With plans to improve air quality, La Porte (Indiana) Community School Corporation is working with Lumin-Air to install MERV-13 equivalent filters and UV-C in the district's school buses. The system will clean recirculated air, remove airborne contaminants, and maintain the safety of students and bus drivers.

Cary Brinkman, the school district's transportation director, said "cleaning and filtering the air on our school buses is another layer of protection in helping to mitigate the spread of illness while better protecting our students and drivers." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urges reduced inhalation of diesel exhaust, especially for children who still have developing pulmonary systems.

The Lumin-Air solution includes MERV-13 equivalent filtration and UV-C lights in an enclosure, which cleans and filters recirculated air throughout an occupied bus. It does not put ions, hydroxyl radicals, gases or harmful chemicals that claim to kill virus or bacteria cells into the air that people breathe. The UV-C is fully contained in an enclosure and safe for occupied spaces.

"School buses have historically been the safest way to travel to and from school, but they are also the most densely occupied spaces in a school system with the poorest air quality," said Dan Fillenwarth, president of Lumin-Air.

Mark Francesconi, LPCSC superintendent, said: "We are excited to make a positive impact on the air quality of our buses."

Indiana State Rep. Jim Pressel of House District 20 praised La Porte's leadership.

"Students and bus drivers spend a lot of time in close quarters with each other as they head to and from school," Pressel said. "That's why I think adding this new technology is a positive step for all, and my hope is that this helps keep our kids in school, learning and thriving."