An Air Conditioner That Can Also Purify Air, Developed By IIT-Delhi Alumni

New Delhi: There is no way to beat one of the worst heatwave India is reeling under without an air conditioner. But if the constant presence in an air conditioned environment could also ensure good air quality then that would be a real boon for most. After all in India, an estimated 846 million which is 60 per cent of the population were exposed to household air pollution in 2017, according to the State of Global Air report 2019 and of these India recorded 482,000 deaths.

IIT Delhi Alumni and founders of Nasofilters, an IIT Delhi incubated startup, have innovated Nanoclean AC Filter that converts your regular air conditioner (AC) into an air purifier at a cost of just Rs. 399.

Sharing the idea behind the innovation, Prateek Sharma, Director, Chief Executive Officer at Nasofilters, says,

In the past, we had designed two solutions for outdoor air pollution – a Rs. 10 air filter named ‘Nasofilter’, that fits into your nose and filters out particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and PM 10 and a ‘pollution net’, that looks like a mosquito net and fits on doors and windows to prevent pollutants from entering the premises. This time, we decided to work towards indoor pollution because many of us might not know about indoor pollution but it does exist and poses a serious threat to our health. Also, the idea was to provide an inexpensive solution – many households might not have an air purifier but they do have AC so why not convert AC into an air purifier, hence Nanoclean AC Filter.

Also Read: This Pollution Net By IIT-Delhi Alumni Fit On Your Window Panes To Protect You From Air Pollution

All About The Innovation: Nanoclean AC Filter

Nanoclean AC Filter is a specially designed non-woven structure (a kind of fabric which is neither woven nor knitted) which holds pollutants like PM 2.5, dust, allergens, smoke, and pollen. Nanoclean AC filters are made using pure polypropylene (PP), a thermoplastic polymer, which is completely recyclable. The fabric structure of the filters is proprietary of Nasofilters. Nanoclean AC filters are regular filters that can be manually fitted on to both window and split AC.

Talking about the challenges the team faced during the making of the product, Prateek says,

The biggest roadblock we faced and overcame is the durability of Nanoclean AC Filters. Usually, filters get choked very easily and since we cannot wash them so creating product viability for customers was a challenge. We did it by increasing the thickness of these filters and creating a structure which has a high dust holding capacity.

IIT Alumni and brains behind the Nanoclean AC Filter – an innovation to clean indoor air

Also Read: Breathless In India: A Photo Exhibition That Calls For Accepting Air Pollution As National Public Health Emergency

Why Nanoclean AC Filter?

Once installed, Nanoclean AC filter can reduce 90 per cent of the pollutants present in a room in just one hour, says the innovators who backed up their claim with a live demonstration at the launch event held at IIT Delhi recently.

During the start of the event at 12 PM, PM 2.5 was recorded at 185. After which, Nanoclean AC filters were installed in the AC in the room, and after 30 minutes of installation, PM 2.5 came down to 65.

At an innovation stage, we tested the results of our AC filters with regular air purifiers used to clean indoor air and as per the results, our filters are as good as air purifiers, says Prateek.

Also Read: Combating Indoor Air Pollution: 5 Plants To Make Your Home Clean And Green

Jatin Kewlani, Director, Chief Operating Officer says,

The recyclable plastic makes the product eco-friendly, and the DIY guide makes it convenient to install. Also, neither do Nanoclean AC filters alter a user’s experience in any way nor do they require additional power consumption, which means no additional burden on your monthly electricity bill.

Nanoclean AC filters are eco-friendly, easy to use and economical, claim innovators

Once installed, the AC filters are good to use until they turn grey. As compared to winters, levels of air pollution in summers are comparatively low hence, Nanoclean AC filter can last for two months. Whereas in winters they need to be changed every month for the best results.

Also Read: 92 Percent Of World Population Without Clean Air: Environmental Scientist Uma Charan Mohanty

The Nanoclean AC filter which is currently awaiting patent is available on e-commerce websites, the official website of Nasofilters, and leading pharmacy stores. The team aims to market it through varied social media campaigns.

Regular cleaning and dusting do not kick out micro pollutants out of your house. In fact, burning candles, incense sticks, and cooking, add to the indoor air pollution so it is essential to have clean indoor air where we spend the majority of the time, signs off Prateek.

Also Read: Breathe Easy: 6 Effective Ways To Fight Indoor Air Pollution

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.