ASTM approves standard for vacuum cleaner test.
Press Release Summary:
ASTM International Committee F11 on Vacuum Cleaners has approved standard F 2608, Test Method for Determining the Change in Room Air Particulate Counts as a Result of the Vacuum Cleaning Process. Standard is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee F11.23 on Filtration. Information generated from testing will be used in buyer's guides, consumer fact tags, and by product development departments for vacuum cleaner manufacturers.
Original Press Release:
New ASTM International Vacuum Cleaner Test Simulates Consumer Use
ASTM International Committee F11 on Vacuum Cleaners has fulfilled an industry need with the approval of a new standard, F 2608, Test Method for Determining the Change in Room Air Particulate Counts as a Result of the Vacuum Cleaning Process. The standard is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee F11.23 on Filtration.
"The industry determined a need for a test method that is representative of actual consumer use and provides an evaluation of room environment dust disturbance and machine filtration performance at the same time," says Laurence Howard, chair of Task Group F11.23.08 on Total Emissions, and President, Laurence Partners, Inc. "In other words, we required a method that simulates the actual consumer experience during the process of vacuuming, the results of which would be readily understood by the user, whether residential or commercial."
Howard noted that retailers, consumer advocates and vacuum cleaner manufacturers will be the most likely users for F 2608. Information generated from testing will be used in buyer's guides, consumer fact tags and by product development departments for vacuum cleaner manufacturers.
Representatives for retailers and consumer advocate groups (for example, allergy and asthma and indoor air quality groups) are encouraged to participate in future revisions of F 2608, as well as in other standards developing activities of Subcommittee F11.23.
ASTM International standards are available for purchase from Customer Service (phone: 610/832-9585; bschindl@astm.org ) or at www.astm.org.
For further technical information, contact Laurence Howard, Laurence Partners, Inc., Williston, Vt. (phone: 802/865-3405; laurencemx@cs.com). Committee F11 will meet Oct. 29-31 at the October Committee Week in Tampa, Fla. For membership or meeting information, contact Brynn Iwanowski, Technical Committee Operations, ASTM International (phone: 610/832-9640; biwanows@astm.org).
