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Q&A
Air filtration systems and challenges in implementing clean air centers
1:04:46
ยท
3 min
Council Member Schulman inquires about air filtration systems in schools and older adult centers, and the potential implementation of clean air centers in NYC. Carolyn Olson and Christina Farrell discuss the challenges and considerations.
- Most air filters can filter fine particulate matter, but specific details about school systems are unknown
- Concerns about implementing clean air centers include:
- Potential increased exposure during travel to centers
- Lack of knowledge about air quality in individuals' homes
- Financial and logistical challenges for existing cooling center partners
- Emergency management officials emphasize the need for more research and consultation with West Coast partners
- The city has made masks available during air quality events but has seen low demand
Lynn C. Schulman
1:04:46
During the COVID nineteen pandemic, certain older adult centers throughout the city as well as public schools were outfitted with air filtration systems.
1:04:53
Do these air filtration systems also operate to filter out particulate matter from wildfire smoke?
Carolyn Olson
1:05:02
So there's a number of different types of filtration systems that can be put into a variety of different places.
1:05:10
Most air filters are designed to do some level of filtration specifically for fine particulate matter.
1:05:22
I can't speak specifically to the ones that were installed in the schools, etcetera.
1:05:29
I I don't know the details of that, but we could check on that if you're if you're interested.
Lynn C. Schulman
1:05:34
Do you know, Christina, or no?
Christina Farrell
1:05:37
I I don't.
1:05:38
I know they have put a lot of things in.
1:05:40
We focus mostly on the generators in schools and, you know, outfitting them for coastal storms, for power outages, for things like that, looking at an all hazards approach.
1:05:50
But they have done a lot of work in this area.
Lynn C. Schulman
1:05:53
Yeah.
1:05:53
Because the reason I'm asking is whether or not they could be used as clean air centers if they do have the filtration.
1:05:59
So maybe that's something to look at.
Carolyn Olson
1:06:02
I I I appreciate the thought.
1:06:04
I think one one thing that I will just reemphasize is regardless of our knowledge of the the quality of the air in a particular center or school or whatever, we still have this issue that we don't know the quality of the place where somebody is at home and they have to leave their home and go outside, which is gonna increase their exposure to get to that location.
Lynn C. Schulman
1:06:30
What I mean, what agency or agencies would be you've already talked about the issues about the I know about the cooling center program, but what agency or agencies would be best equipped if we did this?
Christina Farrell
1:06:48
I think, you know, we would have to look at, like Carrie said, do more research, look, talk to some of our partners on the West Coast.
1:06:58
The difference being that they unfortunately experience wildfires and things at a much larger rate than we do, so this is something that they may have to turn on more often.
1:07:10
You know, then I think outside of some of the challenges that Carrie said, one thing that we fear is as we've said, these cooling centers are really an unfunded mandate.
1:07:21
Right?
1:07:21
That our partners have stepped up and I can't, you know, I can't amplify enough how fantastic the libraries have been, the older adult centers, the community centers, all these places.
1:07:34
But, know, to put more requirements on them, I mean air conditioning is not getting cheaper.
1:07:39
We all all know how much, you know, energy and other things cost.
1:07:44
And so to put another mandate on them and to start to say because I mean there aren't hundreds of community locations that we're not aware of.
1:07:53
Right?
1:07:53
I mean you all know your districts, health department knows, you know, we know.
1:07:57
And so it would really be going back to the same partners, putting more requirements on them, you know, at a very large cost with money that the city probably you know, wants to spend on other programs.
1:08:13
And then again, we don't so we have you know, when that all happened in June of twenty twenty three, we click quickly made masks available at many locations.
1:08:22
We have seen very low demand for that.
1:08:26
And so we don't see that these sites would be utilized.
Lynn C. Schulman
1:08:31
Okay.
1:08:32
I'm gonna that's I'm done with my question.
1:08:35
I'm gonna ask a council member in North Sea.
1:08:38
Has some questions.