HEPA

[hep-uh]

adjective

1. noting or using an air filter composed of a mat of dense fibers arranged in folds, designed according to federal standards to trap at least 99.97% of airborne particles measuring 0.3 microns in diameter.

   HEPA vacuums and air purifiers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of HEPA¹

First recorded in 1960–65; abbreviation of h(igh-)e(fficiency) p(articulate) a(ir)

Example Sentences

The Hepa 700 machines roar noisily, and are accompanied by signs explaining how they "scrub tear gas and other chemicals from the air".

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High-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA, purifiers running at five to 10 air changes per hour cost $1 to $5 per square foot for typical ceiling heights, and indoor particle exposure can be reduced by 10 to 50 times relative to the outdoors, depending on the rate of particles still seeping into the room once doors and windows are closed.

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He also advised installing Hepa filters and better ventilation inside the home to minimise exposure.

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Ms. Hepa said the borough and its residents were “keenly aware of the need to balance responsible oil development and the subsistence lifestyle that has sustained us.”

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At a recent meeting convened by Ms. Murkowski, Taqulik Hepa, director of the Department of Wildlife Management for the North Slope Borough, said that municipal services in her community depended on taxes from oil and gas infrastructure.

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