test method is not directly applicable to in-duct air cleaners. 1.5 The method does not address any health effects levels of any of the additive agents, challenge chemicals or particles, or byproducts. 1.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The non-SI unit of ppbv, ppmv, and CFM are provided for informational purposes. 1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.Keywords
Chemistry; Air Cleaners; portable; inductRationale
With the rise of awareness of the importance of indoor air quality because of the global COVID-19 pandemic and recent forest fires, there is a growing use of a range of air cleaning technologies. A major recommendation of 2022 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report on “Why Indoor Chemistry Matters” is that air cleaning “testing approaches need to be developed that consider both efficacy and byproduct formation in a representative range of real-world environments.” Specifically, the report notes that “standardized consensus test methods could enable potential certification programs for air-cleaning products and services. “ This standard test method places portable air cleaners in a room sized test chamber and tracks the indoor chemistry using a pull-down approach over four hours. This standard is different from existing air cleaning standards in five primary, important ways: 1. Challenge chemicals are tested at realistic indoor levels to better represent indoor chemistry in a real environment. 2. Ozone is injected at realistic indoor levels to ensure a wide range of indoor reaction byproducts are present to challenge the air cleaner. 3. All challenge chemicals are injected together in a large chamber and tracked over four hours allowing time for chemical reactions to occur and be quantified. 4. Both chemical removal and byproduct formation are quantified. 5. Ultrafine particle formation and removal are quantified. While experiments were performed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to support the protocol development and provide precision and bias data, this work is the result of a collaborative international effort of over 20 academic, governmental and industry experts working within ASTM WK81750 over a three-year time frame. This is the second ballot for this work item. The item was balloted in June 2023 and received negatives from six voters. Over the last year the workgroup has worked to reach consensus resolutions to over 200 issues.
Work Item Status
Date Initiated: 05-03-2022
Technical Contact: Dustin Poppendieck
Item: 001
Ballot: D22.05 (23-04)
Status: Will Reballot Item