Phil Castle, The Business Times

Randy Schwark ticks off what he considers alarming statistics.

About 35 percent of people carry infectious staph bacteria on their skin and in their nose. People shed nearly 1 million skin cells a day. People spend 90 percent of their time indoors and breath 11,000 liters of air a day.

The numbers add up to what Schwark said could be a potentially unhealthy situation in businesses and homes.

While bleach and other chemicals can temporarily disinfect surfaces, they do nothing to reduce airborne bacteria and viruses, Schwark said. The better approach, he said, is to treat the air to remove not only bacteria and viruses, but also allergens and odors.

Schwark operates RCI Environmental Solutions, a Grand Junction company that sells and leases systems he said do just that. Schwark runs the only supplier in the Western United States for ActiveTek Environmental, which manufacturers ActivePure systems.

Businesses can recoup their investment in providing a healthier environment for employees and customers, he said. “It’s a win-win for everybody.”

RCI Environmental Solutions offers different systems to accommodate different settings and uses, Schwark said. That includes systems installed in heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems as well as various sizes of self-contained units.

An ActivePure system combines an ultraviolet light with a specially coated honeycomb matrix to produce hydro peroxides and negatively charged ions to kill bacteria and remove particles in the air, Schwark said. The same technology is used to scrub the air on the International Space Station, he said.

Studies conducted at Kansas State University and the University of Missouri found the use of the system neutralized up to 99.9 percent of a variety of strains of bacteria on surfaces as well as killed norovirus on stainless steel, carpeting and cloth, Schwark said.

Ben Holloway, marketing manager for RCI Environmental Solutions, said he’d previously worked in the medical equipment business for 13 years, but was impressed with the systems. “I’ve never seen a product like this before.”

Schwark said anecdotal evidence from the testimonials he’s received from clients indicate the systems have reduced illnesses, including sinus infections, as well as eliminated odors and reduced allergy symptoms.

The systems offer businesses a return on their investment in reducing employee sickness and in turn absenteeism, he said. The systems also can help those businesses that benefit from healthy customers, including senior living and skilled nursing facilities.

And that means business owners and managers can breathe easier, he said.

For more information about RCI Environmental Solutions, call Randy Schwark at 628-5046 or Ben Holloway at 639-0702.