• Land and Housing Review
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.93-98
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• 2020

This study examined the particulate removal performance of three different types of air filters inside a heat exchanger. Of interest was the ability of each filter type in reducing the transmission of outdoor particulate matter of PM10 from entering an apartment while the heat exchanger was in operation. The study tested one commonly used medium filter (E11 grade) and two HEPA filters (H13 grade) of different thicknesses. Two different concentrations of particulate matter were used in the experiment to address different ambient air quality conditions in Korea, 32.75 ㎍/㎥ and 67.26 ㎍/㎥. Study results indicated that under the particulate matter concentration of 32.75 ㎍/㎥, all three filters were capable of removing more than 95% of the fine dust. However at a particulate matter concentration of 67.26 ㎍/㎥, the medium E11 grade filter was only able to remove about 90% of the particulates whereas the HEPA H13 grade filters were able to remove 95% or more of the particulates. The thicker HEPA filter (40T) was also more effective in removing particulates than the thinner HEPA filter (20T) by about 1.6 to 3 percentage points. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that HEPA filters of 20T thickness or greater be used during the high air pollution seasons of winter and spring in Korea while medium filters can be used during the other seasons to reduce outdoor air pollution transmission indoors.