Room or portable air cleaners (R/PACs)—often called air purifiers—are devices designed to remove airborne particles from the air, including infectious aerosols. Most R/PACs use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, which are highly effective at capturing contaminants.

When properly sized and strategically placed, R/PACs can significantly reduce airborne contaminant concentrations. This reduction lowers the risk of disease transmission in classrooms, offices, health care facilities, and other occupied indoor environments while enhancing biosecurity.

According to a life cycle cost analysis conducted by PNNL, R/PACs rank among the most cost-effective solutions for schools seeking to meet infectious aerosol control targets.

PNNL’s research on R/PACs includes real-world performance evaluations, product testing, acoustics research to address noise-related barriers, and techno-economic analyses.