Safeguarding Indoor Air: The Essential Role of Carbon Filtration Against Wildfire Smoke
As wildfires become more frequent and severe, indoor air quality (IAQ) is a growing concern in commercial buildings. Smoke can travel long distances carrying toxic gases, odors, and fine particles making IAQ an issue hundreds or even thousands of miles from the fires.
Properly maintained HVAC systems in commercial buildings like schools, healthcare facilities, and data centers are great at eliminating dust and allergens. However, they struggle to filter out the dangerous chemicals and gases produced by wildfires. This is where carbon filtration comes into play—providing an essential way to ensure cleaner, safer indoor air.
What Makes Wildfire Smoke So Dangerous?
Wildfire smoke is composed of a dangerous combination of ultra-fine particles (PM2.5) and toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, benzene, and formaldehyde, all of which are examples of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These airborne pollutants are small enough to evade standard filters and penetrate indoor environments. Once they enter, they can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat; persistent headaches and fatigue; worsened asthma or other respiratory issues; and even difficulty focusing and reduced comfort in the workplace.
How Carbon Filtration Combats Wildfire Smoke
Not all filters are up to the task of wildfire smoke. While standard filters can handle larger particles like pollen and dust, they are not designed to catch the invisible stuff like smoke particles, gases, and odors from wildfires. Carbon filters, on the other hand, work using adsorption, which is where pollutants adhere to the surface of the filter rather than passing through it. The activated carbon used in these filters has an incredibly porous structure giving it a very large surface area that's ideal for trapping harmful gases and odors. As smoky air passes through the filter, all the harmful gases, VOCs, and odors stick to the carbon instead of circulating into your indoor environment. This not only improves IAQ but also helps your HVAC system run more efficiently.
How we can help prepare Your Building
If your facility isn’t already using carbon filtration, now is the time to act. ATL Filtration™ can help you get started with our free Aire-Assist consultations. NAFA® Certified Air Filter Specialists will provide an analysis of your facility’s IAQ and recommend the best carbon filtration upgrades for your space. Carbon filters can also be paired with MERV 13+ or HEPA filters to capture those finer smoke particles offering an even more comprehensive protection against wildfire smoke and all airborne pollutants. To enhance your air quality strategy even further ATL Filtration also provides IAQ monitoring tools providing real-time data which help to ensure filters are replaced regularly and extra protection is added where it’s needed most.
In Conclusion
With wildfire smoke becoming more widespread, maintaining good air quality in your building is more important than ever. Carbon filtration is one of the most effective methods to eliminate harmful gases, VOCs, and odors, improving air quality, building efficiency, and overall comfort inside. Whether you’re just getting started or seeking to upgrade your current setup, our team is ready to recommend the best carbon filtration solutions and support you throughout.
Don’t wait until smoke makes its way indoors!
Contact ATL Filtration today to schedule your free Aire-Assist consultation and take the first step toward cleaner, healthier indoor air.