Air purification needed

When the city struggles to breath while smothered in smog, all Beijingers can do is pray; either for some wind, rain, or snow to clear the air, or if this fails, that their air purifiers and facemasks will be able to protect them from the pollution.

Fortunately their prayers were answered on Wednesday and strong winds cleared the air.

However, this most unwelcome of visitors will all too soon return, as smog is a frequent guest on winter days.

Officials, however, are only slowly to acknowledge this fact and claim that the air pollution has been "moderate" or "hazardous" on only five days this winter.

This is something Beijingers can refute with their own eyes as it is very difficult to see anything but smog on some days.

Beijing residents are rightly concerned about the quality of the air they are breathing and the enthusiasm of officials in their attempts to call every day a blue-sky day.

But simply sticking our heads in the sand so we can't see the sky won't make the problem disappear.

The government needs to be brave enough to face up to problem.

China currently uses PM10, particulate matter with diameter under 10 micrometers, as the measure for air pollution, but Beijing's pollution is mostly caused by fine particles under 2.5 micrometers, so measuring PM2.5 would give a more realistic picture.

However, if China did measure PM2.5, there would be no escaping the reality that the air quality of 80 percent of Chinese cities is shocking.

Yet despite this, a proper indicator of air pollution, such as the amount of PM2.5 in the air, should be adopted, as particles of that size or less in diameter have the most serious long-term health effects.

China does plan to introduce a new standard that includes PM2.5 in 2016.

But the country can't wait that long. More and more people are suffering from the air pollution-induced diseases.

On Tuesday the Ministry of Environmental Protection admitted that most people are in favor of using PM2.5 as a measurement of air quality as soon as possible.

But in truth, action counts more than data. Unfortunately, cleaning up the air is going to be an even bigger challenge than merely telling people how polluted it is.

Dust, coal-fired power plant emissions and motor vehicle emissions are the main sources of PM2.5 particles that the government needs to control.

It is time to stop leaving people's health to the mercy of the weather.

Singapore-listed direct-selling company opens in the Philippines

Best World Lifesyle (BWL) founder and chief executive Dora Hoan said the company’s operations in the Philippines is part of its regional expansion activities.

BWL, which was founded in Singapore in 1990, currently has operations in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Brunei, Australia and China. It has also started operations in Korea earlier this year.

Ms. Hoan said the Philippines is a “missing link” in the company’s operations in the region. “We are very aware how big is the direct-selling business here in the Philippines. We know that there is a lot of opportunities here,” Ms. Hoan told BusinessWorld in an interview last week.

The company officially opened its offices at the Robinsons Equitable Tower in Ortigas Center last Saturday. BWL’s parent firm, Best World International, is listed as the only direct-selling company on the Singapore Stock Exchange since 2004.

BWL sells all-natural skin care and personal care products, health care equipment like water and air purifiers, and plant-based nutritional supplements, among others.

In March last year, Best World International disclosed to the Singapore Stock Exchange that it has established a joint-venture company in the Philippines called BWL Health & Sciences, Inc. for its direct- selling operations in the country.

Best World International owns 80% of the joint venture, while the remaining 20% is held by Bestworld Capital Ventures Corp., a private limited company incorporated in the Philippines.

The joint vernture was incorporated with an initial paid-up capital of P11.7 million.

Ms. Hoan, who is currently the chairperson of the Association Services Committee for the World Federation of Direct Selling Association, said BWL is looking at having 3,000 sales agents in the Philippines in the coming months.

These agents will bring BWL’s products closer to consumers. “We are confident that our products will find their markets here in the Philippines,” Ms. Hoan said.

For its initial rollout in the Philippines, BWL will be selling its Avance line of nutrional supplements, the Optrimax brand of slimming products, and the Aestier and Dr’s Secret skin care brands.

Ms. Hoan said the company will bring in more of its products in the coming months, as Filipinos become more aware of BWL.

The Dog Odor Answer

After you've figured out the cause of your dogs odor and address the problem, the next step is to get your home

smelling good, too.

No one knows how to tackle tough indoor doggie odor better than business owners and purebred hobbyists.

George Bernard, owner of Silver Trails: The Animal Inn, washes the floors and walls of his Westbrook, Conn. kennel

with a food-handling product that kills bacteria and odors on contact.

