Eco-Basic News: Green Living, Sustainability, and Planning

Cardo's Farm Project, Other Local Produce, and Local Businesses Big Draw at Denton Community Market

2012-06-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the Denton Community Market had an exceptional turnout, with 23 vendors and hundreds of attendees. It is increasingly becoming a weekly event to meet friends, buy local produce, and visit booths of local businesses and community organizations. There is also local music; with bands, musicians, and singers from the thriving Denton music scene. The Market is a sustainable source of local food and products as well as an economic incubator for new businesses since it offers relatively low start-up costs and affordable vendor fees. It is also in the downtown area and helps draw customers to the area as well as benefit from other activities, such as downtown festivals.

This Market is an example of how a farmers/artisan market can be a planning tool and economic development catalyst for downtown areas.

The Market is also getting publicity within the DFW area.

Edible Dallas and Fort Worth, in its Summer 2012 edition has a feature article on a farmer vendor, Cardo's Farm Project, from the Denton Community Market. The Denton Juice Company is also mentioned in the article.

Sustainability Efforts Highlighted at a Seminar in Denton, Texas

2012-05-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

The City of Denton just held the first preliminary public meeting last week on May 24th, 2012 to start the update of its Comprehensive Plan. The Plan update will be done in the context of recent sustainability efforts that are placing Denton on the forefront of sustainability and environmental stewardship.

On May 18th, the Midwest Texas Section of the Texas American Planning Association held a seminar at the University of North Texas on the City's sustainability initiatives. Sustainability is a major goal of the University of North Texas (UNT), the DCTA, and the City of Denton.

University of North Texas, Office of Sustainability

Planners from across DFW heard about UNT's Office of Sustainability's efforts on the Denton campus, with recent LEED buildings, wind turbines, recycling efforts, new vegan cafeteria, energy efficiency, office certifications, community outreach, and catalyst projects across the campus. The goal is not only to promote sustainability on campus and practice what researchers are finding, as related to the economic, social, and environmental benefits of sustainability, but to also create leaders on a world stage, as graduating students enter the workforce and bring sustainability to their jobs in a variety of fields.

The most visible UNT effort in campus is the Apogee Stadium, the first LEED Platinum stadium in the United States, just opened this year. Three large wind turbines power about one third of the stadium's power for 31,000 seats at capacity. There is also energy efficient lighting, low VOC materials, permeable paving, recycled construction materials, and a large effort for recycling of waste from stadium events.

One of the most interesting efforts by UNT is the Schneider Electric performance contract. Over a ten-year period, Scheider Electric guarantees that UNT will save 14 million dollars from energy-saving technologies. If UNT does not get the savings, they will receive a refund. Some of the energy technologies include replacements of the central plant chillers, lighting controls, and new HVAC systems.

UNT is also actively coordinating with national and local organizations and efforts, include AASHE (college and university organization), U.G. Green Building Council (LEED), Arbor Day Foundation (Tree Campus USA), and other local efforts.

The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA)

The DCTA, founded in 2001-2002, recently opened the A-train regional rail line in June which now serves the I-35 corridor from Downton Denton to Trinity Mills in Carrollton and connecting to DART's Green Line. The DCTA, including a bus system which connects to the train stations, provides another transportation choice for commuting to work or traveling to activities in the DFW Metroplex.

Although ridership on the system has been increasing since the opening, the long-term population and ridership growth projections show corridors not currently served by the system, including East to Frisco, to a Carrollton transit hub, to Alliance Airport, the 380 corridor, McKinney, and Flower Mound. There is a "doughnut" hole in connectivity among the transit services in the DFW area, and the DCTA will continue to plan for expansion. The UNT staff, faculty, and students currently make up about 75% of the ridership.
As new cities want to join that have not been contributing local taxes to fund the system, there will be challenges in how to address new cities versus "legacy" cities, those cities that paid over years into the initial development of the system.

The DCTA has promoted Transit Oriented Development, with the continued improvements and growth of Downtown Denton, the Hebron Station TOD, Old Town Station TOD, and Highland Village/Lewisville Lake TOD, all in different stages of design and development.

The City of Denton

The City of Denton currently has two major sustainability initiatives: the Downtown Implementation Plan (DTIP) and the passage of its sustainability plan, "Simply Sustainable."

