ActivePure Technology is an air and surface purification technology. It has been proven in both laboratory and field testing to quickly reduce bacteria, viruses, mold spores¹, and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) gases² in indoor spaces. It replicates the natural atmospheric cleansing process of photolysis, providing continuous, proactive protection against environmental contamination risks without requiring human intervention. ActivePure Technology is a key component in the ActivePure Medical Guardian, which has been cleared by the FDA as a Class II Medical Device.

ActivePure Technology works by replicating the cleansing power of the sun through a process known as photolysis. Sunlight cleanses the air we breathe by creating hydrogen and oxygen-based molecules that inactivate viruses, bacteria, mold spores, and unwanted gases at the molecular level. ActivePure Technology creates and proactively distributes these same molecules indoors. The molecules are released into the air of a room, traveling safely to quickly inactivate pathogens in the air and on surfaces.

Yes. ActivePure Technology is safe for continuous use in occupied spaces. A 90-day safety study published in PLOS ONE provides direct and comprehensive evidence of the safety of ActivePure’s proprietary photohydrolysis technology.³ The study utilized a murine model due to their physiological similarities to humans. The mice in the study were exposed to therapeutic levels of ActivePure’s Advanced Photohydrolysis Technology. Researchers monitored the mice and conducted detailed histological examinations of respiratory tissues. The key findings included:

• No observable differences in behavior, weight gain, or food consumption between exposed and control mice
• Normal blood chemistry and hematology values in exposed mice
• No evidence of tissue damage, inflammation, or abnormalities in the respiratory tract of exposed mice

Every electronic device has the potential to produce a negligible amount of unintentional ozone. The California Air Resource Board (CARB) requires that air cleaning devices do not produce more than 0.05 ppm of ozone.⁴ Due to the cost of CARB testing, ActivePure only tests specific units that have a viable business case in California. Every ActivePure unit ever tested under CARB standards has passed the testing and shown negligible or non-existent ozone production. The ActivePure Beyond Guardian Air, for instance, has been shown to produce a peak ozone level of 0.0008 ppm—less than 0.02% of CARB’s permissible limit.⁵

According to an extensive study⁶ of ActivePure devices under field conditions, “In all cases, TiO2 levels were found to be below levels of concern”.

Some PCO devices do that, but ActivePure Technology does not — ActivePure Technology is not PCO. While the technologies are similar, ActivePure Technology’s proprietary catalyst allows for the breakdown of VOC gases. And unlike some PCO devices, devices with ActivePure Technology have been shown under CDC recommended UL 2998 procedures to meet zero ozone claim requirements.

No, the CDC “does not provide recommendations for, or against, any manufacturer or product.” They advise consumers that many air cleaning technologies are “emerging.” Thus, consumers should “request testing data that quantitatively demonstrates a clear protective benefit and occupant safety under conditions consistent with the intended use”⁷. ActivePure (founded in 1924) invests millions into regularly testing its products to provide customers with this data. As stated above, ActivePure has been shown to meet CDC guidelines for emerging air disinfection technologies, including UL 2998 zero ozone claim requirements.

Passive air cleaning technologies require that a contaminant first pass through a mechanism in order to be eliminated from the air. For instance, a filter draws air through it to capture contaminants. Passive systems generally work slowly compared to proactive systems. Active purification technologies—such as ActivePure Technology—work by filling the air in a room with active molecules or energy—thereby going to the contaminant. With active technologies, contaminants can be inactivated quickly, even if they are not captured.

ActivePure is a purification technology primarily designed for use against bacteria, viruses, mold spores, and VOC gases. Also, it does inactivate smoke and pollen and helps with dust and dander. Some ActivePure devices also make use of a HEPA filter to further address dust, smoke, pollen, dander, and other particulates.

Generally, we do not disagree with that, which is why we have combined HEPA filtration with ActivePure Technology in our ActivePure Medical Guardian, which has been cleared by the FDA as a Class II Medical Device for use in healthcare settings. With ActivePure, HEPA filtration units can be materially more effective. Most importantly, ActivePure meets all CDC guidelines for emerging air disinfection technologies. This includes documented data under as-used conditions from multiple third-party sources. Moreover, devices with ActivePure Technology have been shown to meet the CDC recommended UL 2998 Environmental Claim Validation Procedure (ECVP) for Zero Ozone Emissions.

ActivePure is not an air filter such as HEPA or MERV 13.

• Filters are passive systems, so they must wait for airborne pathogens to come to them; consequently, they generally do not act quickly
• Filters do not always capture harmful particles; many of which are tiny and may pass through the filter
• Pathogens may not be inactivated by filters; they are merely trapped⁹
• Read more about filters

Corsi-Rosenthal boxes rely on filters and thus are passive technology. This means they must wait for contaminants to pass through the filters in order to be effective. ActivePure Technology is active purification, which means it meets and neutralizes contaminants out in the room.

One must also consider space. The very largest ActivePure machine (designed for large public spaces such as gymnasiums) takes up a little over 2 cubic feet of space. A Corsi-Rosenthal box with a 20-inch box fan would take up over twice that. Because of this, ActivePure Technology can be installed in elevators, buses, cars, and right inside HVAC systems, while Corsi-Rosenthal boxes cannot. Additionally, ActivePure Technology is produced in ISO qualified factories; it is not homemade and susceptible to novice assembly mistakes.

ActivePure is not bipolar ionization.

