Evaluates the efficiency with which commercial charcoal filters remove ozone. Three different applications have been examined:- a test plenum, an air handler providing outside air to a Class 100 clean room, and a plenum downstream of an air handler providing outside air to another Class 100 clean room. After 37 months, the charcoal in the test plenum has decreased in removal efficiency from 95% to 90%. After 37 months, the charcoal servicing the first clean room has decreased in efficiency from 85% to 60%. After 24 months, the charcoal servicing the second clean room is still removing 95% of the ozone in the airstream. The charcoal filters associated with the test plenum and the second clean room are better protected from submicron particles than those associated with the first clean room. The accumulation of fine particles on the charcoal appears to influence service life. This work is an extension of the preliminary results (20 months of service) that were reported for the filters associated with the test plenum and the first clean room (Weschler et al. 1993).

KEYWORDS: filters, activated carbon, ozone, air cleaning, clean rooms, calculating, particles, air handling units, performance, efficiency, service life, plenums