Advanced Air Treatment Systems: Improving Indoor Air Quality with NCCO Technology

Sep 4

6 min read

Indoor air quality has become an important engineering consideration across commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, laboratories, offices, industrial environments and other enclosed spaces. Dust, odors, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, biological contaminants and other airborne pollutants can enter or develop within occupied areas, creating a need for effective air-treatment strategies.

Sahmul Masar offers RHT International air-treatment solutions designed to address these challenges through advanced filtration and Nano-Confined Catalytic Oxidation (NCCO) technology.

More Than Conventional Air Filtration

Traditional air-purification systems often rely heavily on filtration or adsorption. While filters can capture particulate matter, gaseous pollutants such as VOCs and odors require additional treatment mechanisms.

RHT's NCCO technology is designed to go beyond simple pollutant capture. According to RHT International, NCCO uses a catalytic process to decompose VOCs and formaldehyde into carbon dioxide and water, while the system's catalytic material is regenerated through the treatment process.

This approach makes air treatment a combination of particulate filtration and contaminant decomposition rather than relying on a single filtration stage.

Understanding NCCO Technology

NCCO stands for Nano-Confined Catalytic Oxidation.

The technology uses porous catalytic material containing nanoscale adsorption pathways and catalytic components. Airborne gaseous contaminants are adsorbed within these confined structures, where active oxygen participates in catalytic oxidation.

RHT explains that the process converts gaseous pollutants into smaller, less harmful products such as carbon dioxide and water. The catalytic material is then regenerated, allowing the treatment process to continue.

The fundamental concept is therefore different from a system that simply stores pollutants inside an adsorbent until the material becomes saturated.

A Multi-Stage Approach to Air Treatment

RHT systems can incorporate several treatment stages, with different components addressing different categories of contaminants.

Depending on the model, the treatment sequence can include a pre-filter, static filter, HEPA filter, active oxygen generation and the NCCO reactor. RHT documentation describes these stages as addressing dust and larger particles, fine particles, allergens and biological contaminants, as well as gaseous odors, VOCs and formaldehyde.

This layered approach is important because indoor air pollution is rarely composed of only one pollutant type.

RH-220 for Flexible Commercial and Industrial Applications

The RH-220 is one of RHT's established air-treatment units. RHT describes it as a mobile duct-mounted unit suitable for typical room sizes of approximately 20–60 m².

It can operate as a mobile air-treatment unit or be connected to ventilation ducting. The unit incorporates NCCO technology and is designed for the treatment of odors, bacteria and viruses, VOCs and formaldehyde.

The RH-220 operates on AC 110–220 V, 50–60 Hz, with multiple speed modes and a three-stage treatment system.

This configuration can be useful where an air-treatment system needs to provide flexibility without requiring a permanent ceiling installation.

RH-490C for Ceiling Installation

For larger rooms and applications where ceiling integration is preferred, RHT offers the RH-490C ceiling filtration unit.

RHT specifies the RH-490C for typical room sizes of approximately 40–100 m². It can be installed directly at the ceiling without requiring connection to a ventilation system for fume extraction from the ceiling space.

The unit operates at 220–240 V, 50 Hz, includes multiple airflow and noise-level modes, and has a filter-exchange warning system and remote control.

The ceiling-mounted configuration can help preserve usable floor and wall space while providing continuous air treatment.

Why VOC and Formaldehyde Control Matters

Indoor environments can contain VOCs originating from paints, adhesives, furnishings, cleaning products, building materials and industrial processes. Formaldehyde can also be released from certain construction and furnishing materials.

RHT specifically identifies VOCs and formaldehyde among the gaseous contaminants addressed by its NCCO systems.

The importance of this capability can be seen in RHT's documented applications. For example, RHT reports the use of RH-490C units in a pathology laboratory where formaldehyde and VOCs were generated during histology activities.

Odor Treatment in High-Traffic Facilities

Odor control is another important air-treatment requirement in public and commercial facilities.

RHT has documented applications of RH-490C and RH-220 systems at Hong Kong International Airport, where the units were deployed in smoking rooms and passenger washrooms to address heavy cigarette fumes and washroom odors.

RHT has also reported RH-490C installations in MTR station washrooms to address significant odor and biological contamination concerns.

These applications illustrate how air-treatment systems can be incorporated into facilities where conventional ventilation alone may not adequately address localized odor problems.