It's the same thing that's used on butcher blocks in butcher shops, so its edible, says Bernard, whose boarding

facility houses up to 150 animals. You can actually have a dog lick the floor and he won't get sick.

Booth, a groomer for 26 years, doesn't use any special cleaning liquids. Instead, she plugs in an ionic air purifier

to help freshen her 300 square-foot shop.

Dalmatian breeder Elaine Gewirtz tries to prevent odors before they start by cleaning her Southern California home on

a regular basis. Every week she vacuums carpets and washes floors. Each of her three dogs beds has removable covers,

making them easy to launder. She also opens windows frequently to air out the home.

Gewirtz has noticed that dogs left outside during the day while their owners are at work pick up unpleasant odors,

which they then bring indoors. She recommends brushing or wiping down dogs with a damp cloth before letting them in

the house.

By tackling odors in your home and on your pet, it won't be long before you not only love just your dog, but how he

smells too. 

LG introduces air care product range for home users

Most individuals spend over 80% of their lifetime indoor inhaling unfiltered air which can lead to Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). SBS can lead to respiratory and sensory irritation causing discomfort to the occupants.

LG's Air Purifiers provide proper humidification which prevents the proliferation of dust, germs and viruses thereby preventing various respiratory diseases. Indoor air can also lead to dehydration due to lack of humidification which can cause issues such as dry skin, chronic joint and muscle pain, irritable throat, sore eyes and difficulty in concentrating. This multiuse air purifier functions as three different air-solution devices: an air cleaner, an NPI (Nano Plasma Ion) sterilizer and a natural humidifier.

"The general perception is that staying indoor is more healthy than being outdoors. But as we understand the circulation of air within closed spaces, we realize that it is equally harmful and can cause several respiratory as well as chronic joint and muscle ailments. CoreCare³™, LG's smart technology, filters harmful substances in the air, humidifies and washes the air through natural vaporization, catching viruses and bacteria with NPI. With LG's Air Purifier, customers can enjoy more pleasant air, safe in the knowledge that their family is being protected from respiratory diseases," said Mr. H.S Paik, President, LG Gulf FZE.

The range includes Aqua 3 in 1 Air Purifier, Black Hole Air Purifier, Air Bus Air Purifier, Virus Pro Nano Plasma Ionizer and Air Washer 3 in 1 Natural Humidifier.

The LG Aqua 3 in 1 Air Purifier offers advanced filtration and sterilization. Additionally, the natural humidification process provides pleasant indoor air and enables comfortable sleep patterns. This purifier comes equipped with a smart sensor that indicates indoor air pollution levels. With a convenient design, the purifier is easy to clean and maintain.

The visual dust lighting feature of the LG Black Hole Air Purifier senses and immediately indicates indoor air pollution levels and automatically sets the most appropriate fan speed. The Black Hole also comes equipped with the sleeping mode function. Unlike others, LG purifier's don't emit a 'buzz' sound, disturbing sleep patterns.

Get clean breathing air and save energy with the LG Air Bus Air Purifier. The Air Bus Purifier is the winner of the 2010 Energy Winner awards due to its technology innovation, appropriateness, energy efficiency and economic impact on energy saving. The Air Bus inhales polluted air and delivers a great amount of clean air far and wide through the unique air flow structure. The 'Ergonomic Air Flow System' accumulated technology from LG Air conditioners is suitable for use in wide spaces such as living rooms and offices.

LG Virus Pro Nano Plasma Ionizer (NPI) has the capability to remove and safeguard your home from up to 99% air-borne bacteria and virus, including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Staphylococcus Aureus and Salmonella. Virus Pro is also capable of curing headaches due to lack of ozone, removing cigarette odor as well as clearing up any unpleasant odors. The LG Virus Pro Nano Plasma Ion filtration system requires only 1.9 watts to operate and works for up to 10 square meters of spaces.

The LG Air Washer 3 in 1 Natural Humidifier comes with a Turbo Humidification feature, enabling quicker expansion of clean moisture in the air. The device is ideal for individuals with breathing difficulties in dry seasons such as extreme winter and summer. The Auto Air Louver prevents dirt from getting into the product ensuring clean breathing air.

The sterilization process of the LG purifiers is based on Nano Plasma Ion (NPI) technology. NPI destroys the molecular structure of floating germs and viruses. Research has also shown the NPI system being capable of effectively eradicating nearly 100% of viruses from indoor air.

