For the treatment of cabin recirculated air, Montreal, Canada-based Air Data Inc. has a new system in development that, if it works out, may mark a significant improvement in cabin air quality by stripping even viruses from the air. Based on "cold plasma ionic interactions," the system:

• Has a target performance of killing 99.99 percent of the bio-contaminants, including the smallest viruses, bacteria, spores and fungi, from 0.02 to 100 microns in size.
• Eliminates the risk of microscopic growth inside the air treatment media.
• Eliminates the problem of handling and disposing contaminated filters during maintenance (a problem with current air filters).
• Performance is considered a step ahead of current HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters, with proven destruction of bio-contaminants from the recirculated air for a broad spectrum of micro-organisms, and much less pressure drop.
• Does not present the risk of filter perforation (pinholes or rupture) and consequent release of contaminant, a documented problem.
• Has low operational costs and no drift in efficiency, contrary to ultraviolet (UV) lamps, which get dirty or inefficient as the levels of humidity increase.

Company Vice President Louis Labreche said the system is undergoing testing now. The technology for a dual airflow system to minimize smoke in the cabin was covered in this publication previously (see ASW, Aug. 26, 2004). >>Contact: Labreche, e-mail llabreche@airdata.ca<< (Also, see the announcement for a conference on cabin/cockpit air quality)