The indoor environment & air quality uv air & surface disinfection
1. Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation as an
Engineering Control to improve
Indoor Air Quality and Fight
Healthcare-Associated Infection
David Skelton
SAFEAIR SOLUTIONS
Cleaning Air, Reducing Risk, Saving Energy
2. Florence Nightingale. Notes on Hospitals, 1863
“It may seem a strange principal
to enunciate as the very first
requirement of a hospital that it
should do the sick no harm.
3. And Yet…
• The 4th leading cause of death in America are
Healthcare Associated infections?1
– ~ 100,000 American die each year from
Healthcare Associated Infections?2
– ~ 273 HAI Deaths every single day (about 1
death every 5.5 seconds)?
1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Campaign to Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance in Healthcare
Settings: Why a Campaign? Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2001. Available
atwww.cdc.gov/drugresistance/healthcare/ problem.htm.
2Neu HC. The crisis in antibiotic resistance. Science 1992;257:1064- 1073.
4.
5. Dust, Allergens
and Particulates
Infectious Germs /
Bio-aerosols
Toxic Compounds
Odors /VOCs /
Gases
The EPA says 3 Contaminates are present
in Indoor Air (and must be removed for IAQ)
6. Dust, Allergens
and Particulates
Infectious Germs /
Bio-aerosols
Toxic Compounds
Odors /VOCs /
Gases
The EPA says 3 Contaminates are present
in Indoor Air (and must be removed for IAQ)
7. Between 30,000 and
40,000 dead skin cells fall
off of your body every
hour.
Over a 24-hour period,
you lose almost a million
skin cells.
MRSA, acinetobactor, and
other pathogens are
found on human skin!
8. We Inhale Three Teaspoons of
Dust… Every Day
What Exactly is in the Dust We’re Breathing?
Skin flakes, mold, bacteria, virus, insect excrement, fungi spores, yeast,
pollen, pesticides, dander, fiber, insulation, pollution (auto & industrial
emissions), and dust mites, a microscopic crab/spider critter.
(About 42,000 dust mites live in an ounce of dust)
Short term health effects: sore eyes, blocked nose, sore throat,
coughing, runny nose, wheezing, and breathlessness.
Long term health effects: damage to internal organs, blood
disorders, asthma, bronchitis, lung disease and cancer.
9. Filtration:
• Mechanical filtration trap particulates
–Must be changed often as trapped
particulates decrease air flow and
increase in back pressure (static).
–Technically become more efficient
over time as trapped particulates clog
openings, eventually nothing can pass
through…not even clean air!
10. • Electrostatic Filtration (often marketed
as high-efficiency filters)
–embeds charged polymer strands into
mechanical filtration that causes
‘static-cling’; particulates cling to
charged polymers in the media.
11. • Electronic air cleaners attract
particulates to positively and negatively
charged plates.
– Most produce ozone
–NOT effective in eliminating small
microbes, such as virus, smoke,
chemicals and odors.
12. • HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air)
Filtration is a Mechanical means of
cleaning (not disinfecting) air.
–Hospital-grade HEPA trap > 0.3 microns;
(virus are < 0.3 microns)
– Not effective in removing gasses odors,
VOC’s, and pathogens < 0.3 microns
–High Static Pressure / energy inefficient
13.
14. 98% of All Airborne Microbes
Measure Less than 1 micron.
American Lung Association states:
“Respirable Suspended Particles (RSP’s) evade
capture by the protective cilia and mucosa of our
upper respiratory system to invade the deepest
reaches of our lungs and cause serious health
problems.
Particles smaller than 5 microns are the direct cause
of many respiratory illnesses and chronic ailments.
16. Dust, Allergens
and Particulates
Infectious Germs /
Bio-aerosols
Toxic Compounds
Odors /VOCs /
Gases
The EPA says 3 Contaminates are present
in Indoor Air (and must be removed for IAQ)
17. Odors are caused by:
• chemical out-gassing from carpet glue,
paint, cleaning fluids, etc. (Volatile Organic
Chemicals)
• by decomposition and evaporation
Odors can pleasant, offensive or dangerous;
trigger allergies, and cause sickness.
We ‘Smell’ Odors by Inhaling Particles
of the Very ‘Thing’ we are Smelling.
Think About It… (or don’t!)
