According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.5 percent of lung cancer patients die due to exposure to carcinogens from indoor air pollution. Pneumonia, COPD, TB and other illnesses have also been linked to indoor air pollution and cause an additional 2 million premature deaths a year.
So how can we help reduce the amount of indoor air pollutants? Installing air filters, to start. An air filter is a device used to purify air from unwanted waste materials (such as dust) and microbes. Many countries like the USA, China, and Japan have already heavily adopted air filters, which will continue to drive market growth at a CAGR of 4.78 percent for the 2012-2016 period.
Even though many parts of the world already filter their indoor air, around 3 billion people in developing countries worldwide use solid fuels (wood, charcoal, fuel tablets, etc.) to cook and heat their homes. Using solid fuels without proper air filtration leaves the chemicals, smoke and dust that burns off to circulate in the air we breathe. If we hope to improve global indoor air quality, there must be changes from both vendors and consumers.
Many air filter manufacturers have already aimed at developing products which will encourage air filter adoption. A new type of air filter called HEPA filters are capable of removing about 99.97 percent of unwanted air particles. Unfortunately HEPA use has been slow growing among residential users because many existing HVAC systems don’t support them. However, the recent boom in the global construction industry is expected to have a huge impact on HEPA filter adoption as more buildings are constructed with HEPA compatible HVAC systems.
Government bodies like the European Union and The US have made stringent rules to regulate pollution and reduce toxic gas emissions and radioactive pollution levels from industries. This has created more demand for air filters in most industry buildings. Large fines and penalties await those who do not adhere to these regulations, which is why end-users are jumping at air filter technology.
It is clear that the Air Filter market has a lot of room for improvement. Vendors must continue developing effective, affordable and practical air filter technology if they hope to attract the remaining population who have yet to adopt filters. Responsibility also falls on end-users to reduce their air pollution by installing filters and changing them regularly. The good news is that with as countries continue opting for green-energy solutions to lower emissions, air filters will always be in demand since they are an inevitable part of HVAC systems, and this will drive the market in the years to come.
For more information, view our 2012-2016 Global Air Filter Market report.
