Clean Air Doesn’t Mean Safe Air

By Verghese V Joseph –

Imagine a world where the air you breathe not only keeps you healthy but also enhances your overall well-being. In our fast-evolving world, where technology constantly reshapes what’s possible, few things are as vital as the air we breathe.

With a mission to ensure that the world is a better and safer place to live and breathe better air, especially in these very uncertain times, a team of passionate engineers and inventors in Singapore’s Plasma Science Pte Ltd, in collaboration with Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, came up with the Trident range of products.

Trident first came to life when the company’s founders found themselves frustrated by the market’s lack of quality air filters. Given that most commercial air filters only removed some harmful substances from the air, these devices were only providing customers with a false sense of security. Hence, this is why the Trident team decided to tackle the problem head-on and develop their own solutions. All of which allow customers to enjoy a 360-degree zone of continuous protection – thus keeping them safe at all times.

Samuel Teh, Co-Founder of Plasma Science, is at the forefront of a dedicated team of engineers, scientists, and technology enthusiasts striving to combat the spread of viruses in Singapore. With nearly two decades of experience, Samuel has established himself as an innovative leader known for developing and executing business strategies that drive revenue growth, expand marketshare, and enhance operational efficiency across diverse industries.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Samuel is deeply committed to nurturing and empowering the next generation of leaders in the air purification and indoor air quality arena. His unwavering passion for innovation and his dedication to creating a cleaner, safer environment serve as driving forces behind his work at Plasma Science. In a chat with AsiaBizToday, Samuel shares his mission to revolutionise the way we perceive and attain clean, breathable air within our indoor spaces. Excerpts:

ABT: Please tell us what drew you to indoor air quality management?

Samuel: We started off as a passion project between us and some scientists in A*STAR (IMRE) to study ways and explore new technologies that can mitigate the risk of virus (COVID-19, in this case) transmission. We chanced upon some new and exciting ones and we put them together and developed what we have now, Safe Air Dome technology. Got us very excited, because the rate of killing is super fast (98% reduction in under 15 minutes) and is both safe and beneficial to the occupants in the environment.

Out of sheer curiosity, we decided to collaborate with partners in the agriculture sector and were astounded by the remarkable improvements in plant growth when using our technology. If it’s beneficial for plants, we thought, it could also offer advantages for humans.

The pivotal moment arrived when we were challenged to elevate our project beyond the scope of a typical school project, and instead, scale up production, assist others, and transform it into a profitable business. We realised that our technology could not only mitigate the risk of virus transmission but also address issues like haze, influenza, HFMD, and more. The rest, as they say, is history

ABT: Safe clean air is as important to our health as safe drinking water, what is the ideal indoor air quality?

Samuel: You’re right, Safe clean air is crucial for our well-being. However, it’s imperative to understand that ‘Clean Air doesn’t mean Safe Air’. Through our extensive testings at various locations ie SMRT, public spaces, toilets, childcare centres, lifts, etc, we notice that some places equipped with air purifiers produce different indoor air quality readings. Here are 2 examples:

One with a conventional (mechanical filter) air purifier, the environment may have low PM10, and PM2.5 readings, but have very high levels of PM1.0, VOCs, Formaldehyde and bacteria and fungus, this brings us to say that the air is clean (from haze), but not safe from virus and other smaller allergens.

Many users do not replace the HEPA filters regularly, producing negative effects on the environment and on the occupants instead. The filters become breeding grounds for bacteria, and fungus, and hence, become secondary pollutants.

ABT: What would you say are the symptoms of poor air quality? What are the other factors that affect Indoor Air Quality?

Samuel: Poor ventilation, stuffy room, a musty smell is usually a sign of bacteria and mould infestation and occupants tend to get sick and pass it on to others in the same room.

Other factors that influence indoor air quality (IAQ) include ventilation, humidity control, temperature, as well as new furniture and paint that release formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the environment. Ensuring regular maintenance of air conditioning (or HVAC) and air purifiers is crucial to prevent them from becoming sources of secondary pollutants.

ABT: To address indoor air quality, significant policy changes are needed to rapidly increase the number of people with access to clean fuels and technologies by 2030 to address health inequities, achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and mitigate climate change.
Your thoughts?

Samuel: Access to clean fuels and technologies significantly impacts indoor air quality. Clean fuels, such as natural gas or electricity, and modern technologies, like energy-efficient stoves and heating systems, produce fewer indoor air pollutants. These technologies result in reduced emissions of harmful substances, including particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds. As a consequence, better indoor air quality is achieved, leading to improved health, especially for those living in areas with poor ventilation.

This shift to clean fuels and technologies aligns with the goals of addressing health disparities, advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and mitigating climate change.

ABT: At Plasma Science, how do you go about shaping the future of indoor air quality, ensuring a healthier and safer world for both current and future generations?

Samuel: Our mission is to provide users worldwide with the freedom to breathe safe clean air. We are continuously innovating and improving our technology. Partnering with one of the world’s best airports, Singapore Changi Airport, we are developing solutions that are not only easy to deploy but also able to be pandemic-proof against Disease X in future. We are also working with scientists at A*STAR to develop the world’s first real-time bacteria sensor that will work in tandem with our ‘Safe Air Dome’ technology, to eliminate air-borne virus in the shortest time possible.

We believe everyone should have access to clean, safe air. Hence, our development team is constantly working with our manufacturing and distribution partners to reduce total supply chain costs so as to offer our solutions to every part of the world.