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Good Health Starts With clean air
Air Quality & Health
There are many health effects that can result from inhaling common contaminants on a regular basis. We chose to design Barnakl filters to purify the air from VOCs, particulates, and mold in order to help people everywhere feel an overall boost in their wellbeing and find relief from symptoms like:
- Eye, nose and throat irritation
- Headaches
- Difficulty sleeping
- Lethargy, fatigue and brain fog
- Allergic reactions
- Inflammation
- Respiratory systems
And many more...
Explore the summaries of some of our test results below:
Mold Spore Capture Performance of the Barnakl Fan Filters
ARE LABS PROJECT #: 10981.20 SEPTEMBER 4, 2024
JAMIE BALARASHTI, WESTON SCHAPER, M.S.
AEROSOL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LABORATORIES INC. OLATHE KS
Background: This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of the Barnakl filters when attached to ceiling fans, focusing on how they can improve indoor air quality by reducing the presence of mold spores through particle capture. Mold spores, particularly from black mold (Aspergillus niger), are one of the most common types of indoor contaminants that can affect people’s health. Poor indoor air quality is known to contribute to various health issues, especially for individuals with allergies or respiratory problems. The ability to reduce mold spores in indoor environments is critical to creating a healthier living space.
The approach tested in this study was relatively simple. By attaching these small black carbon filters to the blades of a ceiling fan, the fan’s natural airflow would help move air through the filters, capturing and reducing mold spores in the process.
Methods: To test the effectiveness of these filters, the study was conducted in a specially designed test chamber that was 30 cubic meters in size. The room was equipped with a standard three-blade ceiling fan. Three different trials were performed to measure how well the filters worked in reducing mold spores over time. In the first trial, three filters were used—one on each fan blade. In the second trial, six filters were used—two on each blade. Finally, a control test was conducted, where no filters were attached to the fan, but the fan was still running to see how much mold naturally settled out of the air.
During each of these trials, mold spores (specifically Aspergillus niger) were aerosolized into the room. Air samples were taken at multiple time points throughout the trials to measure how the concentration of mold spores changed over time. The purpose was to see how much of the reduction in mold spores could be attributed to the filters, compared to the control test where only the natural settling of mold spores occurred.
Results: The findings showed that after 3 hours, using three filters on the fan captured & reduced mold spores by 99.4%. Using six filters on the fan captured & reduced mold spores by 99.9%. This means the filters significantly lowered the number of mold spores in the air, helping to improve indoor air quality.
Particle Capture Performance of the Barnakl Fan Filters
ARE LABS PROJECT #: 10981.20 SEPTEMBER 4, 2024
JAMIE BALARASHTI, WESTON SCHAPER, M.S.
AEROSOL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LABORATORIES INC. OLATHE KS
Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate how well the Barnakl filters, when attached to ceiling fans, can improve indoor air quality by capturing dust in the air. These filters are designed to work with the airflow generated by ceiling fans, using the constant circulation to help remove harmful particles. By adding the filters to fans, they could potentially clean the air in a room more effectively.
Methods: To test this, researchers created a controlled environment to measure the filters’ performance. The filters were attached to ceiling fan blades using adhesive-backed velcro strips, with additional angled supports to increase their exposure to the air. The test aerosol used was "Arizona Road Dust," which simulated common household dust.
A device called the TSI Aerodynamic Particle Sizer was used to measure how many particles were in the air before and after testing. Researchers conducted three separate tests to compare results:
- The “fan” control, where the ceiling fan was on, but no filters were attached.
- The “no fan” control, where the fan was completely turned off to see how much the particles naturally settled.
- A trial where the fan was on, and the Barnakl filters were attached to the fan blades.
Results: After 16 hours of testing, the results showed that the filters were very effective at capturing airborne particles. With the fan running and the filters attached, there was a 2.16 log reduction, which means more than 99% of the particles were removed from the air. In comparison, the fan without filters achieved a 0.76 log reduction (about 83%), and the “no fan” control resulted in only a 0.45 log reduction (about 65%).
