As wildfires rage across the country, smoke plumes from scorched structures pose a major health threat. Sneaky particles can creep through vents and other home openings, but buying high-quality HEPA filters can be costly and inaccessible for many.

That’s why Richard Corsi, the dean of the College of Engineering at the University of California at Davis, and Jim Rosenthal, the chief executive of Tex-Air Filters, created their do-it-yourself filter. Known as the Corsi-Rosenthal Box, the cost-effective air filter was originally created to filter particles containing infectious viruses in indoor spaces.

According to three studies presented by Corsi at the American Chemical Society on Monday, the Corsi-Rosenthal Box fared significantly better than commercial HEPA-based air cleaners at trapping pathogens, and performed better at containing particles generated by wildfires.

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