Chaminade University installs space-tested tech to protect students from COVID

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Chaminade University’s fall semester begins on Aug. 23. That’s the day when approximately 2,000 students return to campus.

“Their primary reason for being here is learning. We want to keep them safe while they’re in the classroom,” said Allison Jerome, vice president for Student Affairs.

Chaminade’s safety measures for students, faculty and staff include new air purifiers equipped with something called Active Pure technology.

Hawaii Air Systems is the local distributor.

“Not only has it been vetted through the FDA. The EPA has also vetted our product. It’s CARB certified, meaning there’s no ozone that’s going out into the environment,” Hawaii Air System’s Jon Kaaihue said.

On its website, Active Pure said its machines scrub the air, sanitize surfaces and kill nearly 100% of pathogens that cause COVID-19. Units pull in oxygen and hydrogen and convert them into pathogen fighting molecules that are safe for humans and animals to breathe.

Kaaihue said Active Pure air purifiers are being deployed in hospitals around the world.

“Taking that into account, bringing that same technology here in the classroom we feel is more than safe,” he said.

Chaminade bought the machines after researching their effectiveness against COVID’s parent strain.

“The air purifying system right now is going into classrooms and our locker rooms,” Jerome said. “We’re committed to expanding that to all of our student spaces.”

The private university bought about 100 machines of various sizes to fit specific spaces.

“If we’re looking at a commercial property like a school, we really want to look at the floor plan. We want to look at the ceiling heights. That way we can get not only square footage but also cubic feet,” Kaaihue said.

The units will work in tandem with Chaminade’s other COVID procedures, including wearing masks indoors.

“We’ll have barriers in the classroom spaces. We’ll have them in offices. We still have the hand sanitizing stations around campus and temperature check stations. None of that has really changed,” Jerome said.

Chaminade is in good company. NASA used Active Pure technology in the space shuttle.

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