Industrial Air Treatment:
—Understand the Challenges and Choose the Right Solution for Your Site
Temperature, humidity, pressure, filtration, and microbiological contamination: each parameter plays a specific role in air quality. These factors impact the performance of industrial sites and the safety of both people and products. Industrial air treatment, variables to control, applicable solutions: PhotoClean, an expert in microbiological and chemical air decontamination, offers you a comprehensive overview.
What is industrial air treatment?
These are systems and solutions designed to control the quality, composition, and physical characteristics of the air in a production environment. Contrary to popular belief, this issue is not limited to ultra-sensitive environments such as cleanrooms.
Which sectors are affected?
All industry professionals are affected, to varying degrees:
- the food industry and wine industry, where air quality directly affects product characteristics and shelf life;
- the pharmaceutical and medical industries, which are subject to strict regulatory requirements;
- the service sector and traditional manufacturing facilities, where employee comfort and safety remain a priority.
In each of these environments, a tailored treatment system makes it possible to address the industry’s challenges, the layout of the facilities, and the expected level of performance. There is therefore no one-size-fits-all solution; rather, industrial treatment systems must be customized on a case-by-case basis.
What factors are associated with air quality in an industrial setting?
Industrial air treatment goes beyond mere cleanliness. It encompasses several complementary factors, and controlling them ensures a healthy and productive work environment.
Here are the three main criteria to consider:
- Temperature: It affects both operator comfort and the stability of production processes.
- Humidity: The level of moisture in the air plays a critical role in preserving certain products and controlling the growth of microorganisms.
- Presence of particles, chemical pollutants, and biological contaminants: These elements require special treatment.
Taking these various variables into account enables an industrial facility to maintain indoor air quality that meets its production requirements.
Pressure Control at an Industrial Site: What Is It?
This aspect is another key element of industrial air treatment. The objective depends on the desired outcome.
Overpressure
A zone maintained at positive pressure prevents outside air—which may be contaminated with pollutants—from entering a clean area. This principle is used to protect cleanrooms, in particular, where air quality must remain impeccable.
Negative Pressure
Conversely, a room maintained at negative pressure helps contain a high-risk area, preventing contaminants within it from spreading to the rest of the building. This approach is particularly useful when substances or microorganisms need to be isolated from the rest of the facility.
Pressure control is part of a safety and regulatory compliance strategy, just like other air-handling parameters.
Why Filter the Air in Production Environments?
Air filtration in industrial settings plays a central role in treatment systems. Its purpose is to remove particles and dust from the work environment.
The size of the particles determines the level of filtration required. The finer the particles, the longer they remain suspended in the air. They penetrate deeper into the respiratory tract and interfere with manufacturing processes. The choice of filters must also be tailored to the specific nature of the contaminants present.
However, particulate filtration does not treat all pollutants. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and, more broadly, chemical air pollution—including certain industrial odors—cannot be captured by conventional filtration. These pollutants require complementary solutions designed to treat gases and VOCs.
How Can We Control Microbiological Contamination in Industrial Air?
In addition to inert particles, the air at an industrial site contains microorganisms such as bacteria, mold, and yeast. These biological contaminants affect products, surfaces, and processes, impacting the quality, health and safety, and regulatory compliance of the operation.
Cleanroom or decontamination system?
There are two main approaches to addressing this challenge. The first is based on cleanroom standards, particularly the ISO 14644 particle classification. This standard defines several levels of air cleanliness based on the permissible particle concentration. The second approach is air decontamination, which aims to directly eliminate microorganisms present in the air.
What are some techniques for air decontamination?
There are several solutions for industrial air decontamination:
- Ionization alters the electrical charge of particles to make them easier to capture.
- Plasma treatment generates reactive species capable of neutralizing certain contaminants.
- UV-C light permanently destroys bacteria, mold, and yeast.
Today, these systems represent the gold standard in technology for controlling microbiological contamination in the air without the use of chemicals.
Photoclean Solution: What Are Its Benefits for Microbiological and Chemical Air Decontamination?
Photoclean specializes in a specific aspect of industrial air treatment: contamination control. To meet a wide range of needs, Photoclean offers customized solutions rather than standardized systems.
The technology developed by Photoclean is based on UV-C photolysis, combined with a proprietary filter medium designed and manufactured in-house. This process enables the continuous treatment of very large volumes of air. The pressure drop is significantly lower than with conventional filtration solutions, and efficiency remains constant over time.
Our solution also stands out for its integration flexibility:
- universal modules compatible with existing air handling units and ductwork systems;
- standalone units for specific needs;
- complete units designed to provide both air purification and air exchange.
This variety of formats allows Photoclean to accommodate a wide range of facility layouts without requiring a complete overhaul of existing installations.
What support does Photoclean offer for customized air treatment?
Beyond the technology itself, Photoclean works with each client to design a treatment system tailored to their facilities.
Each project begins with a comprehensive audit of the premises, which precisely identifies the sources of contamination, the volumes to be treated, and the site-specific constraints. Our in-house engineering department then takes over to:
- develop specific technical recommendations;
- design layout plans;
- ensure that the solution is compatible with existing equipment.
This approach makes it possible to treat an entire building while minimizing dead zones, which are often the source of contamination hotspots that are difficult to detect.
Effective industrial air treatment relies on an accurate assessment. By combining technical expertise with hands-on support, Photoclean provides manufacturers with a reliable and scalable treatment solution that ensures the safety of both products and employees.