Cleaner Air, Healthier Lives: Panasonic Strives to Combat Haze with Innovative Indoor Air Quality Solutions

Kuala Lumpur, 10 October 2024 – In a major step toward improving air quality during Southeast Asia’s recurring haze crisis, Panasonic, has conducted a study in collaboration with the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), to determine effective solutions for households and businesses, ensuring cleaner and safer indoor air quality and environments during the Haze season.

Haze has long been a persistent challenge in Southeast Asia, caused primarily by natural and human factors including forest fires, agricultural burning, and industrial and traffic emissions. This phenomenon caused by fine particles that are not visible to the naked eye, and it is recognised as a serious air pollution issue in Southeast Asia. The problems arising from Haze affect various areas, including health, the economy, and the environment, making it a significant social issue in Malaysia and the region.

Mr. Ichiro Suganuma, Managing Director of QAFL Business Promotion Center from Panasonic Corporation. said, " At Panasonic, our vision is rooted in creating innovative products and solutions that advance holistic wellbeing—for people, society, and the planet, inspired by Japan. This is part of our corporate mission ‘Create Today. Enrich Tomorrow.’. Our nanoe™ X technology is one example, developed to tackle air quality issues like haze, ensuring safer, healthier spaces at home and in the office. This innovation reflects our dedication to addressing current challenges while thinking about the future through building a better world for generations to come.”

Haze is made up of fine particles invisible to the naked eye, crosses borders and creates widespread impacts, including respiratory illnesses, economic disruptions, and environmental degradation. Among the many pollutants found in haze, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are particularly dangerous due to their link to decreased lung function, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Their ability to persist in the atmosphere and bioaccumulate in crops further compounds their threat to both human health and the environment.

The study, done under the supervision of Professor IR. TS. DR. Sheikh Ahmad Zaki Shaikh Salim demonstrated that Panasonic’s innovative nanoe™ X technology can significantly reduce the presence of three key PAH compounds commonly found in haze, that pose serious health and environmental risks. These PAHs are not only hazardous to health but also persist in the environment, increasing in concentration during haze periods.

Table 1. Inhibition rate of PAHs by nanoe™ X

Disclaimer: The data contains information subject to collaborative research data from Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology.
Veracity of claim may vary based on scientific findings.

Figure 1. Inhibition rate of PAHs by nanoe^TM X

Disclaimer: The data contains information subject to collaborative research data from Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology.
Veracity of claim may vary based on scientific findings.

Professor Dr Sheikh Ahmad Zaki said, “Haze is a serious social issue in Southeast Asia. With human activities, including industries that had been stagnant during the pandemic, now resuming, there is a concern that Haze-related damage may worsen. During Haze events, the atmosphere contains various substances, among which PAHs are particularly harmful to human health, raising significant health concerns. Through this study, we found that nanoe™ X can inhibit PAHs contained in Haze. Based on these results, nanoe™ X is expected to be a technology that can mitigate health damage caused by Haze and improve indoor environments.”

The study showcased nanoe™ X as a potentially vital tool in improving air quality indoors, where haze-related pollution often lingers.

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