ASU is Building Low-Cost Air Filters for Poorly Ventilated Classrooms—You Can Help

 

ASU's COVID-19 Community Response Team has a new project that could help schools reduce the spread of COVID-19 by filtering the air. It's a timely effort considering that school is restarting just as the Omicron variant is running amok.

Now that authorities have finally recognized that COVID-19 spreads mainly through the air, people are looking for ways to remove viral aerosol particles through filtration. If you're a school with plenty of money to spend you can buy some of these. But unless you're in a wealthy school district that is probably not affordable.

Enter the Corsi-Rosenthal Cube. It's a DIY air filter built with high-efficiency MERV-13 furnace/AC filters and cardboard, duct-taped together and attached to a box fan. It is said to be just as effective as the high-priced commercial units, but the parts only cost around $100.

I spoke with someone who is part of the Community Response Team. Over the last month they did a proof-of-concept with 15 units to determine cost, feasibility and interest from the community.  

Their next step is to implement a university-wide effort to build, deploy, and study the filters in high-risk areas like school classrooms, shelters, and so on. They hope to deploy 1,000 of the units this coming semester.

They also hope to integrate the effort into education. One option would be to connect university students in practicum courses with community partners in need. They are also considering K-12 lesson plans to help teachers create STEM projects where students can build the filters themselves. 

You can support this effort. Go to this link if you would like to donate supplies or if you're a teacher or school administrator who wants to request filters. 

You can also go here to listen to an interview with the leader of the project.


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