Publication Series Viledon

Requirements for air filters used in

HVAC systems to assure conformity
with the German VDI Guideline 6022

Dipl.-Ing. Thomas Schroth

Dr.-Ing. Thomas Caesar

Lecture at
VDI Fachtagung Lufthygiene (VDI Congress on
Air Hygiene)
Dortmund, November 4-5, 2003
 Introduction

The hygienic condition of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems has recently become the focus for
increasing levels of interest. Current cases of legionella infections in England and Germany, and other European
countries as well, underline the importance of hygienically flawless HVAC systems. Germany has taken the initiative
in seeking out new approaches, in order to avoid the dissemination of pathogens via air-conditioning systems or to
combat phenomena like the sick building syndrome (SBS). VDI Guideline 6022 “Hygienic standards for ventilation
and air-conditioning systems” aims to assist operators in planning new installations, and maintaining or upgrading
their existing systems. Major importance must be attached to the air filter used, as a vital constituent of the HVAC
system, with due attention paid not only to the technical design of the filters, but to their microbiological
characteristics as well. The air filters are required to reduce the penetration of dust, dirt and micro-organisms into
ventilated rooms, and at the same time must not be permitted to become sources of bacteria and fungi. Additional
attention should be given in this context to any HEPA filters used, since these are frequently installed in the intake air
line to sterile rooms such as hospital operating theaters or aseptic production operations in the food and pharma-
ceutical industries, and filter lifetimes of 3 to 5 years are typical.

Core statements of the VDI 6022 Guideline „Hygienic
standards for ventilation and air-conditioning
systems“ in regard to air filters
VDI Guideline 6022 comprises a total of 3 sheets, with
Sheet 1, published in July 1998, applying for ventilation sys-
tems in office and assembly rooms, and Sheet 3 following in
November 2002 for HVAC systems in production facilities
and business enterprises. Sheet 2, published in December
1999, describes the standards for hygiene training, i.e.
quality assurance for the measures specified in Sheets 1
and 3, by laying down requirements for instructors involved
in training, specifying the contents of such training, and
defining the procedural and examination conditions applying
for the courses concerned.
but specific dab samples at air filters, while in Sheet 3 in-
vestigations of hygienic defects (such as germ growth or
damage) extending beyond visual checks are not demanded
explicitly. If visually detectable defects are found during hy-
giene inspections, then microbiological investigations must
be conducted if necessary.
For determining the hygienic condition of individual filter
stages or for scheduling a filter change required for hygienic
reasons, suitable measuring methods have to be used. For
example, airborne germs can be collected before and after
a filter stage (see Figure 1) so as to check whether the
measured concentration of germs per cubic meter of air is
lower behind the filter than in front of it.

Sheet 1 Hygienic standards for ventilation and July

air-conditioning systems, 1998
Offices and assembly rooms Filter holder with
sterile membrane filter/
Sheet 2 Hygienic standards for ventilation and Dec.
gelatine filter
air-conditioning systems, 1999
Standards for Hygiene Training

Sheet 3 Hygienic standards for ventilation and Support and hose

Nov.
air-conditioning systems in production 2002
facilities and business enterprises
Pump for suction of
Table 1 Overview of the VDI 6022 Guideline the test air (MD-8)

Sheet 3 provides not only statements of general validity, but

also specific instructions for particular sectors (the food and
tobacco industries, the timber and textile industries, the
printing and paper processing sectors, the pharmaceutical
industry, waste disposal enterprises, plus the metalworking
and automotive industries). Some core statements from the
VDI 6022 Guideline in regard to air filters are summarized in
Table 2 on the next page.
Determining the hygienic condition of air filters
VDI 6022 stipulates that air filters be regularly checked for
soiling and penetration of moisture, and be replaced in the
event of conspicuous soiling, moisture penetration or leaks.
HVAC systems have to be monitored at regular short inter-
vals (hygiene checks) by operating staff trained in accor-
dance with Sheet 2, and at longer intervals by specialized
personnel (hygiene inspections). For these hygiene inspec-
tions, Sheet 1 of VDI 6022 stipulates not only visual checks,
Fig. 1 Measuring set-up for collecting airborne germs before a filter
stage with pocket filters (photograph from the dirty-air side)
A second variant for a sampling procedure is the dab test,
which is faster and simpler to perform. In both cases, the
germs collected on the sample bodies are placed on a
nutrient solution (see Figure 2) and incubated in a defined
environment. The number of colony-forming units (CFUs) is
then determined. In regard to the two sampling procedures
(airborne germ collection and dab test), it should be noted
that the more elaborate airborne germ collection procedure
is advantageous in terms of correlatability to VDI 6022,
since the germ concentrations measured before and after
the filter stage concerned can be compared with each other
directly. In the case of dab samples, basically only the
hygienic condition at the sampling point can be ascertained,
and referencing is at the very least restricted.
 from “as-new condition” to “unacceptable”. Taking the food
sector as a reference for defining a filter change required by
biological considerations at least ensures that the standards
applied will tend to be too strict rather than too generous.

