3M has now entered the Indian market with its new electrostatic air conditioner filters to control respiratory disorders. The Filtrete which is a 3-in-1 technology pulls in and traps unwanted particles allowing cleaner air to flow throughout home. The American Lung Association is the health partner of 3M air conditioner filters to achieve its mission of saving lives by preventing lung disease.

The filter has been clinically tested for 83% removal rate of particulate matter in one hour of use. It is especially critical for babies, toddlers, young children, elderly and people suffering from respiratory infections to have clean air inside homes.

Sources of indoor air pollution include unvented cooking, humidifiers, household products like paints, cleansers, disinfectants, repellents and dust. The company now highlights the Environmental Protection Agency, US study which indicates about a dozen common organic pollutants to be 2 to 5 times higher1 inside homes than outside.

According to WHO, 4.3 million premature deaths occur annually due to prolonged exposure to indoor air pollution. Bad air quality leads to initial symptoms like coughing, irritation in eyes, asthma or wheezing, tiredness. But prolonged exposure in the long run leads to stroke, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) and lung cancer.

“In light of the growing concern over air quality, we have brought in to the Indian market an easy-to-install and affordable solution enabling existing split- ACs to additionally purify air, Sanjit Satapathy, executive director, consumer business group, 3M India,” told Pharmabiz in an email.

More importantly, it saves expenditure on separate air filters and  purifiers besides occupies no additional space at home, he added. According to the company, the Electrostatic Air Conditioner filter is designed and technologically suited to significantly improve indoor air quality. The Filtrate media which is less than 15% fibre, allows it to clean air while maintaining optimal air flow. It is affordable compared to other carbon and HEPA filters and devices.

The company has tied up with Housejoy in to make units available in select cities of Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad with a free installation for a limited time. The Filter media is made in USA and it is cut and packaged in China, said Satapathy.