New standards for better efficiency
About the standards
ISO 16890 has replaced EN 779
The air filters used for general ventilation were previously classed under the European standard EN 779
WHY A NEW FILTRATION STANDARD?
Because it is better able to inform people about how to protect themselves from fine particles, it was established in response to the WHO’s recommendations on the dangers of air pollution. This enables a more accurate picture of indoor air quality.
The new ISO 16890 standard focuses on filter efficiency on different sizes of fine particles (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10). This makes it a much more practical standard on the subject than the theoretical EN 779:2012 which used 0.4 micron particles to measure the efficiency of M5 to F9 filters.
WHAT’S CHANGED?
Since the new ISO 16890 filter standard was introduced, filtration efficiency is now determined based on the different sizes of fine particles (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10). This means people know exactly how they are protected and from which particles.
WHAT DOES PM1 MEAN?
The abbreviation PM1 corresponds to all fine particles smaller than 1 micron.
ISO 16890 – A NEW GROUP CLASSIFICATION
The new ISO 16890 standard separates air filters into four groups. The standard requires filters to achieve a minimum efficiency of 50% for the target particle size. For instance, if a filter traps more than 50% of PM1 particles, it will be classed as an ISO ePM1 filter