Denton's Downtown has seen considerable growth of commercial developments and multifamily apartments over the past few years. The DTIP plan considers further improvements and incentives to promote more downtown development, particularly on the Hickory Street corridor from the Courthouse on the Square to the DCTA train station and eventually to the Denton County Courthouse on McKinney Avenue.

The City is focusing on street improvements on Hickory Street, with angled parking and eventually street trees, and shared bike lane, and further streetscape improvements. At the same time, staff in currently writing a Form Based Code for the area, which is expected to be completed later this summer and probably approved in the fall.

Parking availability has been a particular concern of local businesses, and the City expects to develop a parking garage or facility on city-owned property in the City. The City has been taking a proactive role in developing Solid Wast Pilot Project to talk with business owners and reduce the number of dumpsters in the downtown as well as increase recycling. Dumpsters currently are throughout the downtown, and there will be further efforts to consolidate and screen those that are needed.

In February, after a year-long process, the City of Denton approved its sustainability plan, "Simply Sustainable." The plan will not be static, but will be a living document that will be monitored and improved through data provided by City departments to track indicators. A unique tracking system is being developed with CDM to provide the City and the community a report card on plan's progress.

The City held two community meetings with the public as well as conducted a survey with over 200 respondents to create a master list of 500 strategies to consider. Out of the 500 strategies, 70 were selected for review by the Advisory Committee (UNT, the Chamber of Commerce, DCTA, the League of Women Voters, Citizen Groups, and others) and the City Council's Committee on the Environment. These items were ranked by the financial implications, implementation time frame, and the sustainability of the item. Some particular items, such as bike lanes and the tree code, were added to the list as community priorities. Six years of baseline data is available for every element being tracked. The sustainability plan will be considered in the update of the Comprehensive Plan, a two-year process that just started this month.

Presenters: Nicole Cocco (UNT Office of Sustainability); Dee Leggett (DCTA), Ron Menguita (City of Denton, Planning), and Katherine Barnett (City of Denton, Environmental Services and Sustainability)

University of North Texas Zero Energy Research Laboratory Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Denton Texas

2012-04-20T14:48:00.002-07:00

I attended the ribbon cutting ceremony today for the exciting new net-zero laboratory at UNT's Discovery Park. I am honored to have had a small role in this project, in assisting H2Options with design services for the rainwater harvesting system on the building.

From the brochure:

"Students and faculty will use the lab as a testing ground for present and future sustainable technologies, such as structure integrated insulation, building integrated solar panels, energy efficient windows, energy storage and energy monitoring systems for smart grid, as well as the energy efficiency strategies involving user behaviors and social impacts"

It appears this is the first building of more to come, since it was mentioned that UNT plans to eventually build a village of net-zero buildings at Discovery Park in Denton.

A variety of VIPs were there for the ceremony, including Representative Myra Crownover, UNT President V. Lane Rawlins, Dr. Yong Tao, Chair of the Mechanical and Energy Engineering Department, and two Denton City Council Members, Dalton Gregory and Pete Kamp, and Jacobs Engineering (architects).

Steven Sweeney and Jeremy Delost of H2Options (now Rainwater Harvesting Systems)

Dr. Yong Tao talking with Steven Sweeney and Jeremy Delost


Councilmember Pete Kamp

Cardo's Farm Project: Community Agriculture near Denton, Texas

2011-09-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

Cardo's farm project provides sustainably-grown and local produce to the Denton Community Market each week, as well as to local restaurants.

They are in the midst of their Kickstarter campaign to raise $15,000 for new farm infrastructure.

Here is the link to donate and support local agriculture and education.

You can also watch this video

Urban Farm in Denton, Texas: Earthwise Produce Creates Farm for Denton Community Market in Subdivision

2011-08-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

Earthwise Produce is currently preparing the soil at a vacant lot between two homes as a future urban farm or garden for produce to be sold at the Denton Community Market.

I was attending a Board meeting of the Denton Community Market, and Ryan Crocker of Earthwise Produce, a current vendor, was talking about his difficulties in finding a vacant lot in Denton for growing local produce. After thinking about it a few minutes, I realized that a vacant lot that I own in my subdivision next to my house could be the perfect spot.