All LG Air Purifiers have been certified by Intertek Testing Services, Auburn University, British Allergy Foundation and Korea Food & Drug Administration.

Midea Rilis AC Inverter Alp Series

Midea Electronics Indonesia meluncurkan penyejuk udara kategori inverter, Alps Series yang diklaim mampu menghadirkan kesejukan yang lebih efisien dan sehat.

Alps Series mengusung unit indoor yang di-polish hingga index 110 dan didesain sedemikian rupa hingga pada saat tidak dioperasikan akan tertutup rapat hingga tampak simple dan sangat bersih.

Ia didukung tiga teknologi hemat energi, yakni Inverter DC 1800 Sine Wave yang meningkatkan tingkat EER dan gelombang yang sangat halus tanpa banyak lonjakan hingga bisa running dengan sangat halus, nyaris tak bersuara dan tanpa getaran.

Kedua adalah Kompresor Inverter DC Twin-Rotary yang sangat mengurangi getaran dan suara kompresor, dapat diaplikasikan dalam frekuensi yang lebih leluasa, output kapasitas yang lebih besar, sistem pembatasan konsumsi enerji.

Kemudian Motor DC Brushless untuk kompresor, fan indoor dan outdoor yang memungkinkan adanya rotasi teratur yang menurunkan konsumsi enerji hingga 35 persen jika dibandingkan dengan Motor AC dari tipe dan merek lain. Kecepatan Fan unit Indoor pun bisa diatur hingga 12 tingkat guna mendapatkan sirkulasi udara yang nyaman.

Untiuk kesehatan terdapat  Super Plasma Air Purifier. Plasma zone yang dimiliki ALPS Series merupakan medan pembangkit listrik electrostatic bertegangan tinggi. Dengan ukuran yang lebih besar, Super Plasma Air Purifier meningkatkan mutu pensucian udara dan sirkulasi udara yang baik. Dilengkapi dengan High-Density Filter, ALPS Series mampu menyaring debu hingga 50% lebih efisien. Sebagai perbandingan untuk banyaknya lubang filter persentimeter persegi, ALPS Series 256, sedangkan tipe/merek lain 156, ukuran lubang filter ALPS Series 0,51mmx0,51mm, sedangkan tipe/merek lain 1,2mmx1,2mm.

Semua kecanggihan itu dilengkapi dengan Low Noise Operation yang memungkinkan pengoperasian hingga nyaris tanpa suara, kenyamanan Anda dalam pingintalasian unit indoor , Turbo Operation yang memungkinkan pendingan secepat yang Anda inginkan dan Sleep Mode yang mengatur temperatur ruangan sebelum benar-benar berhenti hingga tidur Anda tidak terganggu.

Cruising in comfort

Dometic Marine distributor, Whiting Power Systems recently introduced the Dometic Split Air Conditioning System and In-Duct Breath Easy Air Purifier at the Auckland International Boat Show.

The Emerald Split Air Conditioning System comprises a Emerald Condenser and Emerald Evaporator, and has been engineered to use R410A environmentally safe refrigerant. Fully compliant with International green gas standards, the thermodynamic properties of R410A is said to have enabled Dometic engineers to increase system efficiency by using fewer amps per capacity.

The In-Duct Breathe Easy Air Purifier, which was awarded an IBEX Innovation Award in the Mechanical Systems category at IBEX 2010, is specifically designed to work within the ducting of a yacht’s air conditioning system. Operating silently, it purifies and cleanses air using Photocatalytic Nano-Mesh Technology with UV light. Each time the air circulates it is further purified.

The unit is said to take up little space, and if retrofitted will require no alterations to be made to the vessel’s existing air conditioning unit. There is no need for any mounting hardware as a section of the A/C ducting is cut out and the circular In-Duct Breathe Easy tube simply inserted, then the ducting is reattached to it. The Breathe Easy is available in sizes to match all standard duct diameters.

Can Having Plants in Your Office Help to Increase Your Happiness Level and Mood at Work?

I have worked in some really depressing looking environments down here in Alabama and I know how it feels to get up in the morning in an upbeat mood only to get in the car, start the engine, put it in reverse and then put it in drive and head down the road to that work environment with the equivalent looking atmosphere as if you were going to some dark cave in the mountains.

