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What makes an air purifier most suitable for vets and pets businesses?

There are more pets than people in Australia. The total has risen from 29 million just a few years back, according to the RSPCA, to the point where today the country has one of the highest pet ownership rates in the world.

Dogs are the most common (40-50 per cent and rising, depending on whose figures you listen to), followed by cats (27% and rising too) with fish, birds, small mammals, reptiles and other pets filling out the minor placings.

According to surveys by Animal Medicines Australia, nearly 70 percent of all Aussie households own a pet, with ever more people getting a pooch or moggy during these Covid times, maybe for company for isolated older people, for younger people working from home, or families who have rediscovered the fun of a pet while housebound to avoid Covid risks.

And it will come as no surprise to the veterinary and pet industry that this rising and seemingly irresistible trend towards greater pet ownership has placed enormous pressure on business owners and staff. Veterinarians, in particular, were already in short supply before the pandemic began. Plus, because of the highly infectious nature of Covid – most recently the Omicron variant – veterinary and pet care professionals are experiencing critical staff shortages across their teams. This increased pressure on more work on fewer people affects both physical and mental health, which does have legal ramifications in terms of workplace safety.

An optimum air purifier may combine safe and effective earth mineral technology, HEPA filtration, and, importantly ultraviolet germicidal irradiation through UVC bulbs.

One way veterinary and pet service providers can protect people against airborne virus and allergens in their facility – and provide a more attractive, cleaner smelling and healthier workplace and visitor facilities – is by the use of medical-grade air cleaners.

These are the types of purifiers that that dentists and other medical professionals often use to protect not only themselves, and their valuable staff, but also their patients and visitors to their facilities of all ages (including children and people over 70, who are up to six times more likely to catch virus’ such as Covid, for example).

So you need to know what you are buying, before you lay out the cash, because all air cleaners are not equal in their effectiveness against airborne viruses – and certainly not equal when they encounter the unique allergens, odours and ailments in vet and pet facilities. Cheap is not cheap when it is useless in your specialised environments.

But there are some guidelines that can help you decide if the system you are considering is right for a professional business dealing with many animals, and many different types of animals – or whether a bargain-priced air purifier is cheaper because it is better suited to domestic use in small areas.

Units such as EnviroKlenz^® Air System Plus, left, are used in medical facilities, workplaces, and hospitality applications. They incorporate pre-stages (right) of mineral earth technologies so effective they are used by the US military to destroy chemical warfare agents.

A combination of protections

There is no one single factor that makes one air purifier better than another. Many of them have perfectly good HEPA filters, for example, but little else. Rather, it is a combination of stages of protection that provide the optimum outcome.

