IISc Bengaluru develops air filtration technology mitigating air borne infection

Research team at Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru(IISc) developed germ destroying air filters using ingredients found in green tea.

The team led by Professor Suryasarathi Bose and Professor Kaushik Chatterjee developed the air filters by using polyphenols and polycatonic polymers found in green tea.

The novel antimicrobial air filters were tested at the NABL Accredited Laboratory and said to be found to deactivate SARS-CoV-2 (delta variant) with an efficiency of 99.24%.

The newly developed air filter can deactivate the germs by ‘self-cleaning’ them out of the system. These filters can be fitted in ACs, central ducts and air purifiers can play a crucial role in our fight against air pollution and mitigate the spread of air-borne pathogens like Coronaviruses. These ‘green’ ingredients rupture the microbes through site-specific binding, a release stated.

The research was supported by special grants from Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB) during COVID-19 pandemic and SERB-Technology Translation Awards (SERB-TETRA) funds and a patent has already been filed.

“Over continuous usage, the existing air filters become a breeding ground for captured germs. The growth of these germs clogs the pores of the filter, reducing the life of the filters. Resuspension of these germs can infect people in the vicinity. This technology was transferred to AIRTH, a startup that is replacing the existing germ-growing air filters with germ-destroying air filters for commercialization.

As this innovation holds promise to develop antimicrobial filters that can prevent endemics caused by air-borne pathogens, a patent was granted in 2022,” a release stated. 

According to a report by University of Chicago impure air might make lives shorter, to the extent that Indians lose 5-10 years of their lives because of air-borne contaminants leading to respiratory diseases, adversely affecting physical health as well as mental health.