If by means of this test the air filters are proved to be in a

microbiologically safe condition, then for industrial facilities
whose HVAC systems are covered by Sheet 3 of VDI 6022,
the air filter’s lifetime can be extended by one year each
time.

The conclusions to be drawn for air filter design

Dab sample Nutrient solution (casein, soy-peptone)
Fig. 2 Aids for examining the hygienic condition of air filters in
HVAC systems
VDI 6022 does not define a limit value for assessing results
from dab samples, which if exceeded entails a filter change.
Quantitative assistance can be obtained in this context, for
example, from particulars laid down in DIN 10113-3
(„Determination of surface colony count on fitment and
uten-sils in food areas – Part 3: Semi-quantitative method
with culture media laminated taking up equipment (squeeze
method)“), a standard which for certain surface concentra-
tions in CFUs per 25 cm2 provides a classification ranging
As a general principle, excessive humidity must be avoided
in HVAC systems, since high levels of humidity encourage
the growth of germs. The relative humidity in the system,
particularly at air filters, must not exceed 90%. At the first
stage’s air filters, the average relative humidity must not be
higher than 80% within a three-day period.
In practice, however, there are repeated instances of liquid
water being encountered, at least sporadically, on the duct
bases of HVAC systems. In order to ensure that this liquid
water evaporates as quickly as possible, then in the zones
around the air filters care must be taken to prevent the filter
pockets touching down on the wet housing bases.

Statement from Sheet 1 from Sheet 3

It must be possible to design, install, maintain and exchange air filters in such a way that
they minimise but under no circumstance increase the entry of airborne germs and [...] yes yes
dust into rooms [...].

It is recommended that two filter stages be used, with filters of at least Class F5 (EN 779) basically yes, but
yes with sectorally
[...] in the first stage, and at least F7 […] in the second. specific restrictions

Construction and structure of air filters must permit easy, safe and undamaged assembly
yes yes
[...].

The air filter materials must withstand the mechanical stresses in all phases of operation. yes yes

The filter material must not exhibit any leaks. yes yes

The entire ventilation and air-conditioning plant in the air-conducting area must consist of
materials that can neither emit health endangering materials nor form a nutritive medium yes yes
for micro-organisms.

Glass-fiber and mineral-fiber mats used for insulation must not come into direct contact
yes yes
with the air being transported. 1

The air filters in the first filter stage shall be replaced after one year at the latest, those in
the second filter stage after two years at the latest. Otherwise filters shall be replaced yes no
when the permissible final pressure drop has been reached.

Air filters of the first filter stage are to be replaced after one year at the latest, while for
the subsequent filter stages sectorally specific requirements apply. Otherwise the air no yes
filters shall be replaced when the permissible final pressure drop has been reached.

During their useful lifetime, the collection efficiency of the air filters must not significantly
yes no
deteriorate.

During their entire useful lifetime, the air filters must provide the collection efficiency
no yes
specified for the filter class concerned.

The use of air filters with an antimicrobial effect is permissible only when their efficacy
and safety for human health over the specified filter lifetime has been evidenced in no yes
practical tests.
1
generally valid statement from VDI 6022, which logically enough applies to air filters as well

