UV Air Treatment Prevents Airborne Disease
Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) is a method of disinfection that uses short-wave UVC energy to inactivate harmful pathogens and prevent the spread of infectious, airborne diseases. UVC light penetrates the microorganism’s out structure and alters the DNA to render the cell harmless and unable to replicate, causing cell death. UVGI air cleaners eradicate bacteria, viruses, fungal spores and fragments in the air and on surfaces.
UVC germicidal lamps most commonly used are low-pressure mercury vapor lamps designed for 254 nanometer (nm) emission, although long wave UVA lamps and ozone lamps are also used in UV air treatment systems. UVC energy has been known to eradicate harmful viruses and bacteria since the late 19th century and increased in use during the tuberculosis (TB) outbreak of the 1980’s.
Interest in UVGI continues to increase with modern concerns regarding influenza pandemics, drug-resistant TB, bioterrorism and severe acute respiratory syndrome. With ongoing research, there is much evidence of the efficacy of UVGI, the most effective types of UV air treatment systems and how to best use UV technology in many different industries and applications.
Types of UV Air Treatment Systems
There are different types of UV air treatment systems designed to disinfect the air with different methods. UV air disinfection methods include:
- Full room irradiation with UVC robots
- Self-contained room air disinfection units
- Localized upper room UVGI
- UVGI in HVAC systems
There are two types of UV air treatment in HVAC systems, germicidal lamps can disinfect the airstream as it flows through the HVAC system air ducts and may also be used for surface disinfection of HVAC cooling coils. UV treatment on cooling coils in HVAC systems prevents the growth of microorganisms and promotes cost-efficient operation with reduced maintenance.
Efficacy of UV Air Disinfection Systems
The proper design and installation of UV lamps in air treatment systems is important as well as using quality UV lamps designed specifically for the application. Working with an experienced and reputable UV lamp supplier such as LightSources helps OEMs to maintain quality products with quality UV lamps designed for high efficacy. According to the Technical Summary of Residential Air Cleaners by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from July of 2018, the most important elements for UVGI performance are the type of UV lamp and ballast, air velocity, relative humidity, duct reflectivity and temperature.
UVGI treatment systems designed for typical airstream disinfection is proven to reduce the viability of vegetative bacteria and provide low to moderate reductions of viruses, although shows little reduction in mold spores as spores can be more resistant to UV radiation and require a higher dosage. UV surface disinfection on HVAC cooling coils provides the continual UV exposure necessary to prevent and limit the growth of molds and bacteria on moist surfaces in HVAC systems.
UVGI showed a reduction in microbial contaminants growing on exposed HVAC surfaces of 99%, but only 25 to 30% of airborne bacteria. This is due to the longer exposure time on surfaces. Combining upper room or portable UV treatment systems and HVAC UV air treatment provides the most benefit and should be used in conjunction with regular cleaning procedures.
UV Air Disinfection Helps Many Industries
UV air disinfection provides many benefits to a wide range of industries and applications. UV air disinfection improves air quality and reduces the spread of airborne disease in many commercial, industrial, and residential environments. Maintaining clean and purified air is critical in places like hospitals, nursing homes and schools.
UVC robots are being deployed in healthcare facilities, airports and other public places to disinfect surfaces and air for patient health and public safety. Scientific labs and any setting that requires clean air free from “live” organisms such as medical, pharmaceutical, and clean room operations all benefit from UV air treatment.
Industrial UV air purifiers help manufacturers maintain a cleaner work environment for employees while meeting stringent air quality regulations. Restaurants and commercial kitchens realize many benefits with UV surface disinfection and air purification. UV lamps in commercial kitchen exhaust systems prevent grease build-up, reducing maintenance and mitigating fire risk.
UV air treatment in HVAC systems can improve air quality anywhere in any environment. The possibilities are endless when it comes to the applications that benefit from UV air purification.
UV Air Treatment Systems Benefits
UV air treatment systems provide many benefits and advantages over traditional disinfection methods. Ultraviolet light disinfection is environmentally friendly and disinfects without the use of harsh chemicals. UV light does not create hazardous waste or byproducts, is safe and cost-efficient.
LightSources provides many benefits to OEMs as a leading global supplier of high-performance UVC germicidal lamps. We follow a strict quality policy as part of our ISO9001:2015 registration and are dedicated to eco-friendly practices. UV light disinfection is cost-effective in many applications.
LightSources Offers Quality UV Lamps for Air Treatment Systems
One of the most common types of UVC lamps used in commercial UVGI systems is low-pressure mercury vapor lamps designed to emit UVC radiation at an optimal 253.7 nanometer (nm). LightSources is committed to designing, engineering and manufacturing some of the most technologically advanced UV lamps for air disinfection.
LightSources offers UVC lamps designed to emit various wavelengths including 185nm, optimal for producing ozone which breaks down and eliminates odors from VOC’s such as ammonia, sulfides, and mercaptans. We partner with OEMs of any size to design, engineer and mass-produce new types of proprietary and specialty lamps cost-effectively and with short turnaround.
LAMP PRODUCT DATA:
UV Germicidal LampsLAMP Applications:
UV Germicidal ApplicationsLightSources recognizes that maintaining clean, fresh air is essential to our collective well-being. LightSources in the U.S. and LightTech in Europe offer combined resources to meet the needs of OEMs worldwide. Contact us for more details regarding our technologically advanced lamps for UV air treatment systems.
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