COVID-19 and Schools
Colorado District Adopts Tech to Reduce Viruses in the Air
A school district
near Denver, CO where students have returned to in-person instruction
has deployed a technology in its classrooms and common areas with the
aim of killing viruses in the air and on surfaces. The deployment was
funded by a Safe Schools Reopening Grant, a one-time, $15 million
program offered through the Colorado Department of Education in
conjunction with the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment.
The district, Adams
14, installed 427 Synexis Spheres throughout its campuses. These
convert elements in the air into “Dry Hydrogen Peroxide,” which
circulates throughout rooms and corridors to kill microbes in the air
and on surfaces.
According to Synexis
LLC, which manufactures the Spheres: “Synexis is the sole
developer of the process by which naturally occurring oxygen and
humidity in the air is converted to Dry Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) or
DHP. This unique, patented technology reduces viruses, bacteria,
mold, odors, and insects both in the air and on surfaces, without
relying on the exchange of air, while still continuously flowing
through any indoor space without students or staff leaving the room.
The oxygen and humidity flow across a fiber mesh called a sail. The
sail creates a photo-catalytic reaction (a chemical reaction
involving the absorption of light) that helps break the two molecules
apart before putting them back together as DHP. Once DHP is actively
introduced, it continually circulates through the occupied space. DHP
is added to standard cleaning and helps reduce microbial
contamination in air, on surfaces and in hard to reach areas of a
room. Synexis technology is environmentally friendly and non-ozone
producing.”
The installation was
handled by Trane
as part of a project “to improve indoor air quality across the
district without negatively affecting energy efficiency and operating
costs.”
“We commend the
Adams 14 school district for going the extra mile to improve the
quality of air in its schools — and for the smart, quick actions
from school officials to leverage available funding solutions,”
said Jim Knutson, director, integrated solutions, Trane Technologies,
in a prepared statement. “Trane is proud to support the district’s
comprehensive measures to mitigate risk of airborne exposures for a
safer in person learning environment. Long-term investments in indoor
air quality will benefit students, staff and building occupants for
years, well beyond the immediate threat of this pandemic.”
Adams 14 has 900
employees and serves 6,000 students in 13 schools in Commerce City,
CO, located just outside Denver.