Albertans finding innovative ways to filter out wildfire smoke
Posted May 18, 2023 2:46 pm.
Last Updated May 19, 2023 12:20 am.
Parts of Alberta got a break from smoky conditions Thursday after three days of wildfire smoke filling the air.
Some people are going DIY when it comes to protecting their breathing, using high rated furnace filters.
“These four filters, they tape them together, they stick in a cheap box fan on top—box fan is blowing up. It’s pulling air in through all these filters and that can give you really efficient air cleaning,” explained Robert Fantinatto, air purify box builder.
Fantinatto and his son found a way to streamline and sell this box out of Toronto that uses a pc fan to pull in air an purify it with merv 13 filters.
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He says that while anyone can find instructions to build one online, the cheap alternative to other forms of air purification came out of the pandemic.
“The idea is, if people aren’t going to wear a mask, maybe we can just clean the air, ventilation is one aspect of it, but also air quality. Actually purifying the air,” he explained.
When it comes to what Albertans can do in the short term to protect their lungs from wildfire smoke, Alberta Health Services telling says that disposable masks do not protect from smoke, while N95 masks work only slightly better when combined with staying indoors and cleaning indoor air.
