Strumica, 5 December 2025 (MIA) — The government has donated to four elementary schools and two preschools in Strumica high-efficiency, high-capacity air purifiers that remove at least 99.995% of airborne viruses, bacteria and other pathogens from the air, according to Strumica Mayor Petar Jankov in a social media post Friday.

"Thanks to the donation from the General Secretariat of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, some of our educational institutions have received high-quality devices using H14 HEPA filters — filters that capture over 99.995% of viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms," the Strumica mayor wrote on Facebook.

The medical-grade H14 HEPA filters will "provide air quality comparable to conditions in sterile rooms," Jankov wrote after visiting the municipal Nikola Vapcarov Elementary, Marshal Tito Elementary, Vidoe Podgorec Elementary, Sando Masev Elementary and the Vinozhito and Detska radost preschool centers that received the heavy-duty air purifiers.

With their high airflow rate of 2500 m³/h, he said the powerful units will provide five Air Changes per Hour (5 ACH), meaning the air in the spaces they are in will be fully replaced five times every hour, a level recommended for reducing airborne viruses in buildings and improving indoor air quality for health.

In additon to the medical-grade H14 HEPA filters, the air purifiers also use activated carbon for odors, the mayor said. According to him, these activated carbon prefilters handle the gaseous pollutants that HEPA filters cannot capture, reducing the presence of ozone, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. 

"The Municipality of Strumica's number one priority is our children's health and safety," Jankov wrote.

"With these modern air purifiers," he added, "we are providing clean and fresh air in educational institutions and creating a safer living environment so children can grow up healthy." mr/