There are a ton of work environments out there where the office or maybe even your office is like walking into a shoe box. It has no windows and the only thing in your office is maybe an outdated desk with broken drawers that fall out of it every time you go to open them or your companies Mission Statement that has been hanging on your wall since the Taj Mah Hal was built.

I once worked in an environment here in Alabama where the company had been around since the early 1930s and when I went into their warehouse to do cycle counts I saw boxes on the shelves that must have been received the day the company opened because the boxes were so rotten that the paper and cardboard that makes up the box had rotted so bad the box sitting on the shelf that had the part in it was reduced to paper dust and the part had fallen out of the box, Unbelievable!

Yes, the atmosphere of your work environment does play a part on your mood and motivation while at work. I once heard we spend more time at work then we do with our families and most of the time nowadays if you are one of the lucky ones to even have a job in this economy you are doing the job of three or four people and are ending up burning the midnight oil sitting at your desk or work space.

This is now just a fact of life to have to work many long hours but the least your company or even you can take your depressing looking work environment and turn into one of the seventh wonders of the world by adding plants to your office.

According to the Society for Horticulture Science (ASHS) people who spend many long hours at work and work in an office with no windows, natural light form sunshine or even that don`t have plants sitting around their office have an increased dissatisfaction for their job and have more stress and reported depression.

This is a problem that is very fixable by adding live plants and offices with windows and sunshine that flows in like spreading soft frosting on a cake. A study by Dr. Tina Marie Waliczek Cade, Associate Professor of Horticulture in the Department of Agriculture at Texas State University, and colleagues put together an Internet based study to see if offices with windows and views of green spaces as well as offices containing live plants increased productivity and employee happiness on the job.

The employees that took the Internet based survey that worked in offices that had live plants and windows reported a dramatic increase in job satisfaction and happiness compared to the ones that worked in those dreaded looking work environments with no plants or windows.

Even NASA has been involved in studying plants and how plants have an effect on air quality found through research that your everyday houseplants work as natural air purifiers. The original study on this was aimed by NASA at ways to purify the air for extended stays in orbiting space stations found that the same study has important implications for those on Earth, too.

For anyone that is into science or horticulture knows that plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis. This was something I learned when I was still playing with Lincoln Logs in Kindergarten. Since then, NASA has found that plants also do a lot more for the quality of the air you and I breathe by also removing harmful elements such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and formaldehyde from the air.

So since most office buildings are constructed with synthetic building materials and most of those offices and office buildings are tightly sealed and built you have the harmful elements floating around the air in them like an orchard of dandelions filling the air on a warm and spring like breezy day and with that you have what is known as the Sick Building Syndrome.

So, don`t just settle for those work spaces and offices that make you want to drink strong coffee all day to keep your mood upbeat, liven up that dreary work space and office by going to your local Wal-Mart and buy those exotic looking plants that make you dream of sitting on a beach drinking those sipping Martinis with the funny looking umbrella that stick out of them like a small sign post.       

IQAir Purifier Removes More than 90 Percent of Airborne Pollution

Many areas of the country are troubled by air pollution, but it is often believed that inside the home, the air tends to be healthy and clean. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

Research has shown that the air inside homes can actually be quite damaging to health, especially in the case of someone who already has a breathing issue like asthma. From mold and bacteria to particulates and gases including carbon monoxide, indoor air pollution is a serious health issue. According to the California Air Resources Board, long-term exposure to air pollution can shorten a person’s life expectancy by 10 years.

An indoor air purifier has received a lot of attention lately for its incredible filtration system and ability to trap even the tiniest of particles. IQAir HealthPro Plus, which is sold by Air Purifiers USA, is the only air purifier with HyperHEPA® filter technology, which has been proven in rigorous independent testing to effectively trap the tiny particles.

“Tiny airborne ultrafine particles are the most harmful because they penetrate the most deeply into the lungs and bloodstream,” explained company spokesperson Barry Midwinter.

“Multiple studies link ultrafine particles to increased risk of asthma, heart attacks, strokes and even cancer.”

Studies have found that the ultrafine particles, which by definition are smaller than 0.1 microns, represent more than 90 percent of airborne pollution, thus the need for a filter like the HealthPro Plus that can handle these super tiny particles.

“IQAir is the first and only home air purifier proven to filter ultrafine particles all the way down to 0.003 microns - the smallest particles that exist,” Midwinter explained. “These are 100 times smaller than what ordinary HEPA filters can stop.”

