Air conditioning systems – do they create a climate that is conducive to mildew and bacteria?
Short-distance public transport: Hygiene in air conditioning systems
The air conditioning system has become a part of the standard equipment in several public modes of transport. Thereby, the air conditioning system of the present day is much more than merely the pleasant cooling off device for the passengers of buses and railways. Beyond an interior temperature of more than 24°C, the physical capability of the driver falls rapidly.
It is particularly in summer-like temperatures that ideal conditions prevail for harmful mildew and bacteria. A large number of people are transported in buses and railway trains, and the quantity of viruses and germs here is particularly high.
Not only hygiene experts but also manufacturers of air conditioning systems are aware of this hazard. An ambience of well-being and the safety of the passengers have the maximum priority. It is with this consideration in mind that Konvekta AG has broken with tradition and subjected its bus air conditioning systems to an independent institution. Various city buses that have been deployed daily for several years have been tested by the "biotec" institute in Guetersloh. In the course of the tests that were conducted over many days, the number of germs in the air and also on the surface of heat exchangers and other components were measured.
The experts arrived at a very interesting conclusion: "The Konvekta bus air conditioning systems do not provide any feeding ground for mildew and bacteria." As a result of the well-executed condensed water outlets and a conscious hygienic placement concept for the components, as well as the cleanliness during the processing and finishing, it is not possible for the germs to settle down in the systems or even to multiply. On the contrary, air fed into the system from the environment reaches the interior of the vehicle only through sensitive filtering technology and is improved as a result. The number of germs that were measured was lower at the blow-off points than at the point of air inflow. In this manner, the systems already contribute to improving the quality of the air.
Konvekta is renowned for innovative ideas and constant progress, and so we should also be curious here about how this subject undergoes advanced development. This is merely the first step towards ensuring the better quality of the air and a healthy climate of well-being in public transport vehicles.