Italy’s Sanity System joins global mission to address in-vehicle pollutants

Italy’s Sanity System has become the latest member of the AIR Alliance (AIR), publishers of the AIR Index, open alliance of like-minded members aiming to improve air quality and reduce the impact of climate change.

AIR delivers cost-effective ways to reduce harmful vehicle emissions by promoting full transparency on actual emissions produced in real-world conditions. The quality of air inside a vehicle is currently un-regulated and this is a growing area of interest to individuals and policy makers as information emerges about the health effects from in-cabin pollution. AIR has initiated a European CEN workshop (CEN/WS 103) to develop a standard test procedure that can be used to collect test data for in-cabin air, for different vehicles makes and models.

Sanity Systems International is an Italian company founded in 2010, to prevent diseases, allergies and infections by sanitising the air, water and surfaces we come into contact with. Sanity System says it has joined the CEN workshop as it believes its technology can enhance the quality of in-cabin air. The company promotes sanitisation with ozone to provide a high level of hygiene and safety, including a dedicated solution for in-cabin vehicle environments.

AIR previously participated in the European CEN workshop, CEN/WS 90, in 2017 to develop the methodology for collecting comparable data from tailpipe emissions using portable emissions monitoring systems (PEMS). The results from this workshop were formalised into the CWA17379 methodology and led to the creation of the AIR Index rating to fairly compare the emissions performance of different vehicles.

Massimo Fedeli, co-founder of AIR, said: “The AIR Alliance provides independent, trusted and practical solutions to address the consequences of harmful vehicle emissions. The AIR Index ratings for urban NO_x and CO₂ now provide clear information for consumers and policy makers about tailpipe emissions for cars and vans, but pollution inside the cabin remains un-regulated despite the well-understood links between exposure to harmful emissions and health.

“Last year, we initiated a European CEN workshop to agree the methodology for gathering in-cabin pollutant data and as part of our research we encountered Sanity System whose ozone sanitisation technology is used to cleanse in-cabin air and systems.

“Sanity System joins international organisations and world-leading scientists in the AIR Alliance, bringing global expertise and commitment as we bring transparency to the effectiveness of vehicle ventilation systems on cabin air quality.”

David Byrne, managing director of Sanity Systems International said: “Sanity System is proud to join the AIR Alliance and bring our experience of ozone sanitisation technology to support the important work which addresses healthcare issues associated with in-cabin air quality.

“The current COVID-19 crisis demonstrates the fundamental importance of hygiene inside vehicles and Sanity System is at the forefront of delivering effective in-cabin sanitisation worldwide.

“The team at Sanity System brings more than a decade of experience delivering practical, safe and environmentally sound solutions in the most sensitive and important environments including hospitals, ambulances, laboratories and emergency vehicles. We look forward to working with the AIR Alliance and to play our part in enabling the most effective route to reduce harmful emissions.”