1. The most important thing to ensure is that the purification unit being considered contains both a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Absorbing) filter and a UVC light irradiation As vets and care professionals understand, UVC is a radiation method that makes use of a specific wavelength of ultraviolet light to neutralise micro-organisms. UVC light is germicidal, which means it deactivates the DNA of micro-organisms like bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, disrupting their ability to multiply and cause disease. Combining a HEPA filter and UVC light means 99.9% of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), pathogens, odours, and other airborne contaminants, including pet dander, odour and hair are removed.
2. Does the filter contain a replaceable mineral earth pre-stage to capture and destroy a wide range of harmful airborne pollutants for good? Our approach, for example, is to use the EnviroKlenz^® patented earth mineral technology which has been third-party tested and validated to capture and destroy airborne toxic and noxious gases, particulates, allergens, bacteria, viruses, and other allergy triggers. It is effective against smoke too, and pollen allergens, which are an all-too-common occurrence in rural or suburban bushland environment. In fact, the technology is so potent that the U.S. military uses it to destroy chemical warfare agents and it is employed to neutralise toxic industrial chemicals.
3. Is the filter type effective on dander? Potential users need to ask if its effective on those tiny flakes of skin in an animal's fur, hair, or feathers which can carry other allergens like dust mites, mould, and pollen. Pet dander contains these skin flakes and traces of urine and saliva, which can all trigger allergic reactions. Most pet dander is of the size 5-8 microns. To filter this out, the air purifier must be capable of removing particles smaller than 5 microns at least. You should therefore be looking for air purifiers that have a HEPA filter, which typically remove particles to 0.3 microns in size. We eliminate sub-micron particles of up to .3 microns, but not all air purifiers are equally capable of handling pet dander, hair or odour. But when those proteins get into your airways, eyes, nose, mouth, or on your skin, it triggers allergy symptoms. And allergies – including those occurring outside veterinary and pet care facilities – affect about one in six people in Australia. So it is an important issue.
4. Does the air purifier remove odour, as well as harmful virus’ and allergens? Even the cleanest pets can sometimes smell – and this issue multiplies when they are concentrated in a facility. This is sometimes a turnoff for customers unaccustomed to the familiar fragrances of country life. The smells are definitely not held in high regard by city dwellers selecting a vet, so it could well reward a business to seek an air purifier that can demonstrate the dual function of not only removing hair and dander, but also pervasive odour at the same time.
5. Check the claims being made. It is easy to make a claim to sell a product, but sometimes harder to back it up with science. We don’t shy away from proof; in fact, we encourage the questions because our US-patented medical grade system has been third-party Intertek laboratory tested to demonstrate its removal of 99.9% of airborne viruses down to 0.025 microns. While the laboratory testing is for a broad spectrum of viruses, rather than specific types, the size of virus’ against which it is effective are multiple times smaller than the Covid-19 coronavirus, for example.
6. A final question to consider is whether the air purifier is quietly effective over commercial areas, or so noisy that it upsets both the animals and their carers. These two simple factors can be critical to providing a clean and welcoming workplace. Some lesser air purifiers are just not really up to the job for much larger than a single room in a house or flat. We have designed a self-contained, wheeled unit, producing around 55 to 60 decibels, depending on the model. It cleans 93 sq m (1,000 sq ft) to 99.9% disinfection in under 18 minutes. When used in conjunction with a HVAC system, the EnviroKlenz Air System Plus, for example, turns over the air around 17 times an hour, which is equivalent to once every 3 minutes and 52 seconds.

Many purifier manufacturers have many different approaches. The purpose of this article is not to lessen anyone else’s technology.

But our approach, based on proven global experience, is to uniquely pair our innovative mineral earth air cartridge with industry-standard HEPA filtration and UVC, for premium purification of contaminants big and small.

This unique approach to air purification effectively eliminates contaminants, odours and risks from indoor environments, leaving nothing but fresh, crisp air.

by CSTAdmin

Lab-tested EnviroKlenz® airborne virus removal neutralises multiple health and duty of care risks

A laboratory-validated air filtration system is being introduced to Australasia to help building and business owners, managers, specifiers, designers and fitout specialists fulfil duty of care and OH&S obligations to protect workers and visitors against the spread of viral and other airborne health hazards within interior spaces.

The EnviroKlenz^® Air System Plus from Clean Stream Technologies – which kills virus’ multiple times smaller than the Covid-19 virus – is already proven in service in US health and major hospitality environments responding to the Coronavirus pandemic and to other airborne health challenges, including different virus’, bacteria, pathogens, pollution, and seasonal allergens that affect millions in both countries.

“This quality, German manufactured system is engineered as a major step up from mass market air purifiers,” says Scott Whittaker, General Manager of Clean Stream Technologies. “It is highly effective because it goes much further than standard purifiers by combining medically proven ultraviolet UVC germicidal irradiation with safe and effective earth mineral technology originally developed for the US military and still used today to destroy chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals.”

The EnviroKlenz^® Air System Plus combines safe and effective earth mineral technology (left) with ultraviolet germicidal irradiation through UVC bulbs, right.

