How a UV System is Different from Regular Air Filters
The same technology used in hospitals, now made affordable for homeowners!
Unlike filters, which collect pollutants as they pass through the purifier, the purpose of ultraviolet light in air cleaners is more specific — they are meant to kill organic matter, such as bacteria, mold and viruses. Thus, the Environmental Protection Agency refers to air purifiers that use UV lights as ultraviolet germicidal irradiation cleaners. The term germicidal means germ-killing.
The principle behind UV air purifiers is fairly simple: UV radiation in sufficient doses is deadly to many living organisms, including some that are common constituents of indoor air pollution. When these pollutants pass through the purifier, they are exposed to the UV radiation released by the light and, as a result, they are destroyed. This neutralizes the damage these pollutants cause!
Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI)
A disinfection method, used for food, air and water purification, that uses short wavelength ultraviolet (UV-C) light to kill or inactivate microorganisms by destroying nucleic acids and disrupting their DNA, leaving them unable to perform vital cellular functions.
UV-C light is weak at the Earth’s surface, as the ozone layer of the atmosphere blocks it. UVGI devices can produce strong enough UV-C light in circulating air or water systems to make them inhospitable environment to microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, molds and other pathogens. UVGI can be coupled with a filtration system to sanitize air and water.
The application of UVGI for disinfection has been an accepted practice since the mid-20th century. It has been used primarily in medical sanitation and sterile work facilities. Increasingly, it has been employed to sterilize drinking and wastewater, as the holding facilities are enclosed and can be circulated to ensure a higher exposure to the UV. In recent years, UVGI has found renewed application in air filters.