The property is about 1/4th of an acre and has not had any application of chemicals since at least 1995. Ryan plans on producing chemical-free salad greens and other produce this fall to sell at the Market. This will be the most local produce that the Market will have, being a "farm" within the Denton City limits.

DFW Solar House Tour: Denton, Texas Home

2010-10-10T21:04:00.000-07:00

I visited one home on the North Texas Renewable Energy Group's DFW Solar Home Tour. After hearing about their home about 1 year ago, I was pleased to be able to visit the Soph Residence in Denton, Texas.

Their system, installed by North Texas Renewable Energy, is directly tied into the energy grid, without the use of storage batteries. In fact, if there is ever a power outage, the Sophs or Denton Municipal Electric (DME) must shut off their system to avoid injury to workers restoring the power. A meter shows how much energy they are generating or sending back to the grid at any time.

Denton Municipal Electric created the GreenSense Program and a $15,000 rebate for future solar installations as a result of the Soph House. Over time, the Sophs hope other residents will take advantage of these incentives and provide a home-grown source of renewable energy. Since DME gets 40% of the electricity from wind energy, the Sophs have a nearly zero impact on the environment from their home energy use.

For lower-cost solutions, they suggest purchasing energy-star appliances and installing a timer on the whole-house water heater to reduce the time that the heater is utilizing energy.

Cascadian Farm® Instructions on Canning

2010-09-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

If you have fresh vegetables and fruits from your early fall garden (hopefully chemical-free) or farmers market, here is a useful blog post on the basic steps to canning.

Cascadian Farm® Step-By-Step Canning Basics.

Photo: September Day at the Denton Community Market

No Impact Week: The Green Lifestyle Challenge

2010-09-18T21:47:00.000-07:00

What's Your Tree, created by Julia Butterfly Hill, has organized a No Impact Week based upon the No Impact Project. On a conference call with Julia, she discussed the importance of really thinking about what one really needs in life. As we get rid of items and aspects of our lives that we don't need, we make rooms for new things in our life. This concept can apply to anything that we buy. Though it's not possible to have "no impact," we can strive to have less of an impact on the environment and be mindful of what we use and purchase.

The No Impact Week for What's Your Tree is from September 19th to September 25th, 2010.

Sustainability Plans: Greening Entire Cities

2010-07-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

I am very excited about the current trends in urban planning. Many cities across the United States are creating plans to promote energy efficiency, sustainable practices at the local government level, and sustainability in the private sector as well. Only a limited number of cities had sustainability plans prior to this, with some setting city-wide goals or reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Cities are now striving to overlay their comprehensive plans with these new sustainability goals. The implementation of these plans are in the initial stages and there is a great opportunity to make significant gains in green practices, green buildings, energy reduction, reuse of materials, environmental goals, and economic viability in the new economy. ICLEI is one organization promoting standards and training in this field. There are many other organizations as well, including ISO, USGBC (US Green Building Council), the American Planning Association, and others.

Go Organic, Go Co-op

2010-01-14T15:26:00.000-08:00

I recently joined an organic produce co-op. Every two weeks, I receive a large box of fruits and vegetables, some from a local organic farm and other items from an organic produce distributor. It's a great way to meet people also interested in organic food and the environment as well as save money on your grocery bill. I still shop at the local health food store for other items, but it's fun to see what will be in my "goodie box" with every co-op shipment.

I had to pay a membership fee, and I do not get to choose what I get each order. Each co-op is different, however, so check on membership fees and rules.

Here are some website links to find co-ops near you.

Local Harvest

Coop Directory Service

Organic Consumers Association Food Coops and Health Food Stores

Live Green and Save Money: Coupons and Other Saving Ideas

2009-05-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

In these economic times, most people are trying to find ways to save money. It is also possible to live "green" on a budget as well.

I generally buy organic and natural foods as well as biodegradable and recycled-material household products. These are some strategies I have used to save money and live green:

1. Watch for coupons in newspaper inserts as well as other sources, such as health food store flyers and advertisements.
2. Contact companies of your favorite organic food, natural food, or green product. Most companies have email "contact us" links that can be used to request coupons or discounts. Make sure you include your name and address with inquiries.
3. Buy in bulk when products are on sale, at health food stores or even grocery stores that have health food or natural products.
4. Green products from Amazon.com are available at deep discounts and in bulk.
5.Check out this Organic and Natural Foods blog for a list of organic grocery companies with online coupons as well as contact information.