VOC Reduction Performance of the Barnakl Fan Filters
ARE LABS PROJECT #: 10981.20 SEPTEMBER 4, 2024
JAMIE BALARASHTI, WESTON SCHAPER, M.S.
AEROSOL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LABORATORIES INC. OLATHE KS
Purpose: This study evaluated how well Barnakl filters attached to ceiling fans could reduce Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the air, improving indoor air quality. VOCs, which include chemicals like toluene & acetone are often found in household products and can affect health when present in high concentrations. The goal of this research was to see if ceiling fan filters could help lower these harmful substances in a room.
Methods: To test the filters, the researchers used a controlled environment—a 30-cubic-meter chamber equipped with a ceiling fan. The filters were attached to the fan blades using Velcro strips, with angled support to increase airflow through the filters. Two different VOCs were tested: toluene & acetone. Each trial ran for 2 hours, with the fan either turned on with filters or with no filters as a control, and VOC levels were measured every 10 seconds using a portable gas monitor. Trials with either 6 or 15 total Barnakl filters attached to the ceiling fan were performed.
Results: The results showed that the fan filters made a noticeable difference in VOC concentration. The control tests, where no filters were used, showed minimal changes in VOC levels over 2 hours. The trial results demonstrated that the fan filters were effective in reducing VOC concentrations in the air. The study also compared trials with different numbers of filters. When more filters were used (15 filters), VOC reduction was greater compared to trials with fewer filters (6 filters). For example, in the toluene trial, 15 filters reduced the remaining VOCs from 87.54% to 59.88% after 2 hours, while 6 filters saw a smaller reduction, from 95.02% to 83.00%.
Overall, the results suggest that ceiling fans equipped with the Barnakl filters can improve indoor air quality by reducing VOCs.
Particle Capture Performance of the Barnakl Ultra Fresh Fan Filters
ARE LABS PROJECT #: 10981.30 OCTOBER 1, 2024
JEFFERY TROLINGER, RICHARD LUDWICK, JAMIE BALARASHTI
AEROSOL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LABORATORIES INC. OLATHE KS
Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of the Barnakl Ultra Fresh air filters against a broad size range of aerosolized particulates. This investigation seeks to determine the filters' ability to capture particulate matter, thus contributing to improvement of indoor air quality.
Methods: The testing methodology employed a controlled environment to assess the performance of Ultra Fresh filters attached to ceiling fan blades. The filter pieces were attached to the 5 fan blades using magnetic & adhesive attachments. A dry powder eductor was used to aerosolize a predetermined mass of Arizona Road Dust into the test chamber. A particle sizer was used to monitor the aerosolized particulate concentration in the chamber over time.
Control trials were conducted with and without the ceiling fan on, but no Barnakl devices were attached. This allowed quantification of the natural decay rate of the particulate concentration over time without the product in use. The resulting data facilitated the generation of graphs illustrating the net reduction of particulate matter over time, forming a basis for evaluating the potential of these filters to enhance indoor air quality.
Results: The particulate testing results showed that after 3 hours, the 5 fan filters produced a 2.46 log reduction of test aerosol particulate concentration in the size range of 2.0 – 10.0µm. Comparitively, the fan and passive deposition controls had a log reduction, after 3 hours, of 0.94 and 0.98, respectively.
Microplastic Capture Performance of the Barnakl Ultra Fresh Fan Filters
ARE LABS PROJECT #: 10981.40 JANUARY 27, 2025
JEFFERY TROLINGER, RICHARD LUDWICK, JAMIE BALARASHTI
AEROSOL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LABORATORIES INC. OLATHE KS
Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of the Barnakl Ultra Fresh air filters against a broad size range of aerosolized microplastics. This investigation seeks to determine the filters' ability to capture particulate matter, thus contributing to improvement of indoor air quality.