“EnviroKlenz is highly effective against pollution and smoke intruding from the street or immediate environment. It also provides a highly visible reminder to customers, visitors and staff that the enterprise whose space they have entered is concerned to protect their health and wellbeing,” says Mr Whittaker. “This can be a strong incentive for customers to prefer your accommodation – or for staff to recognise that you are taking active steps to protect them against multiple health hazards, including hay fever (allergic rhinitis), which affects about 18 per cent of people in Australia and New Zealand. It is effective against:

• Chemicals and odours from cleaning agents, water damage or renovations that cause indoor air quality problems
• Mould or mildew from water damage in bathrooms or ductwork in hospitality, commercial and industrial ductwork
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids or from carpets, furniture and other contributors to low IAQ scores
• Demand for severe allergy-friendly or allergy friendly accommodation and working environments

“Sometimes the issue is excluding potential carriers of risk factors such as contagious conditions; sometimes the issue is to exclude the risk factors such as vehicle pollution, bushfire smoke and widespread allergens including pollen,” says Mr Whittaker.

Lab-tested to top international standards

The compact, self-contained, wheeled unit runs quietly, producing around 55 to 60 decibels, depending on the model. It cleans 93 sq m (1,000 sq ft) to 99.9% disinfection in under 18 minutes. When used in conjunction with a HVAC system, the EnviroKlenz Air System Plus turns over the air around 17 times an hour, which is equivalent to once every 3 minutes and 52 seconds.

The US-patented medical grade system has been third-party Intertek laboratory tested to demonstrate its removal of 99.9% of airborne viruses down to 0.025 microns, says Clean Stream Technologies, which is a subsidiary of the long-established Enware brand, widely respected as a supplier to hospitals, laboratories, health facilities, architects and specifiers for social infrastructure, including schools.

The laboratory testing is for a broad spectrum of viruses, including SARS-COV-2, and the size of virus’ against which it is effective are multiple times smaller than the Covid-19 coronavirus.

EnviroKlenz is also 99.9 per cent effective in neutralisation of gram-negative bacteria (E. Coli) and 99.9 per cent effective against gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus epidermidis), according to the testing by Intertek Labs, which are audited/accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 or equivalent Standard, which enables laboratories to demonstrate that they operate competently and generate valid results, thereby promoting confidence in their work both nationally and around the world.

by CSTAdmin

Supply of EnviroKlenz air purifiers to NSW Public Schools

To assist with a safer return to school, Clean Stream has supplied 1000 Enviroklenz air purifiers to classrooms in NSW via the Department of Education.

Their main role is the destruction of airborne aerosols (bacteria and viruses including COVID-19). With a medical-grade HEPA filter and chemical filter, it is the ultimate unit to maximise indoor air quality. We partnered with WINC Australia in this Department of Education tender in November 2021, planning for a return to school in 2022.

The Enviroklenz units offer not only removal of 99.9% airborne pathogens using germicidal UVC irradiation, but also airborne chemical vapours that affect so many chemically sensitive people, followed by a HEPA14 medical-grade HEPA filter. This removes any airborne irritants such as pollutants, dust, allergens and makes for an easier to breathe atmosphere for children and adults with respiratory ailments such as asthma.

EnviroKlenz is perfect for offices in the return to workspace for the same benefits above. Clean Stream is also in the middle of a media launch into the dental industry to offer airborne pathogen removal from dental surgeries.

by CSTAdmin

Clean Stream and WINC Australia sign new supply agreement

Clean Stream has signed a two year supply agreement for disposable PPE with WINC Australia. The range covers disposable face masks (3-ply and FFP2), isolation gowns and coveralls, face shields, shoe covers etc.

We have been part of the WINC supply chain since the early days of Corporate Express, through the Staples era and since the start of COVID, under the WINC banner, we have been a major supplier of these products. Our experience in disposable face masks goes back to 2010 when we supplied protection packs to the major supermarkets (for the Swine flu and SARS epidemics) and the Health Department via the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.

We also have our EnviroKlenz air purifiers on the range with WINC. We will be working closely with WINC to further expand the range according to market demands.

by CSTAdmin

ZEOMED Body fluid spill management range have contracted production to Hoxton Industries

Clean Stream has joined with Hoxton Industries, an ISO Certified assisted workplace at Hoxton Park to assemble the popular ZEOMED body fluid spill kit range. Our 4 major kits being assembled are the Body Fluid Spill Kit in a compact box, the biohazard spill kit in a yellow satchel, and our rapidly growing Cytotoxic kits for chemical and body fluid spills.

by CSTAdmin