Indoor Air sciences CSMI Practice Exam

Which agent will not be removed by a particulate filter?

1. Hyphal fragments

2. Mycelial mass

3. mVOCs

4. Spores

The correct answer is: mVOCs

The correct answer is that mVOCs, or microbially Volatile Organic Compounds, will not be removed by a particulate filter because they exist in gaseous form rather than as particles. Particulate filters are specifically designed to capture solid particles and liquid droplets from the air, which include larger entities like hyphal fragments, mycelial mass, and spores. These components have sufficient size and structure to be trapped by the mesh or fibers in a particulate filter. In contrast, mVOCs are very small and can easily pass through these filters since they are not solid particulates. For effective removal of mVOCs from indoor air, specialized gas filtration or absorbent materials designed to target those volatile compounds are needed, unlike the methods used to capture larger particulate matter.