While it is not uncommon for residences and businesses to have indoor air purifiers, many are simply not doing an adequate job. Ordinary air purifiers may remove only 5 to 10 percent of indoor air pollutants because they are missing the ultrafine particles. The HealthPro Plus Air Purifier, on the other hand, removes more than 99.5 percent of the pollutants in the air. Clearly, the wrong choice in an air purifier can have serious health consequences.

According to the company’s website, the HealthPro Plus is IQAir’s best-selling room air purifier. It is suited for home use, as well as businesses and other establishments that are known for having high levels of contaminants in the air, such as beauty and nail salons, schools, and art studios.

Twisted ethics of an expert witness

Earlier this year, a four-page document with a bland title, "Stipulation for Dismissal with Prejudice," was filed in a civil matter percolating on the King County Courthouse's ninth floor. Hardly anyone took notice. Most everyone had moved on.

But that document — filed by lawyers tangled up in the estate of Stuart Greenberg, a nationally renowned psychologist whose life ended in scandal — signaled the end of a tortuous undertaking.

Greenberg had proved such a toxic force — a poison coursing through the state's court system — that it took more than three years for lawyers and judges to sift through his victims and account for the damage done.

For a quarter century Greenberg testified as an expert in forensic psychology, an inscrutable field with immense power. Purporting to offer insight into the human condition, he evaluated more than 2,000 children, teenagers and adults. His word could determine which parent received custody of a child, or whether a jury believed a claim of sexual assault, or what damages might be awarded for emotional distress.

At conferences and in classrooms, in Washington and beyond, he taught others to do what he did. He became his profession's gatekeeper, quizzing aspirants, judging others' work, writing the national-certification exam. His peers elected him their national president.

But his formidable career was built upon a foundation of hypocrisy and lies. In the years since Greenberg's death, while court officials wrestled over his estate, The Seattle Times worked to unearth Greenberg's secrets, getting court records unsealed and disciplinary records opened.

Those records are a testament to Greenberg's cunning. They show how he played the courts for a fool. He played state regulators for a fool. He played his fellow psychologists for a fool. And were it not for a hidden camera, he might have gotten away with it.

In summer 1984, Cathy Graden, a 27-year-old surgical nurse from Woodinville, was summoned to King County Superior Court for an emergency hearing in her child-custody case.

Her lawyer said a psychologist's report was behind the hearing. But Graden wasn't allowed to read the report. Nor was she allowed in the courtroom while the psychologist testified.

The psychologist, Stuart Greenberg, had been hired to help resolve a custody dispute involving Graden's only child, a 4-year-old boy whose bright, goopy finger-paintings Graden taped up all over the house.

Although appointed by the court, Greenberg was paid by the parties. He had interviewed the boy and both parents, and run a half-dozen tests with impressive names (the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist, the Michigan Screening Profile of Parenting ... ).

Graden figured she had nothing to fear. She taught Sunday school; she did volunteer work; she had taken care of her son when the boy's father moved to Alaska after the couple's divorce. "I thought there was no way I could possibly lose this," she says.

Greenberg had arrived in Seattle five years earlier, hired by the University of Washington. A letter written by the department chairman called Greenberg a "last-minute replacement" for a psychology professor who'd resigned. Greenberg's credentials "were on hand," because he'd applied for some other position.

His credentials were acceptable but not extraordinary. He had a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, where his thesis was a word salad: "Stimulus and Response Generalization of Classes of Imitative and Non-imitative Behavior as a Function of Reinforcement, Task, Cues, and Number of Therapists." On Washington's psychology licensing test, one examiner marked Greenberg's professional judgment as "good," his knowledge and skills, "okay."

Teaching, Greenberg earned just $15,300 his first year. His second year, he was assigned only a single evening class. He left the university and moved into private practice. He picked up court appointments in Western Washington as a custody investigator, expert evaluator, arbiter, mediator, guardian ad litem, special master. He became enmeshed in the court system, buddying up to lawyers, judges, fellow experts.

On the stand, he radiated confidence. "He was just kind of a notch above the rest of us," says Nick Wiltz, a fellow forensic psychologist. "He was able to present reports and information in a very powerful way."

