Honda is offering a new premium cabin air filter which it says is highly effective at capturing a wide range of harmful germs, allergens and even viruses related to significant health problems, including infection risks associated with the SARS COV-2 virus.
The filter was developed in cooperation with filtration specialist Freudenberg and is offered as a genuine Honda spare part, as an alternative to standard pollen filters.
Honda explains that the first two microfiber layers of the filter capture most ultrafine aerosols, dust and pollen; the third layer, made of activated carbon, is responsible for the adsorption of harmful pollution such as particulates and acid gases. A fourth bio-functional layer coated with an active layer derived from fruit extract then effectively inactivates captured viral aerosols and prevents them from being released back into the cabin air. Honda says that this functionality has been conclusively proved by a comprehensive series of tests conducted in collaboration with the Austrian Research Institute, OFI.
The company adds that the fine particle filtration layers provide improved protection against virus transmission in comparison with standard filters. They demonstrably separate not only droplets (>5μm), but also critical viral aerosols (droplet nuclei significantly below 5μm). Honda says the filter can trap more than 90% of viral aerosols. Furthermore, the second step inactivates almost 100% of the captured viral load via the bio-functional layer.
