Evaluation of the decontamination efficacy of a portable air cleaner using 275-nm UVC-LED radiation against airborne Coronavirus and Influenza virus
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the risk of airborne transmission of viruses, especially in public indoor spaces or healthcare settings. Effective indoor air purification systems are necessary to limit the spread of these pathogens, and the deployment of portable air cleaners (PACs...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
| Published: |
German Medical Science GMS Publishing House
2025-08-01
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| Series: | GMS Hygiene and Infection Control |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.publisso.de/en/journals/hic/volume20/dgkh000573 |
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| Summary: | Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the risk of airborne transmission of viruses, especially in public indoor spaces or healthcare settings. Effective indoor air purification systems are necessary to limit the spread of these pathogens, and the deployment of portable air cleaners (PACs) has increased rapidly since then. Germicidal ultraviolet (UV) radiation technologies have recently supplemented conventional air filtration technologies. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the air decontamination efficacy of a PAC using a 275-nm UVC-LED unit and fibrous-media air filters.
Method: Two different filters were used in the study: a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter and an Efficient Particulate Air (EPA) filter. The PAC was operated in an experimental aerosol chamber with an airflow rate of 200 m³/hour for 10 or 20 minutes. Subsequently, the concentration of infectious viruses and particles in the air was measured. Decontamination efficacy was compared between UVC-LED radiation, filtration, and a combination thereof against Feline Coronavirus (FCoV) and influenza A virus (H3N2) aerosols.
Results: Infectious virus reductions were comparable between the UVC and filter measurements. A decrease of 94% in FCoV concentration was observed after 10 minutes of device runtime, increasing to 99.8% after 20 minutes compared to control measurements. H3N2 showed greater susceptibility, with a reduction of 99.7% achieved after 10 minutes. Interestingly, a synergistic effect was observed with significantly lower virus concentrations when both technologies were combined.
Conclusion: These findings highlight the potential of PACs equipped with emerging UVC-LED technologies as effective tools for indoor air decontamination. The deployment of PACs equipped with UVC radiation and filtration could be a promising alternative or supplement to ventilation systems, especially in healthcare settings and other public spaces. |
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| ISSN: | 2196-5226 |