|
 |
  |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
- Environment -
9/27/04 re: HEPA filter system function I am a BioMedical Equipment Technician for the United States Navy, currently deployed to a field hospital in Camp Arifjan Kuwait. Our Operating Room has a HEPA filtration system on it. The Units blower is rated at 2000 CFM and filter is rated at 1150 CFM / .1-.3 micron. My question is will this affect the filtration quality? Will the blower being rated higher than the filter cause it to lose effectiveness or will it just limit the amount of air being blown into the room? To help respond to your question, I obtained input from Dr. Robert Wood of Johns Hopkins Univ., an expert in environmental control measures who has published studies about the use of HEPA filter systems in this regard. His response is enclosed below. My impression from his comments is that your system will not dysfunction with the combination of blower and filter you described. However, in your system the efficiency will be at the level of the filter employed.
Dr. Wood's response:
The filter will function at the capacity of the filter. This really does not compromise the overall function so there is not a problem with the different capacities.
9/24/04 re: Effects of UV-light on dust mites I am the nurse specialist/clinical coordinator for a large community-based health initiative in Central Harlem. Recently a company offered to donate some of their services to families enrolled in our program. This company uses ultraviolet treatment to kill dust mites in mattresses and bedding. I am not familiar with this treatment, and I was unable to find any articles about this method. To your knowledge, is there any scientific data to support this method of killing dust mites? I was not personally aware of any data concerning UV light effects on dust mites. Therefore, I consulted Dr. Peyton Eggleston, an expert in the environmental control of dust mites and other indoor allergens. I had to await his response which is now enclosed below.
Dr. Eggleston's response:
Ultraviolet light is known to damage or kill living organisms, so, theoretically artificial light could kill house dust mites and reduce the allergens that they produce. High intensity UV light modifies proteins as well, so it is possible that UV light might render an allergen contaminated sheet non-allergenic. Having said that, I am not aware that anyone has actually demonstrated that UV light changes allergens-no matter how intense the UV light. An Australian investigator demonstrated that airing blankets in the sunlight killed house dust mites, but he also measured temperature and humidity in the blankets. Mites are killed by high temperatures and low humidity, and he demonstrated that the temperature and humidity in the blankets could have explained the mite death that he observed. So the bottom line is that it is possible for UV light to decrease house dust mite allergen, but there is no proof that it actually does.
4/2/02 re: Why asthma recurs in India I am an anasthesiologist from Saudi Arabia. My home country is India. I am an asthmatic since 30 years. I have been in Saudi Arabia for 9 years. I am working in Holy Makkah. The most interesting thing is since I arrived in Makkah, I don’t have an attack of asthma. But when I reach India-TRIVNDRUM, I get severe attack of asthma. Why is it so? How I can manage this? What is the latest management?
I can think of a number of possible reasons why your asthma may be consistently worse in India than in Saudi-Arabia. These include the higher humidity in India, with both direct effects on asthmatic airways and fostering growth of certain aeroallergens such as molds and dust mites. Also, the likely higher population density in India may predispose to increased transmission of respiratory viral infections. Air pollution may also be considerably higher in crowded large cities in India. However, it would require investigation by a suitably trained allergist to sort out responsible factors. I suggest that you obtain such a consultation. A trained allergist can also advise you concerning current principles of asthma management.
