Marmon Plumbing & Refrigeration has announced the successful completion of live, aerosolized COVID-19 testing on Marmon’s new CerroZone continuous indoor air purification system at the University of Missouri Laboratory for Infectious Disease Research (LIDR).

Early indications show the device has recorded over 99 percent reduction of live COVID-19 in a single pass in under 30 seconds. Confirmation of the efficacy data by the University of Missouri’s LIDR team, led by Dr. Jeffrey Adamovicz, is expected shortly.

CerroZone recorded a 99.999957 percent (6.57 LoG) particulate reduction on the FDA proxy virus for SARS-CoV-2 (RNA virus MS2) at ARE Labs in Olathe, Kansas.

The patent-pending system was developed in conjunction with Micron Pure, a Hecto Group company.

“We are excited and proud to introduce the CerroZone suite of products in the battle against COVID-19,” said Michael Duggan, VP innovation for Marmon Plumbing & Refrigeration. “While other air purification products have entered the market since the start of the pandemic, CerroZone offers proven performance in an accredited laboratory using live, airborne COVID-19. This sets us apart and provides the market a compelling opportunity in every respect.”

Duggan said CerroZone also will be tested on other pathogens such as MRSA and influenza.

He added, “As CerroZone is selected and installed, buildings will be able to display information about the benefits of our technology, thus providing the public with an important measure of confidence about air quality as they seek to safely return to workplaces, schools, medical centers, restaurants, entertainment venues, hotels, and other sites.”

Earlier this year, 239 scientists published a letter urging the World Health Organization and other public health groups to acknowledge that people can catch COVID-19 from airborne droplets. On Oct. 5, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said tiny particles that linger in the air can spread the coronavirus.

Marmon plans to display CerroZone at the AHR Expo in Chicago in 2021. The event spotlights the latest in HVACR and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) technology. Marmon will apply under Section 510(k) of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which requires device manufacturers to notify the FDA of their intent to market a medical device at least 90 days before launching the product.

CerroZone units will be available for advance orders beginning in late 2020. Details and updates will be shared on www.CerroZone.com.

Marmon Plumbing & Refrigeration is part of Chicago-based Marmon Holdings Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Marmon Holdings is a global industrial organization comprising 11 diverse business sectors and more than 100 autonomous manufacturing and service businesses.