Strategies for enhancing performance sustainability of air filters: challenges and future directions

The escalating challenges of air pollution and health issues in indoor environments have underscored the critical role of air filters in improving indoor air quality. However, traditional air filters face an inherent trade-off among filtration efficiency, airflow resistance, and service life. Specifically, highly efficient filters tend to exhibit a high pressure drop and shorter service life, resulting in increased energy consumption and more frequent maintenance. These limitations pose significant barriers to the development of high-performance and long-life air purification systems. This review aims to explore multidimensional solutions for enhancing the performance sustainability of air filters. Through a systematic review of recent advancements, this study focuses on four key areas: structural optimisation, material innovation, electrostatic enhancement, and cleaning and regeneration technologies. A comprehensive analysis is provided on the contributions of these technologies to improving filtration efficiency, reducing energy consumption, and extending filter longevity. Finally, this review integrates insights across these domains to propose a multidimensional strategy for the advancement of air filtration technologies. It establishes a clear foundation for the development of sustainable, high-performance filtration systems, thereby contributing significantly to the green transformation of the built environment and the protection of public health.