Model Evaluation of Secondary Chemistry due to Disinfection of Indoor Air with Germicidal Ultraviolet Lamps
Environmental Science and Technology Letters
; 10(1):41426.0, 2023.
Article
in English
| Scopus | ID: covidwho-2244150
ABSTRACT
Air disinfection using germicidal ultraviolet light (GUV) has received increasing attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. GUV uses UVC lamps to inactivate microorganisms, but it also initiates photochemistry in air. However, GUV's indoor-air-quality impact has not been investigated in detail. Here, we model the chemistry initiated by GUV at 254 ("GUV254”) or 222 nm ("GUV222”) in a typical indoor setting for different ventilation levels. Our analysis shows that GUV254, usually installed in the upper room, can significantly photolyze O3, generating OH radicals that oxidize indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into more oxidized VOCs. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is also formed as a VOC-oxidation product. GUV254-induced SOA formation is of the order of 0.1-1 μg/m3 for the cases studied here. GUV222 (described by some as harmless to humans and thus applicable for the whole room) with the same effective virus-removal rate makes a smaller indoor-air-quality impact at mid-to-high ventilation rates. This is mainly because of the lower UV irradiance needed and also less efficient OH-generating O3 photolysis than GUV254. GUV222 has a higher impact than GUV254 under poor ventilation due to a small but significant photochemical production of O3 at 222 nm, which does not occur with GUV254. © 2022 American Chemical Society.
Air quality; Disinfection; Free radicals; Indoor air pollution; Irradiation; Oxidation; Photolysis; Quality control; Ventilation; Volatile organic compounds; Air quality impacts; Airborne disease; Airborne disease transmission; Disease transmission; Indoor air; Indoor air quality; Model evaluation; Ultra-violet light; Ultraviolet germicidal irradiations; Ultraviolet lights; Coronavirus; photochemistry; SARS-CoV-2; ultraviolet germicidal irradiation
Full text:
Available
Collection:
Databases of international organizations
Database:
Scopus
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
Language:
English
Journal:
Environmental Science and Technology Letters
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS