Commercial UV Air Purifiers utilize UV-C light technology to improve indoor air quality and provide protection against germs, bacteria and viruses. These powerful air purification systems use UV-C to deactivate microorganisms by damaging their DNA and RNA (Ref. 1) and remove their molecular makeup from the air stream.
Cabinet Dimensions: | Blower Material: |
- 15.5”L x 13” W x 17” H (includes inlet & control box) | - 16 Ga. carbon steel with polyester epoxy coating on all surfaces |
Total Weight: 65 lbs. (Varies depending on filter media installed) | |
Motor: Fractional Horsepower 3/4 |
HEPA Filter - Up to 99.97% efficient on particles down to 0.3 microns in size.
ULPA Filter - Up to 99.9995% efficient on particles down to 0.12 microns in size.
High: Up to 350 CFM
Low: Down to 50 CFM
Electrical: | Sound Level: |
115/1/60, 2 amps 8’ grounded power cord with NEMA 5-15P plug |
58 to 66 dBA (Low to High) |
Cabinet Dimensions: | Cabinet Material: |
- 52.5”L x 16” W x 12” H | - Stainless Steel 316 |
Total Weight: 70 lbs. approx. | Outlet Configuration: |
- Four-way adjustable grate. |
Electrostatic Washable Prefilter
High: Up to 400 CFM
Medium: 300 CFM
Low: Down to 200 CFM
Electrical: | Sound Level: |
115V/1/2.75Amps | 52 to 62 dBA (Low to High) |
UV light is a type of electromagnetic radiation that falls between visible light and x-rays on the electromagnetic spectrum (Ref. 2). The sun emits UV light making up about 10% of the sun’s light — 95% UV-A and 5% UV-B light (Ref. 2). UV-C light, the 3rd type of UV light, is blocked from the earth’s surface by the ozone layer and water vapor in the earth’s atmosphere (Ref. 2).
Electromagnetic Spectrum Ref. 10
UV-A light makes up 95% of the UV rays emitted from the sun. Tanning beds use UV-A light leading to the development of wrinkles and premature skin aging (Ref. 3). UV-A light can also be called near UV with a wavelength between 315 and 400 nanometers (nm) (Ref. 2).
UV light emitted from the sun contains about 5% UV-B light (Ref. 3). UV-B light can cause sunburns by penetrating the top layer of the skin, and damaging DNA leading to the development of skin cancer (Ref. 3). UV-B light is also referred to as middle UV with wavelengths between 280 – 315 nm (Ref. 2).
UV-C differs from other UV light in that it only exists on earth artificially because the ozone completely blocks all of the natural UV-C light from reaching the earth’s surface (Ref. 3). UV-C light has a proven germicidal wavelength of 253.7 nm shown to deactivate influenza, H5N1, SARS, MERS-CoV, and the coronavirus (Ref. 4). UV-C light impairs living organisms through ionization (Ref. 1). The electrons break away from the atoms causing chemical bonds to break injuring the cell’s DNA or RNA. In viruses, this stops the cells from reproducing rendering the virus inactive. In addition to viruses, UV-C light can be used to deactivate mold spores and bacteria (Ref. 5).
Recent research has explored Far-UVC light as an inexpensive way to reduce disease transmission in public places (Ref. 6). Far-UVC light has a wavelength of 207 or 222 nm with a very limited penetration depth (a few micrometers). Because of this, far-UVC light does not penetrate human skin or eyes offering a safer UV light for disinfection. Studies have shown that with low doses of 222 nm far-UVC light, H1N1, and other human coronaviruses are rendered inactive after exposure – 90% after 8 minutes and 99.9% after 25 minutes (Ref. 6).
Yes, UV-C light can purify air — BUT UV-C light must be used accurately to be effective at inactivating microorganisms. Accurate use includes administering the right kind of UV light, the correct dosage, and UV lamps quality control (Ref. 1). Home or consumer portable air cleaners with UV light lack quality control processes, high intensity UV bulbs, and long dwell times leading to a lower than the marketed effectiveness. This inefficiency poses a problem because behavior changes dramatically with a “disinfected” object and could lead to an increase in disease transmission (Ref. 3).
UV Light Air Cleaners must use the correct dwell time to effectively kill the coronavirus and other viruses. A study in the 2020 American Journal of Infection Control found that UV-C light effectively inactivated the coronavirus after 9 minutes of exposure (Ref. 8). Most portable air filtration systems with UV-C light only expose the air to UV light for a few seconds. However, air filtration systems that use UV-C light as a filter disinfectant have a dwell time of 10 minutes, which would effectively inactivate viruses and other microorganisms.
At the same time, UV light cannot rid air of other contaminants such as dirt, pollen, pet dander, other allergens, and odors. Air purification systems must utilize a mechanical filter such as HEPA filters for capturing airborne particulate and activated carbon filters for odor and chemical fume control (Ref. 9).