The MTA [New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority] is piloting a new air filtration and purification system that the manufacturer claims can capture and kill 99.9998% of viruses and other germs through a three-stage process. The new system will soon be piloted in one LIRR [Long Island Rail Road commuter rail system] train car, and is already being tested in two HVAC units of one Metro-North train car through the end of the year. If it’s successful, it could roll out across all commuter and subway trains. Researchers with the Environmental Protection Agency will work with the MTA to test the technology and determine its effectiveness.
The new technology, created by Knorr Brake Company, is incorporated into the existing ventilation systems, and will “filter and purify air inside rail cars using an electrical field to generate a wave of ionized particles that destroy airborne viruses, bacteria and particulate matter, including COVID-19,” according to the MTA. The system will also enhance in-car air filtration, “which already filters air 30 times an hour or once every 120 seconds, exceeding CDC standards” for everything from certain medical facilities to restaurants.