Hillel's Tech Corner: Dusmit - Literally a breath of fresh air

We’ve all repeatedly heard of the devastating impact of air pollution, as it causes distress to the environment and human health.

By HILLEL FULD
Hillel's Tech Corner: Dusmit - Literally a breath of fresh air (photo credit: Courtesy)
Hillel's Tech Corner: Dusmit - Literally a breath of fresh air
(photo credit: Courtesy)
There are some probing conversation topics that come and go in waves, and others that are timeless. I’d say one example of the latter would be the surrounding concerns regarding air quality and its impact. Today, for obvious reasons, the topic is as relevant as ever.
We’ve all repeatedly heard of the devastating impact of air pollution, as it causes distress to the environment and human health. However, I noticed that when the general public speaks of air pollution, it’s typically in reference to outdoor air pollution. Smog. Noxious gas emissions. Pollution in the aftermath of natural disasters.
But what about indoor air pollution? It is just as alarming a topic, but not many address it. For secondhand smoke, mold, asbestos and carbon monoxide, short-term effects are mainly eye and throat irritations, and long-term effects include respiratory disease and various cancers. In fact, indoor air pollution is estimated to be two to five times worse than its outdoor counterpart.
This is where air-purification company Dusmit comes in.
Hanagid-based Dusmit was founded in 2017 by husband and wife Ofer and Yael Nidam. Dusmit is a fully scalable system that can turn the air quality of any indoor area to the equivalent of that of a medical-grade clean room at a fraction of the cost. For context, medical-grade clean rooms cost more than $1 million to maintain annually, which is why they are used very selectively in labs and certain special settings.
Dusmit’s technology makes every home, office, building or mass-transit facility purified to that level. By now I’m sure you realize the potential of this on a global scale, considering the COVID-19 pandemic, which explains why they have some major partnerships in the works. It is the early days for the company, but based on current interest, things are expected to move fast.
Before founding Dusmit, Ofer was a department head in the IDF’s 8200 Unit and most recently a senior systems engineer at Israel Aerospace Industry in the engineering and radar division, where he was head engineer for a $1 billion project. He was a serial entrepreneur and lecturer about creative thinking for more than a decade. Meanwhile, Yael’s 10-plus years of experience in business development and marketing came in handy as the foundation of Dusmit was being built.
For the job of CEO they hired David Tavor, who has more than 20 years of experience as a general manager and founder of multiple biotech, pharmaceutical and medical-device companies. He previously served as a fighter pilot and a commander in the IAF and retired with the rank of colonel. 
The company was born from a personal need. While working at IAI, Ofer had a severe allergy attack from dust mite allergens and decided to take matters into his own hands and conduct thorough research. It was through this research that he realized current purification systems were insufficient, as the go-to recommendation for allergy doctors was to tell patients to air out their homes and open the windows.
The Dusmit device goes the extra mile. It uses thermodynamic principles coupled with continuous air flow to kill all noxious organisms, including viruses, bacteria, mold spores and allergens. Its technology destroys the noxious organisms at the molecular level without damaging the air and restores the air to its natural condition, temperature, humidity and oxygen levels.
Dusmit is additionally SDG-Relevant (Sustainable Development Goals) and is targeting four UN goals: 
●Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being - purifying air in private and public spaces
●Goal 2: Zero Hunger - indoor farming is the future and indoor air treatment will be a must
●Goal 13: Climate Action - improving public air quality will reduce dramatically worldwide HVAC systems consumption (up to 40% due to fresh air)
●Goal 15: Life on Land - smart indoor agriculture will prevent deforestation
While it might sound heartwarming, Dusmit is an actual beast that has had wildly successful field tests and trials.
●HY labs - test for destroying dust mite allergens - 100% reduction
●Bactochem - test for destroying mold spores - 100% reduction
●Field test with indoor growing company - test to clean in between cycles compared with hydrogen peroxide – Dusmit is three times better at cleaning indoor surfaces than simply wiping surfaces down with hydrogen peroxide.
Additional tests scheduled include field and clinical tests with a major food manufacturing company, an insect-protein farm, a major hospital in a bone-marrow replacement unit and a lab test to show effectiveness in strains of influenza.
The global market size for air purification in 2018 was $20b. and is expected to surpass $27b. in 2021. Dusmit is currently talking to potential partners around the world about synergies, and is starting the process of raising an investment round to scale up production.
By now you’re probably wondering, “What makes Dusmit more effective than the air filters we all know of?” Here’s the thing: Dusmit treats the air without filters, which means there is no need to replace them. It’s an affordable solution with minimal maintenance that destroys harmful organisms regardless of their size and conducts treatments without byproducts.
In Europe, exposure to harmful particulate matter decreases the life expectancy of every person by an average of almost one year, mostly due to increased risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and lung cancer, according to the World Health Organization. Air pollution costs European economies $1.6 trillion a year in diseases and deaths. Additionally, the WHO’s World Health Report 2002 estimates that indoor air pollution is responsible for 2.7% of the loss of disability adjusted life years worldwide. The disability-adjusted life year is a measure of overall disease burden, expressed as the number of years lost due to ill health, disability or early death.
Overall, air pollution is one of the main environmental risks worldwide and the fourth-biggest risk factor for mortality.
The importance of such a technology is magnified in the current coronavirus crisis as the world struggles to contain it. Dusmit might not be the solution to our current crisis, but by purifying the air around us, it can slow it down.
As such, it’s refreshing to know that a company such as Dusmit is finally here to put ease into the situation and save countless lives while doing so. I can’t wait to see the many ways this company breathes new life into the world as it grows.