ANSI/AHAM AC-5-2022 Supplement White Paper

White Paper for Studies on Air Cleaners & Microbial Decontamination of Indoor Air to Support AHAM AC-5

Household room air cleaners have existed in the marketplace for over 50 years but have advanced considerably in technology and decontamination of indoor air. The earliest air cleaners were devoted to the reduction of primary particles in the home environment. ANSI/AHAM AC-1, in its inception, was devoted to testing the different filtration and particle reduction technologies against particles in the size range of 0.09 micrometers( m) to 11( m). The performance of air cleaners to reduce particle levels has used, in one form or another, the techniques of ANSI/AHAM AC-1 in standards around the world. The resultant measurement of Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) has become a standard in performance measurement of reduction in particle levels since the late 1980s.  As air cleaners have improved their performance in reducing the levels of airborne particles in the household environment, it has been recognized that other common airborne “pollutants” that are found as aerosols in the air can also be eliminated not only by filtration, but also by other technologies. Elimination covers both removal and inactivation.