A technology developed jointly at IIT Kanpur and IIT Bombay has proven to be a path-breaking innovation against both air pollutants and the corona virus. The technology is named “Anti-Microbial Air Purification Technology,” since it not only purifies the air but destroys germs as well, thereby ensuring complete protection. The technology has been tested at CSIR-IMTECH and has proven to be able to deactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus with an efficacy of 99.9% within just 1 minute.
The world is still not free from the grasp of the deadly corona virus as there are still mutations of the virus happening at intervals. Research from leading universities in the world has found that a combination of air pollution and COVID-19 is far more severe and dangerous. When the pandemic struck, the air purifier industry also saw significant demands and changes. However, it was difficult to achieve a greater level of efficacy while fighting the novel corona virus. This new technology, developed by AiRTH, a startup incubated at the Start-up Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC), IIT Kanpur, has proven to be quite an effective measure in this regard. Now, with the CSIR-IMTECH validation, the technology can be termed pioneering in its efforts to combat COVID.
It was Ravi Kaushik, the CEO and Founder of AiRTH, who realised the limitations of the existing purification technologies while he was pursuing his Masters in Environmental Engineering at IIT Bombay. He nurtured his idea to shape it into a reality. With guidance and support from Prof. Amitabha Bandopadhyay, Professor-in-Charge of the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre, IIT Kanpur, AiRTH was incubated.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, played a crucial role in testing the prototypes, with validation from trusted and respected laboratories like CSIR-NPL and CSIR-CDRI, amongst others.
The relatively novel technology from AiRTH is different from the other similar air purifiers on the market. However, continuous over-usage of the filter medium leads to the filter itself becoming a breeding ground for germs, like a Petri dish. The new technology from AiRTH makes sure that the germs are deactivated due to its plant-based coating on the filters, UV irradiations, and OH (hydroxyl) radicals.