DIY Classroom Air Purifier And How One Can Be Bullt Inexpensively

Environmental & Science Education, STEM, Schooling, Health

Ed Hessler 

Indoor air quality in schools is not a new concern and way too many classrooms have windows that do not open even though they may have several windows. The return of students to classrooms with the delta variant variant surge is making many people very nervous about ari quality, with reason.

The traditional fix of improving air quality is expensive and many schools/school districts cannot afford the cost. And it takes time, the action of school boards, may involve referendums, contracting and installation.To the rescue during the COVID-19 pandemic, one classroom at a time, is the Corsi-Rosenthal box It can be made at home.

That box is the subject of an NPR report by Gabrielle Emanuel on how to make this air purifier. The box according to citizen scientist Don Blair, "looks like a junky box that has four sides made out of these standard air filters. And the top of the box is a 20-inch box fan." Blair, continues Emanuel "has been pulling together resources on a website and making step-by-step instructions to help parents and teachers build this box.

"The idea is simple: The fan sucks air through the filters, effectively cleaning o of particles the virus that might be floating along on. Experts say filters with a so-called MERV 13 rating or better are ideal."

The project, once materials have been gathered, take 10 - 20 minutes. Blair noted that "if you do goof up then, no problems, it'll take you 30 minutes."

Richard Corsi, UCal, Davis put the idea on Twitter, reports Emanuel, and "Jim Rosenthal, the owner of Tex-Air Filters, built the first box. Corsi and Rosenthal agreed to share credit and hyphenated the box's name."

Emanuel's essay includes a 3-minute listen plus the step-by-step instructions and relevant links. I may have missed it but here is information about MERV ratings, including a chart showing applications by the number of the rating.

In addition here is a video which shows a fist-time builder constructing the Corsi-Rosenthal Box.