• Bipolar ionizers use electricity to produce ions; these ions impart an electrical charge to nearby particles, clumping them together and causing them to fall out of the air
• Bipolar ionizers have not been cleared by the FDA and generally do not inactivate pathogens; but their primary goal is to cause particles to fall out of the air and onto surfaces
• Particles that fall to a surface may contain harmful pathogens, and can easily be stirred up once more¹⁰

ActivePure is not a ventilation solution.

• Ventilation is generally a good remedy to dilute pathogens; with some caveats
• Increasing ventilation can be expensive by increasing the amount of outdoor air needing to be heated or cooled; this increases energy costs and carbon footprint
• Outdoor air can also contain contaminants; bringing more outdoor air in at the wrong time of day can potentially increase particulate matter¹¹
• Many older HVAC systems are not designed to materially increase ventilation (or filtration), as a result, increasing ventilation and filtration in indoor spaces may require the replacement of HVAC systems

ActivePure is not UVGI purification.

• Robot-style Whole Room UV light can be effective as a one-time treatment, but has some key disadvantages
• Whole Room UV only treats what is directly exposed to the UV light
• Whole Room UV can only be used in unoccupied rooms as it is harmful to the eyes and skin
• Whole Room UV does nothing to help in occupied rooms if new pathogens are being introduced to the space
• UVGI is a passive technology dependent on the contaminants making their way into direct exposure with the UV light
• It is not easy to calibrate a UVGI system so that it has enough time to inactivate pathogens during the time they are exposed
• UVGI does not reduce unwanted gases¹²
• Read more about ActivePure vs. UVGI

ActivePure is not PCO technology.

• ActivePure is an advanced photohydrolysis technology—not PCO
• Early generation PCO-type air cleaners can generate ozone and VOC gases,¹³ potentially making them unsafe to use in indoor environments—ActivePure does not do this
• PCO is a passive technology

ActivePure is not a chemical surface disinfectant. Rather, it is a system that provides continuous decontamination through replication of the natural process of photolysis.

• Surface disinfectants are chemical agents that can kill or eliminate microorganisms on surfaces only
• Surface disinfectants introduce chemicals into the environment
• Most surface disinfectants do not protect against microbes re-introduced after application
• Surface disinfectants require specific contact time they must remain wet on surfaces to achieve disinfection efficacy
• Surface disinfectants are dependent on human intervention to execute

The ActivePure Surface & Air Guardian¹⁴ successfully inactivated airborne SARS-CoV-2 viral particles to below the detectable limits in 1 minute under laboratory conditions.¹⁵ In real-world application, the same ActivePure Technology was deployed in skilled nursing facilities and observed a 94% reduction in COVID-19 cases among residents over a 6-month period, compared to a 46% increase at matched control facilities that did not receive the technology.¹⁶

Unaffiliated independent laboratories have completed extensive testing to prove that devices with ActivePure Technology—when used as directed—can eliminate up to 99.9% of viruses, bacteria, and mold spores in the air within minutes, and on surfaces within hours. For instance: the ActivePure/Aerus Medical Guardian eliminated 99.99% of Staphylococcus epidermidis Gram-positive Bacteria, Aspergillus niger fungal mold, and Bacillus globigii bacterial mold within 60 minutes or less. See the full list of tested pathogens.

The ActivePure Induct Guardian series was the subject of a clinical study, peer-reviewed and published by the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC). It took place in two separate hospital environments and was proven to reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and fungi on surfaces and floors by 96-99%. Additional observations showed reductions in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) by 70-71% over 12-21 months.¹⁷ Learn more about this peer-reviewed study. Another extensive field study of ActivePure devices¹⁸ in a real-world school setting found that “If used according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and in combination with an appropriate cleaning program, the tested devices [ActivePure Technology] will safely and continuously eliminate viral particles in the air, reduce bacterial loads, and minimize other ambient dusts”.¹⁹

Common guidance suggests increasing ventilation and filtration while only briefly acknowledging what kind of economic impact this might have on energy costs, existing infrastructure, and pathogen reduction outcomes. Building ventilation is a complicated field that requires balancing energy efficiency, temperature, humidity, indoor contaminants, and outdoor contaminants. Regarding the latter, bringing in outside air at the wrong time of day might increase contaminants indoors. ActivePure can provide sensors to monitor and optimize indoor air and the introduction of ventilated outdoor air.

Very quickly. Each induct unit can be installed in less than an hour by your in-house maintenance personnel. Our portable units require no HVAC modifications at all and can begin operating immediately.

Very little. When used as directed, we recommend replacing ActivePure cells once a year; this is comparable to the maintenance of other cleaning technologies. HEPA filters and activated carbon filters in ActivePure units need replacement about once every 6 to 12 months. All these replacements can be performed by in-house personnel in a matter of minutes.

ActivePure devices don’t require installing high-MERV filters which can strain the HVAC system and increase energy costs. Also, most units use less than an amp of power. ActivePure Technology, properly installed and monitored, may also allow for the reduction of heated and cooled outdoor air ventilation and on MERV 12-14 filters.

By installing a solution with a low-carbon footprint that does not leave residual surface chemicals, ActivePure Technology can be an integral part of your organization’s energy and environmental goals. With ActivePure Technology, many clients reduce the ventilation and filtration costs, and attendant energy usage. Your commitment to employee/staff/customer/student peace of mind may also boost your reputation for good governance and social responsibility.