Air filters have been known to capture viruses and a lot of other nasty microscopic things, so take special care when changing one out in the cab.
That advice comes from leading air filtration expert Dr. Jeffrey Siegel, professor of Civil and Mineral Engineering at the University of Toronto.
“There are articles in the literature where people have taken virus DNA and RNA off of filters, and I myself have taken fungal and bacterial DNA off of filters so we know filters can be active microbiologically,” Siegel explained.
What’s not clear, Siegel said, is the level of risk in handling such filters which can vary depending on things like filter efficiency, air quality and filter changing regimen. Nonetheless, in the wake of COVID-19 as commercial trucks continue to hit the road at various places along the way, Siegel advises that it’s best to err on the side of caution.
“Wear gloves,” Siegel advised when removing a filter. “Do it with the doors and windows open so that there’s a lot of air flow from the outside in, put it in a sealed bag and get rid of it. Again, I’m not sure there’s an actual risk there, but those are all easy steps to do and if there is a risk, it deals with it.”
Will increasing the frequency of cabin air filter changes help?
“So this is a really interesting issue,” Siegel said. “First, I should say I don’t know. The second thing I would say is that most of what that filter’s collecting is traffic pollution and other things, and also things related to activities in the cabin. But we’re not really worried about this as a virus risk. Having said that, filters really do collect lots of nasty stuff.”
