A DIY air filtration device-making activity was conducted at the UP Diliman Institute of Civil Engineering Main Building last September 29, 2022.
The filter device, called the Corsi-Rosenthal box, comprises a box fan or exhaust fan and four MERV-13 furnace filters taped together using duct tape. As conceptualized by Professor Richard Corsi of the University of California Davis, the air the fan draws in passes through the filter, resulting in filtered air being blown out of the fan. Texas Air Filter CEO Jim Rosenthal conceptualized the four-furnace-filter scheme to reduce pressure resistance. The Corsi-Rosenthal box offers filtration that captures SARS-CoV-2-laden aerosols in classrooms and other indoor spaces, reducing the risk of Covid-19.
As the University of the Philippines gears itself to allow 100% face-to-face classes, a hierarchy of measures will be implemented to eliminate and reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection. Covid-19 is an airborne disease. It’s all about the air that we breathe that leads to infection. Therefore, the measures aim to ensure that the air within campus facilities is clear of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2. Ventilation provides constant indoor air replacement with fresh air. Filtration offers an alternative for airconditioned spaces as the indoor air is instead filtered through the electrostatic properties of the filters. Good filtering and well-fitted masks provide the exact mechanisms of filtration as a personal protective layer.
This activity hopes for more Corsi-Rosenthal boxes to be made in the future for classrooms to ensure the safety of our students and faculty.
