NYC Schools Bought Weaker Air Purifiers
Bought Weaker Air Purifiers
A lobbying group called Delos Living has accused the New York City Schools of buying weaker air purifiers. The firm says the school district has spent $193 million on air cleaners, and is considering spending another $100 billion. The mayor’s office did not respond to inquiries about the city council’s role in DOE contracts, but said the council is not involved in the purchase of air purifiers.
The Manhattan Borough President’s office says that they have no involvement in the school district’s air-cleaning program, and is not aware of any deal between the city and the company selling the devices. The press secretary says the mayor’s office does not buy air-cleaning products directly and that the department uses go-between contractors to purchase them. The press secretary also noted that the education department has a federally-funded emergency stockpile, but that the district does not disclose the name of these individuals.
However, Delos’ spokespeople claim that the schools are not using HEPA filters, and that the units are not HEPA purifiers. In addition, the company’s website does not refer to the devices as HEPA purifiers. According to the company, the Intellipure Compact devices meet the HEPA efficiency standard. As a result, the units do not have a dramatic impact on the air quality of the classroom.
The state education agency lists Odorox air cleaners on its list of group-purchasing commodities. A large Odorox unit can cost up to $5,100. The state has urged schools to measure ozone levels before purchasing them. This can be difficult to do without testing, as the size of a room plays a big role in the amount of ozone it has.
NYC Schools Bought Weaker Air Purifiers
The DOE says the new air purifiers are HEPA-certified, but the names of the devices do not match the actual quality. Rather, they are lower quality. The DOE claims the devices are not HEPA-certified, and the DOE is unaware of the difference. Chalkbeat New York reports that the school districts purchased Intellipure Compact air purifiers, which are not HEPA certified.
The Delos Intellipure air purifiers are the best available units, but it is possible that some schools in the city bought inferior ones. While the city hall uses Intellipure equipment, it has not purchased any in the past five years. It may be an emergency stock, but the Department of Education has not purchased any in the last year. The mayor’s office has not provided any information about whether the mayor’s office has purchased the new Intellipure Compacts.
The city’s mayor’s office, which is responsible for regulating the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, did not respond to requests for comment. But the mayor’s office did buy two Intellipure air purifiers in April 2021, which was confirmed by the NYC Department of Education. The City’s offices did not respond to Gothamist’s Freedom of Information request.