Air Filtration Industry Articles, News And Resources

Exposure Limits: ACGIH TLVs® and OSHA PEL Explained

May 7th, 2025 | Posted in Air Cleaners

In a previous blog we discussed some of the aspects of monitoring for occupational exposures to airborne contaminants. The focus of that blog was a screening technique that measures “Particulates Not Otherwise Classified (PNOC) as a surrogate for coolant mist generated by machining operations. We also noted that the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for PNOC is 5 mg/m3. This raises the question: “What is an OSHA PEL?” What does that term mean? In…

Evaluating Machine Shop Air Quality

May 7th, 2025 | Posted in Air Cleaners

There’s coolant mist in the shop air. There’s been coolant mist in the shop air since we’ve been using coolants and especially so now that high pressure coolants have become more common. Until now we haven’t thought much about it but if you’ve been reading the previous blogs on this site, you know that here are potential health hazards associated with many of the components of coolant mist. We have to wonder if there isn’t…

Applications for Source Capture Vs. Ambient Air Capture

March 7th, 2025 | Posted in Air Cleaners

At Air Quality Engineering, we understand that air cleaning isn’t free. The less air you have to clean, the less money you’ll spend keeping the plant air breathable. Since source capture (also called “local exhaust ventilation” in the textbooks) allows one to capture and clean the minimum amount of air necessary to achieve that goal, source capture is the preferred solution when it can be implemented. One of the better examples of source capture is…

HEPA Filtration for Welding Fume: Why Bother?

November 4th, 2024 | Posted in Welding

The short answer to the question posed above is that welding fume has been classified as a human carcinogen with the lung as the target organ. In view of that information, using the most effective filtration is obviously good sense. We have long known that prolonged over exposures to welding fume places welders at increased risk for respiratory system ailments, particularly lung cancer[i]. Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and nickel compound exposures have long been identified as…

How To Keep Indoor Air Safe During Wildfires

September 24th, 2024 | Posted in Air Cleaners

Health Effects Wildfire smoke is more than just malodourous: it is a real health hazard. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, “Wildfire smoke is a mixture of air pollutants of which particulate matter is the principal public health threat. Extensive scientific evidence has demonstrated health effects in response to short-term (i.e., daily) particulate matter exposure ranging from eye and respiratory tract irritation to more serious effects, including reduced lung function, pulmonary inflammation, bronchitis, exacerbation of asthma…

Success Story: How We Improved the Indoor Air Quality of a Customer’s Cigar Room

September 20th, 2024 | Posted in General

cigar room with quality air cleaner installed

Everyone deserves to breathe in clean, fresh air, and at Air Quality Engineering, we work hard to ensure that our customers receive the most cost-effective, high-quality air cleaners and filtration systems that will meet their specific needs. Whether you’re considering an air cleaner for your home, an office, a welding workspace, or even a medical setting, we offer products for every environment.

What Works Best For Mist Collection?

August 21st, 2024 | Posted in Air Cleaners, General

There’s a variety of mist collection equipment available for people to choose from; media, centrifugal and electrostatic precipitators being the most popular. To get the results you want for your work environment, the question you should be asking is what works best for “my” application. But there’s not always an easy answer to that.

The Essential Role of Mist Collectors in Industrial Settings

August 2nd, 2024 | Posted in Air Cleaners

NIOSH recommends using mist collectors engineered for the operation and specific machine enclosures. WHY? A question our air quality technicians get asked is: “What is so bad about coolant mist that we should install mist collection equipment?” A perfectly rational question, it led to spending a little time Googling Safety Data Sheets for Metal Working Fluids. Although in the shop we use the term “coolant,” in the scientific literature, the term most frequently used for…

When To Use Media Filtration Instead of Electrostatic Precipitators

June 26th, 2024 | Posted in Air Cleaners

When mitigating CNC (or manual) machining coolant mist, the technology of choice is nearly always electrostatic precipitators. There are, however, exceptions. Let’s discuss some situations where media filtration is the preferred solution. But first, a quick review of these two technologies is in order. Electrostatic Precipitators or Electronic Air Cleaners Coolant mist removal starts with an impinger section. The larger spray and mist droplets impact the impinger and adhere to the plates or mesh. The…

How Wildfires Affect Indoor Air Quality

June 24th, 2024 | Posted in General

wildfires impacting residential air quality

The U.S. and Canada continue to experience devastating wildfires on a regular basis. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reports that, in 2023, a total of 56,580 fires burned 2,693,910 acres in the U.S. And at this time there are still large fires burning in Alaska, Florida, New Mexico and other states. All ready this year Canadian wildfires have been so large that they have impacted air quality as far south as South Dakota. Residents have experienced hazy skies as wildfire smoke fills the outdoor air. We know that this smoky outdoor air is dangerous to breathe, but do you know how wildfires affect indoor air quality? And what you can do to manage them?