Paper Title
Increase in Allergic Rhinitis, Asthma and Respiratory Ailments, AHPCO® and Plasma Nanotechnology as the Remedy for Improving the Indoor Air Quality by Reducing the Indoor Aeroallergen and Particle Counts

Abstract
Worldwide allergy and asthma cases are on the rise1. The primary concern of the present decade is air pollution as aerosols in the form of Particulate Matter (PM), also known as particulate pollution. The most dangerous particulate matters are those which are less than 10 micrometers, because when inhaled, they can reach deep down into the lungs and enter into the bloodstream. Studies on improvement of indoor air quality are extremely important to maintain a good health. This study focused on the identification and enumeration of aeroallergens in the outdoor air of the Texas Panhandle and on the efficiency of AHPCO®and Bi-Polar technologies on the decay of particulate matter2. The year-round aeroallergen data are important to aid in diagnosis of specific allergies and asthma cases. The aeroallergens were collected using a Burkard Volumetric Spore Trap (UK) placed on the third floor roof of the Agricultural and Natural Sciences building at the West Texas A&M University. The trap rotates with the direction of the wind and collects the aeroallergens on the Melinex tape placed on the drum. The tape was stained with 2% Safranin and mounted with PVA mountant. The samples were examined, counted, and photographed using a BX-40 Olympus microscope attached to a DP-70 Digital Camera. Image Pro Plus software was used to analyze the captured images allowing us to record the measurements (diameter and area) of the aeroallergens facilitating their characterization1. Particulate matters in the air, especially PM2.5, are a growing problem with the ever increasing atmospheric pollution. AHPCO®and Bi-Polar technologies from Air Oasis was tested against the decay rate, or the destruction of the particulate matter present in the chamber air per unit of time, of particulate matter to improve overall air quality. A fiber glass chamber was used to evaluate the rate of the decay of aerosol as a function of time before and after using the AHPCO®nanotechnology in an air purifier 3000 and the plasma nanotechnology in a Bi-Polar unit.Illite NX powder was used as a sample of aerosol since it has a similar mineralogical composition to atmospheric mineral dust. The 12 mg/cubic meter of powder was dispersed in the chamber through an inlet. A DustTrack 8520 spectrometer was connected to the chamber by an outlet through which it quantified the concentration and evaluated the rate of the decay of the dust particles over a time period. A DustTrack 8520 spectrometer evaluates the rate of decay of the particulate matters. The air purification system, developed with novel AHPCO® and plasma nanotechnology, efficiently reduced the indoor particulate matters in course of progressive time intervals. AHPCO® and Bi-Polar units degraded high and low concentrations of aerosol at approximately the same rate of decay. The high concentration rate of decay was faster by 0.00049mg/m3*s with the experimental trial with Bi-Polar unit compared to 0.0001mg/m3*s with AHPCO®thereby indicating that the Bi-Polar was slightly more efficient in terms of reducing the concentration of the particulate matter in the indoor air. This technology can be used at various facilities like residential homes, hospitals, offices and restaurants to improve the indoor air quality by reducing the concentration of particulate matters present in the air2. Index Terms - PM2.5, Advanced Hydrated Photo-Catalytic Oxidation (AHPCO®) nanotechnology, Bi-Polar plasma nanotechnology, IAQ, Air Oasis air purifiers, pollen and fungal spore Count.