Find Green Living Books on Library Thing

2008-06-15T20:13:00.000-07:00

I just started using the website Library Thing to catalog my personal library as well as leave reviews for books. As with blogs, members can tag books in their library.

This site is a good way to find new books on green living, healthy homes, and the environment as well as read reviews by its members. Do a search of "tags" for any topic that interests you.

Minimize Mold Exposure in Your Home

2008-06-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

From personal experience, I believe many people do not often understand the potential health effects of mold. Not only can mold cause allergic reactions in many individuals, but also the mytoxins produced by mold can cause immune system dysfunction and serious neurological problems.

There have been many recent cases of sick buildings with "black mold" as well as other types of mold that thrive on wet drywall and other materials. Severe mold contamination may require a mold remediation company to clean up the property and remove mold. In some cases, the property may be uninhabitable.

On a daily basis, however, there are some basic steps to avoid mold in your home:

1. Immediately address any leaks, no matter how small, in your roof, bathrooms, kitchens, or any other part of the home. Replace any drywall or wood that shows signs of mold.

2. If you have a central ventilation system, have the vents cleaned periodically (I have them cleaned about every 3 years) to remove any mold-spores as well as dust and particulate build-up.

3. In humid climates, use a dehumidifier, especially in basements.

4. Use vents in bathrooms or other areas where there is regular moisture.

5. Use bathroom squeegees after each shower to remove excess water from the shower stall to prevent mildew.

6. Make sure water drains away from the house at least several feet during rainstorms. A properly installed gutter system will help prevent standing water from accumulating around the foundation.

7. Opt for smooth floor surfaces, such as tile, rather than carpeting that can accumulate mold spores.

8. Use HEPA air filters in your home.

Some useful links:

American Environmental Health Foundation article

Common Molds in Home, Office, or School article by American Environmental Health Foundation

EPA links on Mold

New Basic Book on Green Living: Green Chic

2008-05-08T18:45:00.000-07:00

Green Chic: Saving the Earth in Style is an easy-to-read guide for people who want to start living green without sacrificing their quality of life or personal style.

Christie Matheson, a food and fashion critic, writes this green guide for the masses because she believes everyone needs to take steps to save the planet. She is concerned about carbon dioxide levels, general pollution, and the waste of valuable natural resources.

She begins the book with relatively easy steps the reader can take to start living green, from taking shorter showers to replacing bottled water with refillable, stainless steel containers. She advocates that everyone replace items as needed, rather than running out and immediately replacing everything with green items.

She offers seven other detailed chapters on green homes, food, beauty products, fashion, daily transportation, occasions and holidays, as well as the "big green things" to do. She also includes an appendix of her favorite green things. Each chapter is a very good introduction to taking steps in every aspect of the the reader's life. She advocates using natural cleaning products, opting for organic clothing, driving the speed limit to save gas, as well as other smart tips for green living.

A few links from her favorite green things appendix are:

Gomi NYC: an ecofriendly boutique in New York City

Stewart and Brown: eco-friendly clothes

White Dog: cafe in Philadelphia prepares food with sustainable ingredients

This book is definitely a great addition to any library on green living.

Green Living Getting a lot of Attention for Earth Day: NBC on toxic living test and NY Times on Green Living

2008-04-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

Green living is in the news more than ever before tomorrow's upcoming Earth Day. Over the weekend, the New York Times Magazine featured a Green Issue . The issue focused on steps everyone can take to reduce their carbon footprints. Solar energy, walking, green building, and organic clothing were among the topics discussed.

Also Dateline NBC compared toxins in two families, one living green and one that does not. Both families took a body burdern blood test. Both families had over 40 chemicals out of 76 tested, but the levels were different for each family.

The non-green did not do well in terms of levels of chemicals for daily products: PFCs from cookware were very high in the non-green family (3X), parabens from body products (4X) in the women, phthalates from plastics very high in the boys of the non-green family, and triclosan (anti-bacterial) was much higher for the non-green family as a whole.