Table 2 Excerpt from VDI 6022‘s core statements regarding air filters

Fig. 3 Inherently stable pocket filters with the ventilation system
switched off (photographed from the clean-air side
If an HVAC system features pocket filters with inherently
stable filter materials or cassette filters with a stable frame
construction, and the limit values for relative humidity are
complied with, the risk of microbic contamination in the
filters will be significantly reduced. In the case of pocket
filters with inherently stable pockets (see Figure 3), the
pockets will be freely aligned in the air flow during every
operating state, i.e. even with a reduced air volume flow or
when the HVAC system has been switched off, and any
lengthy wetting can be avoided, or the erect filter pockets
can dry out again in the air flow after any brief exposure to
moisture. The same considerations essentially apply for
cassette filters as well, whose pleated, paper-like filter
media are mounted in a stable plastic frame.
Figure 4 shows a filter wall with cassette filters, and illus-
trates the reasons for the increasing popularity of this filter
design.
Fig. 4 Cassette filters with a stable frame construction
(photographed from the clean-air side)
Fig. 5 Pocket filters featuring not-inherently-stable filter pockets
with the ventilation system switched off (photographed
from the clean-air side)
When filters without inherent stability are used (see Figure 5),
the pockets of the air filters may sag, and not open com-
pletely in the air flow. A particularly critical consideration
in this context is the possibility that the filter pockets will
touch down on what may be a wet housing base. In a
situation of this kind, there will be local incidence of in-
creased relative humidity levels at the filter pockets, perhaps
extending to actual wetting, which may trigger an acceler-
ated growth of germs.
Figures 6 and 7 show examples of an air filter’s pockets
featuring a very soft, not inherently stable filter medium. The
pockets were unable to open in the air flow, the moisture
from the base of the duct was absorbed, and the suscep-
tibility to microbic contamination is substantially increased.
Moreover, after the ventilation system has been switched
off, the residual heat of the damper register may encourage
the growth of germs. If an HVAC system incorporates air
filters featuring filter media which are not inherently stable,
even a filter change after one or two years, as recom-
mended in VDI 6022, will offer no protection against possi-
ble microbic contamination, since potentially harmful micro-
organisms can multiply rapidly in significantly shorter time
periods as a result of local excess moisture levels.
The quality of workmanship featured by the filter elements,
and the filter medium itself, will assume increased impor-
Fig. 6 Filter pockets touching the damp base of the ventilation
system
Fig. 7 Detailed view of a wet filter pocket on the base of the
ventilation system
tance against the background of VDI 6022. The air filters
should be designed so as to ensure that the easy, safe and
damage-free installation specified is actually feasible in
practice. In this context, too, an inherently stable filter de-
sign proves advantageous, so as to make it easier for even
relatively untrained maintenance staff to install the filters
properly. Figure 8 shows a replacement procedure for a
typical pocket filter meeting the specified requirements for
installation thanks to its sturdy frame construction and in-
herently stable filter pockets. The filter medium consists of
synthetic-organic fibers, which will usually possess a suffi-
ciently high mechanical strength, thus practically precluding
any possibility of damage during installation.
Fig. 8 Damage-free replacement of a pocket filter with inherently
stable filter pockets
Pocket filters with filter media made of voluminous glass
fiber nonwovens are frequently used in HVAC systems. It is
more difficult with these filters to meet the requirement for
easy, safe and damage-free installation, since the filter
medium reacts very sensitively to mechanical stress, and
may easily tear. Figure 9 illustrates the sensitivity of volu-
minous glass fiber media as exemplified by a damaged
pocket filter.
Recent studies at the Technical and Business College in
Berlin have shown that in pocket filters with filter media
made of voluminous glass fiber nonwovens a phenomenon
called fiber-shedding can be observed. The term “shedding”
denotes the detachment of fiber fragments into the clean-air
flow, a phenomenon attributable to low mechanical strength
of the filter medium and the brittleness of glass fibers.
Figures 10 and 11 show fibers found on the clean-air side of
pocket filters with glass-fiber media.
Fig. 9 Damage to the filter medium of a pocket filter made of
voluminous glass-fiber nonwoven
Air filters featuring filter media with an antimicrobial finish
have been available for some years now. The chemicals
incorporated in these filter media are intended to slow down
the growth of germs without killing them off. Besides consi-
derations relating to the long-term efficacy of these chemi-
cals, their behavior in the event of dust deposits inside
the filter, plus their water-solubility and the possibility of
substances being released into the clean-air flow, together
with practical evidencing of health safety over the entire
operating period (particularly in interaction with other
substances), the question also arises of whether filters with
this kind of antimicrobial finish should be used at all in a
properly maintained HVAC system. The long-term effect on
humans living and working in ventilated rooms over many
years has, at the very least, not been definitively clarified.
An illuminating comparison, for example, would be the
production of yoghurts using preservatives to extend their
shelf-lives or a clean production process under monitored
condition, where the penetration of germs into the foodstuff
is substantially reduced, and the shelf-life extended in this
way. In the food industry, at least, there is a clearly
discernible trend towards the last-mentioned approach, with
a concomitant reduction in additives.
In many HVAC systems at hospitals and industrial facilities,
HEPA filters conforming to EN 1822 are installed, so as to
achieve maximally germ-free conditions in certain rooms
(e.g. operating theaters, sterile production rooms, etc.).
In vielen RLT-Anlagen von Krankenhäusern und in der In-
dustrie sind Schwebstoffilter nach EN 1822 eingesetzt, um
in bestimmten Räumen (z. B. Operationssäle, sterile Pro-
duktionsräume etc.) möglichst keimarme Bedingungen zu
Fig. 10 Glass fibers from a floor dust sample taken at the clean-
air side; the bonding agent sails between the fibers are
clearly discernible (SEM photograph)
 1000 µm

Fig. 11 Clean-air side floor dust sample on a membrane filter.