But Greenberg also demonstrated dubious judgment and a cavalier attitude toward his ethical obligations, which forbade even the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Wheeze it out

Sedentary lifestyles and sugary, fast food diets have resulted in major health problems that have rocketed in the UAE and the wider Middle East. Apart from heart disease and diabetes, it’s allergies and asthma that are on the rise especially amongst schoolchildren in the country.

According to Dr Ruby Pawankar, President of the World Allergy Organisation, “Scientific studies reveal that the varying situations and the behavioural patterns linked with the so called ‘Westernised’ lifestyle are responsible for the increase in the frequency of asthma attacks amongst the general population. For example, due to stepping up our hygiene and management of infectious diseases, it is hypothesised that even the smallest exposure to contagious agents during infancy can possibly lead to the development of asthma and allergies.”

Following up on a similar train of thought, some studies have shown that exposure to markers linked with contagious and infectious agents like endotoxins, farm animals and pets can lessen the possibility of such ailments. Dietary changes among people across the board, including in pregnant women and children, over the years, as an offshoot of surplus food, have also resulted in allergies to different substances.

“Even two decades ago, we did not have such an enormous number of allergies and health problems. Today’s youngsters, especially children, are allergic to something or the other, if in one household you hear about an allergy to peanuts, elsewhere you are told the child is allergic to milk and can only have soya milk, I remember as kids we never used to have a care in the world about allergies of any sort, and simply ate and drank what we liked,” says Jwala Krishnan, a sales manager in her late thirties.

The UAE National Strategy & Action Plan for Environmental Health 2010 which was developed by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, has recommended that the country must aim to reduce pollutant levels and human exposure to pollutants, improve data quantity and availability, improve scientific understanding of environmental risks, build sustainable human and institutional capacity, support urban development that promotes environmental health and improve environmental awareness.

Dr Bassam Mahboub, Assistant Professor at Sharjah University and Head of Allergy & Respiratory Medicine at Dubai Hospital, avers that “While we don’t as yet have airborne allergies studies done in the right way, the prevalence (of asthma and allergic rhinitis) is high. People who sniff and sneeze daily usually ‘live with it’ and don’t think it’s a disease until they get sinusitis or asthma.”

Health and environment studies have found that indoor air pollutants, basically indoor allergens, like mould spores, dust-mite allergens, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds, indoor generated particles and carbon monoxide can influence the respiratory system and can cause or aggravate the symptoms of asthma.

Similarly, long-term exposure to combustion related fine particulate air pollution is another significant environmental risk factor for respiratory diseases like asthma. Apart from adopting a healithier lifestyle Dr Mahboub also suggests that regular cleaning of A/C ducts and filters need to be undertaken, before the pollen season which is summer. Besides cleaning ducts and filters, he also recommends removing allergens from the air, as cleaning alone does not effectively kill germs and microbes.

Mihir Patel, CEO of Amancorp, regional distributors for Airfree, a European air purifier brand, points out that, “Air purifiers are a dime a dozen in the market, but when you choose one, make sure that it helps to remove dust-mite allergens, pet dander, pollen, mould and mildew spores. An air purifier is a household essential just like having an air conditioner or a washing machine.”

According to Joel Mayor, general manager of Saniservice, a Swiss disinfection and cleaning service company, which was also the first to be accredited by the Dubai Municipality, two things motivated Saniservice to launch its unique concept of disinfection — the lack of maintenance and service in Dubai and the awareness of the very poor indoor air quality keeping people in continuous discomfort. “We chose a medical grade bio-sanitiser with similar strength as an existing disinfectant product, but without its harmful side-effects. Not only is it eco-friendly, but ‘human-friendly’ as well,” says Mayor.

“People do recognise that they cannot live anymore in such badly maintained properties. The ducts and filters are often the tip of the iceberg, albeit being a major part of the problem; we have though, a much greater concern for the Fan Coil Unit (FCU) which is the heart of the system, where the fungi and bacteria breed freely and invade the bedrooms and living spaces.” He adds that once AC filters and ducts had been thoroughly cleaned, they need to be re-serviced only in 18 to 24 months.

Stressing the need to keep interiors well-ventilated as a matter of course, Mayor points out that insulated space are a veritable breeding ground for allergies, and lead to a complete deterioration of the indoor air quality. “Remember you are what you breathe, so choose to be responsible about your A/C units and living spaces,” he says.