Modern air filtration heavily relies on HEPA filtration technology to purify indoor air from contaminants. And while HEPA filters are effective in filtering out particulate matter (dust, pollen, smoke) and VOCs (volatile organic compounds), HEPA filters fall short in eliminating contaminants in between those size categories.

Particulate matter can range anywhere between 1 micron to 10 microns in size. Things like dust, pollen and smoke fall into the particulate matter category. These contaminants can be effectively filtered through the capture filtration method used by HEPA filters.

VOCs are gaseous compounds that are smaller than 0.1 microns in size and they are invisible to a human eye. Dangerous VOCs like formaldehyde originate from furnishing materials found in homes, such as lacquers, paints and in carpets. VOCs are filtered through diffusion and are effectively adsorbed by activated carbon or similar porous materials.

However, both methods of filtration fall short of capturing matter between 0.1 microns and 1 micron in size, thereby creating a blind zone for such particles to pass through HEPA filters with ease. Viruses have an average diameter anywhere between 0.02-0.40 microns and do not travel through the air on their own, but require carrier droplets of similar size in order to move. Therefore, HEPA filters fail to target these pathogens. Further, even if a pathogenic particle is captured by the filter, the pathogen stays alive, which can turn the filter into a breeding ground for pathogens.

To address this issue, the Breathe+ team developed a proprietary graphene-based air filtration and purification system. Since graphene has extraordinary antiviral and antibacterial properties, Breathe+ incorporated a graphene coating into its filters. This proprietary graphene coating chemically reacts with an active virus to essentially inactivate the virus and renders it harmless.

Ultimately, an advanced graphene filter is required to achieve the best results and ensure the total purification of indoor air.