UV light air purifiers

30 4月 2020

UV light air purifiers

MCDLIGHT

What are UV light air purifiers?

UV air purifiers are designed to use short-wave ultraviolet light (UV-C light) to inactivate airborne pathogens and microorganisms like mold, bacteria and viruses. They have the same ultimate goal of all air purifiers: to reduce indoor air pollutants. The technology is also referred to as UV germicidal irradiation, or UVGI air purifiers. This is different from other air purifier technologies that contain UV light technology but do not use it directly against air pollutants.

On the market, UV-C air purifiers are currently sold as stand-alone, freestanding devices or as systems installed into pre-existing residential or commercial HVAC units. As air is forced through the device, it passes UV lamps, which directly attempt to disinfect the air by means of germicidal irradiation. The biggest safety concern is that ozone may be generated during this process.

How do UV light air purifiers use UV-C light?

UV-C light is responsible for the main disinfectant activity of UV-C air purification systems. All that extra energy, much more than visible light, can actually change the molecules that absorb it, and DNA is particularly susceptible to these changes. Ultraviolet light bombards microorganisms around the UV lamp and damages the DNA they need to live.

When people get sunburned after a day at the beach, they are suffering radiation burns from a type of UV light emitted by the sun—the redness is the inflammatory response of the skin when its DNA is directly damaged by UV radiation, which can potentially lead to skin cancer.

Since bacteria are only one cell, they rely on their DNA to live. This is the principle behind UV light air purifiers. If a bacterial cell’s DNA is sufficiently damaged, it triggers a self-destruct mechanism, rendering it harmless.

Can air purifiers be harmful?

According to experts, conducting research prior to purchasing your preferred air purifier can save you from dangerous situations. As air purifiers become more popular, so are unreliable manufacturers who can try to dupe you into buying substandard items. This is why you should only purchase your air purifiers from reliable and reputable manufacturers or dealers.

Use of poor quality air purifiers can expose you to ozone which can be detrimental to your health. Still, you should factor in various things in your homes such as pets, kids, and people living with allergies. This is because using poor quality air purifiers can escalate allergic conditions in asthmatic people especially because they are the most vulnerable.

How do UV air purifiers clean the air?

So, how can UV-C light, a natural product of the sun, help purify indoor air?

It all has to do with the UV-C light’s ability to destroy cells. UV light harms cells by destroying nucleic acids and disrupting their DNA, which either kills them or leaves them incapacitated. After prolonged exposure to UV light, cells are unable to perform their vital functions.
With an air purifier with UV-light technology, air is pulled into the appliance and passes through a fine filter, such as a HEPA filter. The air then passes through a small internal chamber where it is exposed to UV light. The UV-C light is not released into the room, so you won’t see it nor will you be exposed to it. Depending on the model, the air will then go through another filter before being released into the room.
UV light air purifiers are generally a combination of a forced air system and another filter (like a HEPA filter). As a result, the UV light of the air purifier acts together with other processes to clean the air.

How effective are UV air purifiers?

Though UV-C light can potentially deactivate microbes, whether it can do so within a portable air purifier unit is a different matter altogether. These units are often advertised to reduce dust mite and mold allergens.

The effectiveness of UV-C light in disinfecting the air depends on a number of factors, including:

Whether the pollutants come into contact with the UV light
Whether the light is inhibited by the cooling effect of airflow
The material of the bulb emitting such light
The high dosage of light required
How long the pollutant is exposed to the light

Conclusion: So if you are window shopping for the ultimate UV light air purifier, this guide should help you make a conclusive decision. Avoid UV air purifiers which generate ozone as they can jeopardize your health and that of your loved ones. In the absence of extreme exposure to ozone, UV-C air purifiers will provide you with adequate sterilization. Ensure that your gadget has a filter media to confine airborne particles.

The Best Uses for UV Light

Various air purifiers serve different purposes and achieve different goals.
While many are versatile, removing multiple types of contaminants, some are specialized for dust, pollen, pet dander, or even odors.

So, what about UV light?
Because UV light is effective in killing cells, it is therefore effective at eliminating living airborne organisms. Namely, mold and mildew. Mold reproduces through spores that are released into the air, much like pollen from a flower. The mold spores float in the air and eventually land in places where they can grow into new mold.
With the use of germicidal UV-C light in air purifiers, you not only trap mold spores, you effectively destroy them, keeping the spores from forming new mold.
UV light is extremely effective at destroying airborne contaminants such as mold spores, but if mold has already taken hold, it will need to be cleaned by direct methods.
Air purifiers can only eliminate the spores floating through the air, they can’t do anything about the mold hiding in walls or underneath carpet.
Another use for UV light is the elimination of viruses and bacteria. While more research and development is needed, it is clear that UV light, when properly utilized, can reduce the amount of viruses and bacteria in the air. While bacteria can often be trapped by filters, viruses are so small that they literally slip through the gaps. With UV light air purifiers, the viruses are exposed to harmful light, killing them before they escape.

UV Light Air Purification Compared to Other Methods

So how does UV light compare to other methods? Let’s look at a few of the most common strategies and technologies that are used in air purification to discover how UV light compares.

Filters

Many room air purifiers use filters to trap particles in the air. This strategy, which includes advanced HEPA filters, is extremely effective for removing large particles, such pollen or pet dander, but may struggle with extremely small particles, depending on the filter efficiency. However, it does not kill germs and mold spores, it merely traps them.

Activated Carbon

This is an advanced type of filter that uses highly-porous charcoal to trap gases like odors or smoke. Because of all the pores, activated charcoal has a massive surface space, which can be utilized to hold large amounts of gases. While a key technology in smoke removal, it does not sanitize or destroy germs or other living organisms.

Electrostatic Precipitators

This type of purification is used extensively to clean industrial fumes, steam, and gas before it is released into the atmosphere. Essentially, it creates static cling which traps particles, but the process creates a small by-product of ozone, which is harmful to health, making contained UV-C light a safer alternative.

Ozone Generators

Ozone generators are used to “shock” a room with ozone, a harmful substance that must be used with extreme caution. While ozone generators can be used for mold remediation and odor removal, they should generally be used only by trained professionals operating under meticulous safety procedures. Once again, UV air purifiers are better for regular in-home use.

MCD’s UV LED Air Purifier

MCD’s UV LED Air Purifier is a powerful UV air purifier! With the assistance of an internal UV-C deep LED,HEPA 13 medical grade filter and activated carbon 3-layer air cleaning, the UV air purifier can eliminates more than 99% of airborne bacteria and viruses, such as the flu, (including H1N1), SARS, pneumonia, MRSA, strep, TB, measles and the common cold. It is safe to use,No ozone, people and pets can be there when using!
It is extremely effective for bedrooms and small offices.If you’re looking for a UV air purifier for a smaller room, MCD’s air purifier is an perfect and affordable option.