A study of local electrostatic filtration and main pre-filtration on airborne and surface dust levels in air-conditioned office premises.

The impact of electrostatic precipitation as a useful form of particulate filtration in the breathing zone is investigated in an intervention study in an air-conditioned commercial office in central London. Surface dust deposition and airborne dust levels are measured in the open plan zones of two floors--a control floor and a floor where the intervention is effected. The intervention consists of a sequence of weekly scenarios where the main pre-filters of the air-handling unit are switched between new and old filters, and where the electrostatic filters, located as uniformly as practicable on the open plan areas, are switched on or off. This 2 x 2 set of interventions is repeated over 4 cycles. It was found that the breathing zone filtration (BZF) by electrostatic precipitators reduces airborne dust significantly and appears to be more efficient in reducing smaller sized particles. No significant effect of BZF filters in reducing surface dust deposition was detected.