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Particulate control in car ventilation systems using electrically-charged synthetic filter media are becoming more popular. Adsorption units and low-temperature catalytic systems have been used to control odors and some chemical contaminants in top-of-the-line automobiles. This is a review analyzing these systems, the contaminants found in vehicle environments, and filtration theory. A detailed discussion of experimental work concentrates on overall and fractional filter efficiency and increase in pressure drop with dust loading of charged and uncharged filter media at high aerosol velocity. SAE fine and two natural polydisperse dusts with particles smaller than 5 and 10 μm were used for testing. The health and comfort of car occupants depend on several factors, including air quality. Currently, several car manufacturers offer filtration systems for car interior air.

The development of a particulate filter for a motor vehicle ventilation system is based on filter performance requirements, vehicle's operational environment, available space, filter media properties, and filter element technology. The design process includes analyses of theoretical and empirical models describing filter media performance and aerosol flow in filter housings and through filter elements. Filter media are carefully selected based upon these models and simplified laboratory tests. The filter element design is evaluated in great detail through a series of laboratory and field experiments. This paper shows the process of cabin filter design, including filter media selection and experimental evaluation. Four recently published ISO and SAE test methods are discussed in detail. One of them, the SAE J1669 test procedure, was used to determine full scale filter element performance characteristics.