Do-it-yourself air cleaners could be a cost-effective solution for classrooms

What do you think of this idea?

Quebec classrooms could all be equipped with an air purifier to be assembled for about a hundred dollars per classroom. That’s what this Radio-Canada article explains in which we discover the Corsi-Rosenthal box that was designed to reduce the risks of transmission of COVID-19.

The principle behind this do-it-yourself air purifier is to reduce the virus particles that people breathe by adding a few filters to a ventilation system. The first model made by one of the two co-inventors, Richard Corsi, was later improved by Jim Rosenthal, the president and CEO of a filter company in Texas. The two engineers then designed an air purifier that is quite simple to assemble and can effectively clean the air (a University of California study looked at this).

The box consists of four MERV13 filters and a square fan. The whole thing is taped together. Ideally, the filters should be replaced every six months. This video shows how to assemble a Corsi-Rosenthal box.

In Quebec, there are currently no plans to use the Corsi-Rosenthal box. However, a few people have decided to install the boxes in certain schools in Quebec. This is the case for Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School in Gatineau. The school received a government grant to purchase the boxes. Moreover, the construction of the air purifiers could be a very interesting activity to do with the students!

What do you think of this original solution to air quality in classrooms?