Air-purifier manufacturer Aura Air on Tuesday announced that it has conducted a study on Air Quality Index (AQI) inside Indian In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) centers across India.
During the study, the experts found that the AQI in the lab spiked over 250 on average on several occasions which is classified to be unhealthy and life-threatening. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), a common indoor air pollutant was the dominant pollutant of the study, in which the highest recorded level was 2600ppb, whereas the permissible or safe level is less than 500ppb. It was found that CO2, PM 2.5, PM 10, and CO levels were within the permissible range.
According to experts, IVF procedures require a stable culture environment in which indoor air quality plays a crucial role. Indoor air quality parameters like VOC, PM2.5, and PM 10 have a direct impact on the procedure outcome. The objective of the study was to see the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in various well-known IVF centers and the results are disconcerting, the company stated.
Recently, the company partnered with WIPRO Lighting for an exclusive partnership for India.
Multiple exercises on indoor-air monitoring were conducted at independent IVF centers across the country. For analyses, the key premise-based parameters taken into consideration were: AQI, Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 and PM 10, VOCs, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, temperature, and humidity.
“Air particles or any kind of pollutants found within labs can be detrimental to the entire IVF process. This study was conducted to create awareness about the importance of monitoring air quality in real-time. In fact, the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Bill mandates monthly air-quality reports for Indian IVF centres. IVF centres today have a dedicated budget for equipment that monitors and reduces VOC levels (such as a Photoionisation Detector, which has also been listed in the ART Bill),” Bharadwaj P.V, Managing Director, Aura Air said in a statement.
Indoor air pollutants can be controlled through high-quality filters based on HEPA.
“We are confident that medical laboratories, IVF centres and hospitals will soon prioritise investing in air quality monitoring and purification technologies to get rid of harmful VOCs that could hamper the outcomes in labs,” Bharadwaj stated on Tuesday.