The green family did not do well in two catogories: bisphenol A (metal cans and baby items) as well as lead. It was higher in the parents, possibly from their childhoods.

Links for further information on product ingredients:

toxic ingredients links from Dateline

Some Helpful Links on Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water

2008-04-13T05:32:00.000-07:00

The Associated Press investigation on drinking water contamination by pharmaceuticals is a recent installment to the ongoing research about this topic. The U.S. government as well as other scientists have been studying this issue for some time. Here are some interesting links about the topic:

EPA information on Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Environment (PPCPs): Frequently Asked Questions about PPCPs in the environment and basic introduction.

USGS What's In Our Wastewater and Where Does It Go? an array of studies and articles on contaminants in wastewater. "The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has implemented a national reconnaissance to provide baseline information on the environmental occurrence of "emerging contaminants" such as human and veterinary pharmaceuticals (e.g., fluoxetine and lincomycin), industrial and household wastewater products (e.g., p-nonyphenol and triclosan), and reproductive and steroidal hormones (e.g., equilenin and progesterone) in water resources."

The Environmental Working Group: A national assessment of tap water quality.

Drugs/Pharmaceuticals In Drinking Water Video

2008-04-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

An Associated Press investigation found that pharmaceutical drugs are widespread in drinking water suppliers. No one really knows what are the long-term health effects. This is yet another reason to install water filtration in your home. Reverse osmosis is one type of home system that is supposed to remove these drugs.

Eco-friendly and Healthy Things To Do for Spring

2008-03-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and it is the perfect time to renew your home and garden with eco-friendly practices.

1. Buy a compost bin and begin to recycle household and garden waste for extra rich soil in your garden. Compost adds vital nutrients and microorganisms to the soil.

2. Use several inches of mulch on your garden instead of resorting to weed killers.

3. Buy organic seeds from Seeds of Change or other venues.

4. Spring Cleaning: unclutter your house to create a healthier indoor environment---minimizes dust and other allergens that collect on items and promotes easier cleaning.

5. Spring Cleaning: select natural and biodegradable cleaning products for your home. These are now readily available in health food stores, some grocery chains, and online stores.

6. Add solar lighting to your yard to save energy and provide an attractive addition to your organic yard.

7. Add recycling to your daily routine. Earth911 has a website that enables you to find a local recycling or reuse locations.

Eco-Living at Gaiam

Go Green This Valentine's Day with Eco-Friendly Gifts and Flowers

2008-01-26T08:36:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is always a big time of year for gifts and flowers. Here are some great sources for green and environmental gifts for your loved one or friend:

1. Send organically grown flowers or chocolate with organic ingredients from Organic Bouquet.
Classic red roses for Valentine's day start at $49.95. Velvet heart chocolates are one option at $59.95. The flowers are USDA certified organic as well as Veriflora certified for sustainable growing practices. The chocolate is fair trade and grown in Costa Rica.

2. The Sierra Club works to protect the environment as well as explore its natural beauty.
Join Sierra Club and share the love this Valentine's Day. (Get a Free Backpack for Joining)

3. GAIAM offers healthy home and eco-friendly gifts. Also use the $10 off a $50 coupon.

Local News Stations and the Green Living Movement

2008-01-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

I've been noticing lately that green living is getting dramatically more attention in the media. The major national television networks have green living campaigns, such as NBC's recent "Green Week," which included green tips on commercials and shows throughout the week. The "Biggest Loser" even had a green show with challenges featuring green living topics, such as household waste.

I decided to investigate this further to see if local news stations around the country are also providing green living websites and news stories. My local station, WFAA, now has "Project Green," a Dallas guide to living more ecologically, saving energy, saving water, and saving other natural resources. The website even provides an online calculator for calculating one's carbon footprint.

I found several other sites as well. WGNTV in Chicago offers many videos on recent green living and green building news stories. I was surprised to find that the green fire station in my town, Denton, Texas, was also featured in one of their website videos. Charlottesville; Seattle; Washington, D.C; and El Paso were some other cities as well with green living videos, tips, links, and articles. I am sure there are many more, but it is refreshing to see that green living ideas are getting more attention and becoming more mainstream. A few years ago when I would mention green living tips and ideas, most people were not even aware of the concept or ideas.

