In Geneva, in 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially released a new version of the Global Indoor Air Quality Guidelines, which for the first time explicitly recommends that countries mandate the installation of high-efficiency air filters in public places such as schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. It requires air purification equipment in public places to have a PM2.5 filtration efficiency of ≥ 95% (corresponding to HEPA H13 level) and a virus aerosol filtration efficiency of ≥ 99.5% (recommended for ULPA level). It is explicitly prohibited to use products that rely solely on non physical filtration technologies such as electrostatic precipitators and negative ions, as they may generate secondary pollution such as ozone. In addition to traditional medical facilities, schools, subway stations, shopping malls, and office buildings will be included in the mandatory purification scope for the first time, and it is recommended that low-income countries implement it in stages. The equipment is required to be equipped with PM2.5, CO ₂, and formaldehyde sensors, and the data must be publicly displayed or monitored online to ensure transparency. To address the increasingly severe issues of air pollution and the spread of respiratory diseases. This milestone document is expected to reshape the global air purification industry landscape, driving technological upgrades and market explosion.
The burden of diseases related to environmental and household air pollution exposure in contemporary times is not only enormous, but also constantly increasing. Part of the reason is due to increased exposure in low – and middle-income countries, and another part is due to the rapid increase in the global prevalence of non communicable diseases caused by population aging and lifestyle changes. In particular, air pollution has increased the incidence rate and mortality of non communicable cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, which are the main causes of global mortality; It also increases the disease burden of lower respiratory tract infections, as well as premature birth and other causes of death in children and infants, which remain the main causes of disease burden in low – and middle-income countries.
The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 7 million people die prematurely primarily due to non communicable diseases, which are the result of the combined effects of environmental and household air pollution. The global assessment of environmental air pollution alone shows that billions of healthy life years are lost globally each year, with low – and middle-income countries bearing the greatest burden of environmental air pollution diseases. Although the air quality in high-income countries has gradually improved, the concentrations of several pollutants in many regions still exceed the 2005 World Health Organization air quality guidelines. In 2019, over 90% of the global population lived in areas with pollutant concentrations exceeding the PM ₂ specified in the 2005 World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines Long term exposure level. Most low – and middle-income countries have experienced widespread deterioration in air quality due to large-scale urbanization and economic development that heavily rely on inefficient combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, inefficient use of residential fuels, and industry. However, the gap in air pollution exposure worldwide is widening, especially as low – and middle-income countries are facing increasing levels of air pollution.
The WHO Guidelines are not only a health policy document, but also a “turning point” for the global air purification industry – upgrading from optional consumer goods to infrastructure. In the next 5-10 years, enterprises with technological reserves, green sustainable solutions, and intelligent capabilities will become market leaders, while brands that fail to keep up with standards will be eliminated. For investors, areas such as medical grade purification, intelligent monitoring, and innovative filter materials deserve special attention.
Post time: Mar-26-2025