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Air systems treatment guidelines





             Problems


            The treatment of indoor air not only intended        alth. [Link 1 in bibliography] Consequently, the
            as a regulation of comfort by controlling tempe-     importance of proper cleaning and sanitization
            rature and humidity, but more generally as the       of environments is evident, without neglecting
            maintenance of an environment intended for the       aeraulic systems. These are essential for obtai-
            use of people who is healthy and comfortable,        ning an optimal microclimate, but cleaning them
            and constitutes a complex and always relevant        plays an essential role as they could constitute
            topic. We can describe the air treatment based       a source of health risk.
            on its two main functions:                           We quote the Ministry in this regard:
                                                               > “Air conditioning systems may present dange-
            • Comfort regulation:  obtained by tempera-          rous sources of bio-logical or chemical pollution
            ture and humidity control with the help of ma-       especially if poorly designed, in poor condi-
            chinery  using different technologies,  such as      tion of cleanliness and maintenance. Colonies
            direct expansion air conditioners, heat pumps ;      of microorganisms can nestle and multiply in
            air handling units (UTA) and so on.                  plants where there is presence of water, mostly

                                                                 stagnant, such as: humidifiers and air conditio-
            • Maintenance of the health of the air: obtai-       ners, vaporizers, heaters, self-frosting refrige-
            ned with the control and relative elimination of     rators, water systems. “ [Link 2 in bibliography]
            pathogens, such as mold, bacteria, fungi and
            viruses, thanks to the use of products that act        Health risks can be classified into three types:
            directly on air through air dispersion, but also     toxic, infectious or allergic risk, men-three pa-
            through cleaning and disinfection of surfaces of     thogens are divided into:
            equipment suitable for air treatment.                1) microorganisms (fungi, bacteria, viruses, pa-
                                                                 rasites, protozoa)
            The Indoor Commission, in 2001, assessed             2) indoor allergens (dust mites, plant and ani-
            that many chronic diseases are related to It can     mal derived allergens)
            therefore be said that the treatment of air-con-     3) mold
            ditioning agents, intended as an activity aimed      Areaulic pipelines
            at the prevention and elimination of pathogens
            that can spread via air, is a fundamental ele-       Over time the ducts can easily become prey to
            ment of a more complex process, known as sa-         microorganisms such as bacteria, mold and fun-
            nitization: the Italian legislation gives the defini-  gi which, thanks to the flow of air, significantly
            tion of sanitization, in the M.D. no. 274/1997,      increase the potential contagion among people
            in Art. 1:                                           present in the same environment.

          >  “are sanitizing activities that concern the com-    Indoor pollution - the risks
            plex of procedures and operations aimed at
            making certain environments healthy the acti-        Pollution by fine dust, dust, pollen, fibres and spo-
            vities of cleaning and/or disinfection and/or of     res can make life really difficult for those suffering
            disinfestation or by controlling and improving       from allergy (damage to eye mucous membra-
            the conditions of the microclimate with regard       nes, skin, respiratory system), also accelerating
            to temperature, humidity and ventilation or with     the deterioration of the equipment present inside
            regard to the lighting and the noise”                the rooms. Bacteria, viruses and fungus, poten-
                                                                 tially pathogenic, are the cause of contamination
            Air quality is the measure of how harmless and       of diseases.
            free from pollutants air is. Relative to closed
            spaces, i.e. indoor, even the presence of patho-
            gens has particular relevance.
            aspects of indoor air quality (IAQ), and that the
            economic and social damage attributable to in-
            door pollution in Italy is likely to be relevant, as
            reported on the website of the Ministry of He-


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