Air Purification in Post-Harvest Logistics – Video
This video demonstrates how “Bluezone” air purification is applied in post-harvest logistics. It focuses on how the system operates and explains its technical functioning.
What Happens Inside the Bluezone Air Purification System
This animation illustrates the airflow through the Bluezone air purification system.
Air containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including formaldehyde, ammonia, ethanol and ethylene, enters the reaction chamber from right to left. While not visually represented, bacteria, viruses and fungal spores may also be present in the incoming airflow.
Inside the reaction chamber, four UV-C lamps create an irradiated environment while ozone molecules circulate throughout the system. The animation demonstrates how ozone reacts with VOC molecules and contributes to the oxidation of unwanted compounds.
Before the air leaves the system, a specially designed catalyst converts the remaining ozone back into oxygen. As a result, clean air is returned to the storage environment.
An important safety feature of the system is that no ozone is released into the treated area, making the technology safer for people, animals and materials within the protected environment.
What this technology actually delivers
Bluezone combines UV-C irradiation with ozone oxidation technology, offering an integrated solution where previously separate approaches were required to control:
- Ethylene concentrations
- Mold spores count contamination
- Bacterial colony count reduction
- Odour transfer
With the implementation of Bluezone air purification technology, the need for ethylene absorbers, ripening inhibitor treatments such as 1-MCP, and the use of fungicides and other chemical agents can be significantly reduced or even eliminated.
In other words, this integrated approach improves air quality and helps protect product freshness during post-harvest handling and storage.
An energy-saving perspective
Fruit traders often reduce the ambient temperature of freshly harvested produce to a minimum, in order to slow down the ripening process. Lower temperatures reduce metabolic activity and limit the production and impact of ethylene gas.
However, lower temperatures require significant cooling capacity and can lead to product weight loss, as the produce may lose moisture over time. To compensate for this, higher humidity levels are often applied in storage environments. While effective in reducing dehydration, elevated humidity creates favourable conditions for mould (fungal) growth.
By actively oxidising ethylene gas, Bluezone air purification technology allows for a more balanced temperature strategy. The strict need for very low temperatures can be reconsidered.
In many cases, slightly higher storage temperatures — for example +1°C to +2°C above conventional standards — can be applied without compromising product quality. This reduces weight loss, limits the need for elevated humidity levels, and decreases both cooling demand and energy consumption.
Overall, this approach not only improves storage conditions but also contributes to energy savings and reduced operational costs.
Interested in how this technology could improve your operations?