Eco-Friendly Gifts for the Holidays

2007-12-09T08:47:00.000-08:00

As all of us think about gifts for the upcoming holidays, it's also possible to think about using some of that money for ecologically-minded or environmental causes. Not only can you help a cause and feel good about your purchase, but also the recipient can appreciate the gift of supporting green causes.

Here are few of my favorite sources of eco-friendly gifts:

1. The World Wildlife Fund Gift Catalog
Support the crucial habitat of an endangered species by adopting a single animal, family of animals, or supporting research and the preservation of habitats. The recipient will receive a certificate explaining the purpose of the donation.

2. The Heifer International Gift Catalog
This catalog offers sustainable gifts of tree seedlings, livestock, honeybees, and other items for farming families and individuals in developing countries.

3. The Gaiam website for natural and organic products as well as sustainable gifts. Christmas ornaments from pine needles produced in Nicaragua with a living wage, recycled glass catchers, and more.

4. The NRDC Green Gift Giving Guide

A list of recommended green gifts--national park passes, solar radios, and more.

5. Local craft fairs and health food stores: buy locally-produced items as well as natural and healthy gifts. You can create your own gift baskets of natural soaps and local crafts.

Tips from The Lazy Environmentalist

2007-11-05T09:49:00.000-08:00

NBC's Green Week and iVillage featured Josh Dorfman, host of The Lazy Environmentalist radio talk show and author of a new book.

Here are a few of basic tips for going green:

1. Select organic food as well as organic materials in items purchased--from shoes to clothes.
2. Select furnishings made from renewable materials, such as bamboo.
3. Refuse receipts from ATMs, gasoline, and other machines. This saves paper and trees.
4. Use a BRITA water filter (or other water filters can be used) and refill reusable hard plastic bottles instead of buying bottled water. This reduces waste in landfills and the use of plastic.

He has more tips in his book The Lazy Environmentalist:

How You Can Become a Local Environmentalist

2007-09-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

By the time a developer submits plans for a commercial or residential development, it is often too late to protect precious habitat or farmland. If there are large tracts of undeveloped land in your area, it is a good idea to find out what regulations or ordinances govern their development. Consider forests, stream and river habitats, open space, and other community assets.

Unless the community has already established environmental protection ordinances or if the land it protected by county, state, or federal regulations, once the property is zoned for a use, there is little in the larger scheme that can be done to protect habitat or other desirable community assets. The developer's planners and engineers generally design and make development decisions based upon the developer’s goals.

1. Contact your local planning and zoning or development department to review existing ordinances. Many municipalities have these regulations available online.

2. If you know of areas that are desirable for protection, find out what the process would be to change the local development codes or ordinances to protect them.

3. Find out what developments are being planned in your area. This may give you an idea of whether more is on the way.

4. Attend local board and committee meetings and find out about the development process.

Off the Subject--Another Picture of Oscar

2007-09-11T20:21:00.001-07:00

One Way to Improve Indoor Air Quality: Mechanized Air Cleaning Devices

2007-09-11T19:40:00.000-07:00

Since most Americans spend the majority of their time indoors, good indoor air quality is increasingly more important for overall health. The air in your home or office can be a soup of chemicals, pollens, particles, and microbiological agents.

There are three major approaches to improving indoor air quality as enumerated by the EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency).

The EPA states:

“Solutions to air quality problems in apartments, as in homes and offices, involve such actions as: eliminating or controlling the sources of pollution, increasing ventilation, and installing air cleaning devices.”

One Solution: Mechanized Air Cleaning Devices

Air cleaning devices, come in many forms, but one common type is medium efficiency air filter installed in a special housing on duct systems. These usually have an accordion appearance and are 80-90% efficient.

The other common type is the high efficiency (up to 99.9%) HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Accumulator) systems installed on dust systems or as stand alone units. HEPA systems on ducts usually require additional fans to push the air through them. Stand alone and portable units also generate sufficient air flow to filter the air. These can filter down to 0.3 microns.

There are also often adsorption filters that contain activated carbon to filter pollutants in the form of gases. The gas particles adhere to carbon as the air passes through the carbon filter.

AllerAir offers many high-quality, all-steel construction, portable units. Most units have HEPA and activated carbon. A UV lamp can even be added to sterilize bacteria, viruses, and mold present in the air.