Indoor Air sciences CSMI Practice Exam

What type of air filters are typically used to control particulate contaminants?

1. HEPA filters

2. Carbon filters

3. Electrostatic filters

4. Fiberglass filters

The correct answer is: HEPA filters

HEPA filters are specifically designed to capture a wide range of particulate contaminants, making them highly effective in improving indoor air quality. HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air, and these filters can trap particles as small as 0.3 microns with an efficiency rate of 99.97%. This makes them particularly useful in environments where controlling allergens, dust, pet dander, and other fine particulates is critical, such as hospitals, laboratories, and homes with allergy sufferers. In contrast, carbon filters are primarily used to absorb gases and odors but are not as effective for particulate matter. Electrostatic filters may capture larger particles due to their charged nature, but they do not consistently reach the efficiency levels of HEPA filters for small particles. Fiberglass filters are generally used for basic air filtering but do not provide the same level of particulate control as HEPA filters. Thus, HEPA filters are the gold standard when it comes to controlling particulate contaminants in the air.