Air Treatment for Healthcare and Laboratory Environments

Healthcare facilities and laboratories can have demanding indoor-air requirements because their activities may generate chemical fumes, odors, particulates and biological contaminants.

RHT identifies its NCCO systems for applications involving hospitals and laboratories, and its published case studies include pathology-laboratory applications involving formaldehyde and VOC exposure.

The multi-stage configuration is particularly relevant in environments where particulate filtration and gaseous contaminant treatment need to operate together.

Maintenance and Filter Management

Air-treatment performance depends not only on the purification technology but also on appropriate maintenance.

RHT's FAQ explains that its systems can incorporate several filter types, including pre-filters, static filters, HEPA filters and NCCO reactor filters. It recommends different maintenance intervals depending on the filter type and level of pollution; for example, pre-filters require regular cleaning, while replacement intervals for other filters vary according to operating conditions. RHT states that its NCCO filter is typically recommended for replacement every 3–5 years, subject to the specific system and conditions.

Actual maintenance schedules should therefore follow the technical documentation for the selected model and the environmental conditions of the installation.

Designed for Different Indoor Spaces

Air-treatment requirements vary considerably from one building to another.

An office may primarily require control of odors, dust and VOCs. A laboratory may have more demanding chemical-contaminant requirements. A hospital may require careful management of particulates and biological contaminants. Public facilities such as airports and transport stations may face high occupancy and localized odor sources.

RHT's product range includes different configurations to address these varying requirements, including mobile, duct-mounted and ceiling-mounted systems.

A Practical Alternative to Relying Only on Ventilation

Ventilation remains an important part of indoor environmental control, but ventilation alone does not necessarily eliminate pollutants at their source or adequately treat localized contamination.

Air-treatment systems can provide an additional layer of control by treating recirculated indoor air or specific affected areas. RHT's documented airport and transport applications demonstrate how its units have been used to supplement existing building-air strategies in areas with persistent odor problems.

The appropriate solution should always be selected according to room volume, pollutant sources, occupancy, ventilation conditions and required air-change performance.

Certification and Technical Assurance

RHT states that its NCCO technology has been tested by internationally accredited authorities for the removal of contaminants including formaldehyde, TVOCs, ammonia, ozone, respirable suspended particulates, airborne bacteria and influenza virus H3N2.

RHT also states that its units comply with applicable CE requirements covering low voltage, electromagnetic compatibility and RoHS, and that the company is ISO 9001:2015 registered.

Such certification and testing information can be important when specifying air-treatment equipment for commercial, healthcare or industrial projects.

Selecting an Air Treatment System

Selecting the correct air-treatment configuration requires more than simply matching a purifier to room size.

A proper assessment should consider:

Room dimensions and volume
Primary sources of pollution
Particulate versus gaseous contamination
Odor intensity and source
Occupancy levels
Existing HVAC and ventilation arrangements
Installation limitations
Required airflow
Maintenance access
Operating schedule
Applicable project standards

For larger or specialized installations, the air-treatment system should be evaluated as part of the overall HVAC and indoor-air-quality strategy.

Air Treatment Solutions from Sahmul Masar

Sahmul Masar provides access to RHT International air-treatment technology for commercial, industrial and specialized indoor environments.

The current Sahmul Masar air-treatment range highlights the RH-220 and RH-490C, providing different installation approaches for spaces requiring advanced treatment of particulate and gaseous contaminants.

For projects in Saudi Arabia, selecting the appropriate configuration should be based on the building's air-quality requirements, room characteristics and intended operating conditions.

Conclusion

Modern indoor-air-quality management requires solutions capable of addressing more than visible dust. Odors, VOCs, formaldehyde, fine particles and biological contaminants can all contribute to poor indoor air quality, and different pollutants require different treatment mechanisms.

RHT International's NCCO technology combines filtration with catalytic treatment designed to decompose gaseous contaminants rather than relying exclusively on pollutant adsorption. Its product range includes mobile, duct-mounted and ceiling-mounted configurations such as the RH-220 and RH-490C.

For offices, laboratories, hospitals, industrial facilities, airports and other enclosed environments, an appropriately engineered air-treatment system can provide an additional layer of indoor-air-quality control alongside the building's existing ventilation strategy.

Through Sahmul Masar, these RHT air-treatment solutions are available for projects seeking advanced indoor air purification and contaminant-control technology in Saudi Arabia.