Methods: The testing methodology employed a controlled environment to assess the performance of Ultra Fresh filters attached to ceiling fan blades. The filter pieces were attached to the 5 fan blades using magnetic & adhesive attachments. A microplastic solution was mixed and then aerosolized into the chamber using a 24 jet collison nebulizer to create the test aerosol. A particle sizer was used to monitor the aerosolized particulate concentration in the chamber over time.
A control trial was conducted with the ceiling fan on, but no Barnakl devices attached. This allowed quantification of the natural decay rate of the particulate concentration over time without the product in use. The resulting data facilitated the generation of graphs illustrating the net reduction of aerosolized microplastic matter over time, forming a basis for evaluating the potential of these filters to enhance indoor air quality.
Results: The particulate testing results showed that after 3 hours, the 5 fan filters produced a 1.10 log reduction of test aerosol particulate concentration in the size range of 1.0 – 5.0µm. Comparitively, the control had a log reduction of 0.17 over the 3 hours.
Particle Removal Efficiency of the Barnakl Range Hood Filters
ARE LABS PROJECT #: 10981.50 AUGUST 29, 2025
SEAN MCLEOD, RICHARD LUDWICK
AEROSOL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LABORATORIES INC. OVERLAND PARK KS
Purpose: This purpose of this study was to measure the single pass particle removal efficiency of the Barnakl Range Hood Filters.
Methods: The filter was sealed into a custom 3D printed filter holder to ensure all aerosol passed through the filter during testing. The blower was activated and flow rate measured prior to each test. The KCl solution was then aerosolized into the test system using house filtered and dried compressed air using a Collison 6-Jet nebulizer. A mixing plate inside the test system ensured homogenous aerosol concentrations during testing. Before filter testing, leak checks were performed at all connection points of the test system to ensure accuracy of particle measurements and no release of test aerosols.
Upstream and downstream inert particle concentrations were measured with a TSI APS 3321 for particle sizes ranging from 0.7 microns (µm) to 10 µm. Raw particle data was recorded on a laptop and exported for analysis in Microsoft Excel for calculations and tabulation. Data from the particle size ranges specified were used for the efficiency calculations.
Results: There was a range of particle filtration efficiencies observed across the different particle sizes. The smaller particles 0.7 µm in diameter had lower efficiency starting at 6 ± 1.1% up to 100% at the larger particle size ranges. The average efficiency across all particle sizes measured was 82 ± 27% at this single flow rate of 260 CFM.
Particle Composition Analysis of the Barnakl Fan Filters
SGS FORENSIC LABORATORIES REPORT #: P020666 OCTOBER 23, 2025
MARIA COSPER, LABORATORY SUPERVISOR
SGS FORENSIC LABORATORIES, HAYWARD CA
Background: Laboratory efficacy testing tells us how well the filters work under controlled conditions. But what do they actually capture in real homes? To find out, we sent a used Barnakl filter to SGS Forensic Laboratories for independent particle identification analysis. Using polarised light microscopy, the lab identified and categorised everything trapped in the filter.
What the analysis found: The filter had captured a wide variety of particles commonly found in indoor air. These were categorised by type and quantity:
- Fibrous particles (Major):
Human and animal hair (1–1000µm), synthetic fibres from clothing and textiles (1–1000µm), cellulose fibres from paper and plant materials (1–1000µm)
- Fibrous particles (Minor):
Plant hair fragments (1–280µm)
- Fibrous particles (Trace):
Fungal growth structures (1–45µm)
- Non-fibrous particles (Major):
Skin flakes (1–110µm), soil minerals (1–45µm)
- Non-fibrous particles (Minor): Carbonate minerals (1–200µm), pollen (1–20µm), organic debris (1–310µm), insect parts (1–45µm)
- Non-fibrous particles (Trace):
Insect frass (1–50µm), fungal spores (1–10µm), fungal debris (1–50µm)
*Quantitation: Major = more than 10% of sample, Minor = 1-10%, Trace = less than 1%*
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