Air filtration for your archive

Base your filter choice on what you need to remove from the store air. Particle filters catch dust; gases need their own filter media. The medium is the material in the filter that holds the dust or gas.

Use the archive air requirements when you discuss a design. Ask the designer to explain the filter stages and which substance each one targets.

Particles: choosing a filter class

ISO 16890 groups particle filters by how well they capture particles of different sizes. Its classes include ePM1 and ePM10.

Ask which class your store needs and how your air test results support that choice. Agree the air quality you want to achieve. Check the filter dimensions and the space needed to replace it.

Gases: carbon and chemical media

Gas filters may use activated carbon. Treating carbon with chemicals can also allow it to bind gases through a reaction. Match the medium to the gases in your store.

Provide your readings for each gas. Ask which medium is suited to those results. The quote should explain why the design needs one gas filter stage or several. Ask for reasons specific to your store before you accept a fixed set of stages.

Where the filters go

Air treatment can be fitted in an air-handling unit or combined with one. Article 51 of the Dutch Archiefregeling requires cleaning of fresh air and of air that goes back into the store. Its source is in Dutch; use the Dutch legal values as a reference.

Ask for a drawing with the filter positions and airflow direction marked. Check where you can sample air on each side of a filter. Discuss access for replacement and how to test performance once the new filter is in place.

Agree how to check the result

Set up an air sampling plan before you choose the filters. Agree which substances the lab will test for and which targets it will assess. Include details of your current air handler when you ask for a filter quote.