Glass fibers and particles can be seen

The arrestance capabilities of HEPA filters are so effective Fig. 12 Class H13 HEPA Filter in conformity with EN 1822, with
that a high to very high percentage of even the smallest a frame made of plastic profiles (610x610x292 mm)
germs are arrested in the filter. Given suitable prefiltration,
the expensive HEPA filters will normally achieve useful Whereas the plastic profile made of ABS is suitable for use
lifetimes of 3 to 5 years, and in individual cases of up to 10 in HVAC systems, the findings for MDF showed the highest
years, cutting the number of elaborate replacement pro- intensity of microbic contamination both for fungi and for
cedures involved. bacteria, which means that the MDF examined is not suit-
Figure 12 shows one of these HEPA filters. A thin, paper- able fur use in HVAC systems in conformity with VDI 6022.
like filter medium in pleated form is glue-mounted into a
stable frame, with a suitable seal for leak-free mountability. To exemplify this, Figure 13 shows the surface of a filter
frame made of MDF, contaminated by germs following
Sheet 3 of VDI 6022 lays down that HEPA filters also have lengthy exposure to moisture.
to meet the requirements of VDI 6022 overall, i.e. they must
not, for instance, constitute a potential source of nutrients
for micro-organisms. This entails a restriction to metal or
plastic for HEPA filters’ frame materials, with plastic scoring
over metal in terms of incinerability and lower filter weight. In
hospitals, particularly, but in industrial facilities as well,
HEPA filters with frames made of wood or MDF (MDF =
medium-density fiber board) are still being used quite
frequently. Filters with wood-like frame materials do not
meet the stipulations of VDI 6022, since this frame material
can be metabolized by microbes.

At the Institute for Air Hygiene in Berlin, Freudenberg

commissioned studies on MDF and plastic profiles used as
frame materials for HEPA filters. The results of the studies
concerned are shown in Table 3.
Fig. 13 HEPA filter with an MDF frame after several weeks of
storage in a damp atmosphere

Intensity of microbial contamination

Material studied
Fungi Bacteria

MDF
substantial growth substantial growth
(of the type used as frame
entire sample surface contaminated entire sample surface contaminated
material for HEPA filters)

lies in the transitional area between:

Plastic profile made of ABS no growth visible to the naked eye, no growth discernible under a microscope
(of the type used as frame but clearly discernible under the and
material for HEPA filters) microscope no growth visible to the naked eye,
but clearly discernible under the microscope
Table 3 Results of studies in conformity with EN ISO 846 on microbial metabolizability of frame materials for HEPA filters.
Fig. 14 SEM photographs of a HEPA filter’s MDF frame as shown in Figure 13: spore capsules can be seen between the wood fibers.
Figure 14 shows the MDF material under a scanning elec-
ron microscope (SEM). Even without quantifying the number
of germs precisely, the microbic contamination is easily dis-
cernible.
Summary
VDI 6022 contains numerous references to the features and
characteristics which must be exhibited by the air filters
concerned in order to ensure that they function as intended.
The air filters must over their entire period of use limit the
penetration of dust, dirt and micro-organisms into ventilated
rooms, and must themselves not become sources of germs.
When it comes to the fine-filters of the first and second filter
stages, inherently stable filter designs, i.e. pocket filters with
inherently stable filter media or cassette filters with stable
frame designs, should be used, in order to meet the re-
quirements of VDI 6022. For HEPA filters, it is necessary to
employ microbially unusable plastic or metal as the frame
material, with plastic offering advantages in terms of inciner-
ability and lower weight. The widely used frame materials
based on wood, such as MDF, do not meet the require-
ments of VDI 6022.
Freudenberg Vliesstoffe KG · Filter Division
D - 69465 Weinheim
Tel. +49 (0) 62 01/80-62 64 · Fax +49 (0) 62 01/88-62 99
Email: filter-service@freudenberg-nw.com · www.viledon-filter.com
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