Pathogens & Allergens
The RAPID! Disinfection Solutions
are designed to provide science-backed and technologically reliable microbial safety protection from airborne Pathogens and Allergens.
Viruses
Bacteria
Bacterial spores
Fungi
Fungal spores
Some larger microbes, like protozoa, may also cause infections but these parasites are too large to be airborne.
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Allergens are microbes, biological products, and compounds that include allergic reactions in atopic, or susceptible, individuals
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Fungal and bacterial species and various viruses that may transmit between family members are susceptible to UV exposure
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Although UV has a limited effect on mold spores, the chronic dosing through repeated passes will eventually destroy the spores at very high rates
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Insects, like dust mites, are not eradicable by UV
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Air disinfection UV systems do not deal with non-microbiological contaminants (i.e.dust), but UVGI can reduce the hazard of pathogens or allergens
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Airborne particulate dust in industrial environments may contain organic materials, chemicals, microbes, biological compounds or inert materials, and form a substrate on which microbes can grow
UVGI systems can be implemented in the various types of buildings, in which people live to reduce the transmission of pathogens and to control the levels of allergens.
Photoreactivation and survival of microbes, that can effect disinfection efforts:
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Photorepair of microbes
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Photorepair can be preempted by using high levels of UV exposure to cause extensive damage that no photorepair mechanisms will operate -> the necessity of continuous use of the UVGI systems
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Photorepair (photoreactivation) depends on:
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Available light energy after UV exposure, such as UVA
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Relative humidity (RH). Example: Mycobacterium parafortuitum photoreactivation was not detectable below 65% RH
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Survival curves of microbes
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Fast decay
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Resistant fraction
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Relative Humidity (RH)
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Ideally should be kept below 65%
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Air Temperature
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High indoor temperatures combined with high humidity may alter effects of UV disinfection -> the necessity to operate UVGI systems in temperatures maintained 13~27°C
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Uneven Irradiance field (air of surface)
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Airflow irregularities
Relative Humidity Effects on the Disinfection results:
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Most bacteria experience decreased UV susceptibility at high RH
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Spores show little response to changes in RH
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Aerosolized microorganisms invariably lose water until they reach equilibrium with the ambient water content of the air, as measured by the relative humidity (RH)
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Desiccation from low RH can cause the death of bacteria due to the removal of water, which is essential for normal bacterial cellular functions
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Death from dehydration is due to a complex interplay factors and dried bacteria dies from simultaneous stresses that mainly relate to oxidation processes
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Microbes can increase in size and mass under higher RH due to internal absorption and the binding of water molecules to the cell surface, that makes harder for the UV rays to disactivate the pathogens
