In an independent test by Texcell, the global contract research organization since 1987, Zero2.5’s natural fiber air ionizer demonstrated to inactivate 99.998% of COVID-19 virus within 3 hours.

As of May 2021, the World Health Organization has officially recognized aerosolized particles as a mode of transmission for COVID-19.

The higher infectivity of the delta variant also meant that indoor settings with poor air circulation pose an extremely high risk in contracting COVID-19 because airborne viral particles can linger in the air for a long time.

Previously from an aerosol removal efficacy study published in the OSF research article (OSF Research Article 2021)[1] in early 2021 , Zero2.5’s plant and natural fibre-based ionizer was shown to drastically remove 95% of the airborne aerosol from 25 minutes (with no ioniser) to within 7 minutes in a 20 m³ room saturated with 4,000 aerosol particle per cm³ .This is equivalent to having an ACH (“air change per hour”) as high as 12 and CADR (“clean air delivery rate”) of 141 ft³ per minute.

However, as countries started to see a resurgence of COVID-19 case numbers from the delta variant, Zero2.5 has also hastened efforts to secure independent validation of the protective effect that our natural air ionizers confer specifically against COVID-19.

As of November 2021, the team at Zero2.5 is excited to share that the independent test results for viral protection are finally out after a long and rigorous validation process by Texcell.

Texcell is a world renown global contract research organization established in 1987 that specializes in virus testing, viral clearance, and biosafety.

Texcell carried out a viral clearance study, commonly used in the industry to determine the effectiveness of a process in removing or inactivating virus by comparing the total amount of virus initially against the amount of virus left after the anti-viral process.

The test involved Zero2.5’s Natural Fibre Coco Coir Air Ionizer CF4000 and it showed that 99.998% of the Sars-Cov-2 virus was inactivated within 3 hours in a 57-litre box – representing a log reduction of 4.77. For example, a log reduction of 1 is equivalent to 10-fold reduction, while log reduction of 2 is equal to a 100-fold reduction. A log reduction of 4 and greater is considered highly effective by industry standards in reducing the amount of virus. Control tests showed that in absence of Zero2.5’s air ionizer, 99.999% of the virus remained viable after 3 hours.

As part of Singapore’s reopening plan towards the new normal, our natural fibre-based air ionizers – now with independent scientific validation in inactivating COVID-19 virus – could play a key protective role in area of high human traffic.

Deploying conventional air purifiers is insufficient because infection usually takes place with direct contact in real-time. There is a window of vulnerability between the time the viral aerosols are generated by the infectious person and the time where the air is filtered through commercial air purifiers. The risk of these last mile transmissions spikes exponentially in crowded areas.

Zero2.5’s Natural Fibre Air Ionizer mitigates this risk by killing the virus in real-time near the source. The high concentration of Negative Air Ions (NAIs) generated by our natural fibre-based ionizers – as verified by Texcell to inactivate 99.998% of the virus – provides a 360^o degree protective sphere, like an air filtering bubble that kills viruses to protect the users within.

Managing the last-mile transmission risk in high traffic areas would be key as economies learn to live with COVID-19. The real-time safeguard against live virus conferred by Zero2.5 natural fibre-based ionizers can be deployed in these high-risk areas to significantly reduce the window of infection by inactivating the virus near the source.

About Zero2.5

Zero2.5 is a Singapore-based company with technology spun off from Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory Limited. We use our proprietary plant-based and natural fibre-based ionizers to generate upwards of a million-fold in Negative Air Ions that have been demonstrated to reduce the airborne aerosol particles by 95% within 7 minutes in a typical sized 20m³ room. Our most recent study also demonstrated a 99.998% inactivation of COVID-19 virus within 3 hours in a verified controlled laboratory setting. Control tests showed that in absence of the air ionizer, 99.999% of the virus remained viable after 3 hours.

The Negative Air Ions (NAIs) that are produced by our natural fibre-based ionizers not only inactivates virus as shown in the Texcell study, but it also brings PM2.5, allergens, and other aerosols to safe levels within minutes in a typical sized room.

Negative Air Ions are commonly found around waterfalls, forest and after a refreshing rain. The NAI concentration of these natural places are upwards of 100 to 1,000x times more than our homes and offices. Air pollution has been widely linked with poor mental and physical health – the air cleaning effect of NAI of our ionizers reduces harmful pollutants and dust from your indoor spaces for better overall well-being.

At Zero2.5, not only do we believe in independent testing to back our claims, we also are advocates to a sustainable future. Our natural fibre-based ionizers are sourced from the natural by-product of coconut harvesting.

Our natural air ionizers are trusted by many brands and companies regionally (Zero2.5 featured on Straits Times). Our eco-friendly solution brings clean and healthy air to any indoor and outdoor environment, without the hassle of maintenance like traditional air purifiers at a lower energy consumption and competitive price. Learn more about Zero2.5 here https://negativeairion.com/

About Texcell

Texcell is a global contract research organization based in France that specializes in virus testing, viral clearance, immunoprofiling and R&D or GMP cell banking for R&D, GCIP, GLP and GMP projects. Texcell’s expertise in the field of viral testing is globally recognized with a long history since 1987.

Verification by Texcell

Texcell is a global contract research organization based in France that specializes in virus testing, viral clearance, and biosafety. Texcell’s expertise in the field of viral testing is globally recognized with a long history since 1987. This viral clearance study for Zero2.5’s Natural Fibre Air Ionizer CF4000 and CF7000 has been verified by Texcell under study number 1240/02.

The test verifies a 99.998% inactivation (4.77 log reduction) of SARS-Cov-2 virus in 3 hours. The study involved exposing a single layer gauze spiked with a million live SARS-Cov-2 virus against Zero2.5’s Natural Fibre Air Ionizers 15cm away for 3 hours in a 57L box (465mm*350mm*350mm). Control tests showed that in absence of the air ionizer, 99.999% of the virus remained viable after 3 hours. The study was performed under laboratory setting and not meant to evaluate performance under uncontrolled living spaces.

[1] The efficacy of plant-based ionizers in removing aerosol for COVID-19 mitigation. Research, 2021. https://osf.io/2mh4c