18. Dust, Allergens
and Particulates
Infectious Germs /
Bio-aerosols
Toxic Compounds
Odors /VOCs /
Gases
The EPA says 3 Contaminates are present
in Indoor Air (and must be removed for IAQ)
19. •Virus; Parasitical microbes released by breathing,
sneezing and coughing. Can lay dormant for long
periods, waiting for a host cell to mutate via DNA.
Virus can stay airborne for days.
•Bacteria; Parasitical microbes released from plant
and animal growth, decomposition and
out-gassing (evaporation from foods,
bodily fluids and waste).
•Mold; Parasitical spores that will ‘die’ without food and
moisture. Billions of spores grow on the moist coils
of your A/C system and contaminate
indoor air every time the fan is on.
Infectious Pathogens are in Search of a Host
Cell to Feed and Breed…
21. Dust, Allergens
and Particulates
Infectious Germs /
Bio-aerosols
Toxic Compounds
Odors /VOCs /
Gases
What’s the
Solution?
The EPA says 3 Contaminates are present
in Indoor Air (and must be removed for IAQ)
22. UVGI (Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation)
Destroys Biological Contaminants
UVGI breaks the DNA of biological contaminants,
destroying its ability to reproduce and colonize.
BROKEN DNA
23. There are no known pathogens resistant to
a lethal dose of UV Germicidal energy.
NONE…
24. Awarded to Niels Finsen
for his “contribution to the
treatment of diseases
with concentrated light
(UV) radiation, whereby
he has opened a new
avenue for medical
science".
Niels Finsen
1860–1904
Physician, Scientist
and Danish Nobel
Laureate.
1903 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology
25. Center for Hip and Knee Surgery, St. Francis
Hospital-Mooresville, Indiana. Doctors
reported the use of ultraviolet light “reduced
overall infection rates from 10% to 0.24%”.
Orthopedic infection rates dropped from
16.5% to .75%.
The overall infection rate was 0.34% over
the next 26 years of collected data.
1937 Duke University Study:
26. 1973
"Since the development of
the germicidal lamp
over seventy-five years
ago, into two general
categories have
become standard:
A. Air Irradiation to kill
bacteria floating or
suspended in it.
B. Surface Irradiation of
the product to be
protected.“
29. Three general UVGI strategies for infection control:
• Installation into ventilating ducts
• Irradiation of the upper zones of occupied
spaces
• In-room irradiation after one occupant and before
the next
30.
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33.
34. Within weeks after the UVC installation, static pressure decreased
from 1.8 in.wg to just 0.7 in. wg. Air velocity more than doubled, from
230 fpm to 520 fpm. Both the coil and drain pan areas looked absolutely
clean, with no visible evidence of mold or organic buildup. The air
exiting wetbulb temperature decreased significantly, from 57°F to
53°F.
We calculated the increase in capacity to be approximately 7.9 tons of
air conditioning. If we use 1 kW/ton and multiply by 24 (hours/day) by 365
(days/year) by $0.07 (electric rate), we arrive at a total of $4,867 in
savings for this one unit. The total cost of the UVC was less than $2000
By installing UVC into all AHU at the facility, “We estimate yearly energy
savings well into six figures, not including additional savings from
reduced maintenance.
35.
36. “…the use of UVC lights had a clinically
significant impact (17-18% increase) on clinical
pregnancy rates (CPR).”
40. “ UVGI systems kill airborne infectious
contaminates (viruses, bacteria, and
bacterial and fungal spores)...”
EPA Report, “Building Retrofits for Increased Protection Against Airborne
Chemical and Biological Releases” Pg. 56
41. “ UVGI can control bio-aerosols in
buildings, which can decrease infectious
disease transmission, healthcare costs,
and sick leave.”
EPA Report, “Building Retrofits for Increased Protection Against Airborne
Chemical and Biological Releases” Pg. 57
43. 2008 ASHRAE Handbook – HVAC Systems and Equipment
Air Handler Component Surface Disinfection; Chapter 16, page 6
“…damp coil and drain pan conditions are
excellent forums for growth of bacteria and
mold. … contribute to sick building syndrome
and building-related illnesses, from mild
irritation to the spread of infectious agents.
”
45. “ ASHRAE’s sole objective is to advance the arts and
sciences in HVAC&R to serve humanity and promote
a sustainable world ... Therefore, the health effects
of airborne infectious disease transmission are
relevant to ASHRAE.”
“ASHRAE holds a strong position that engineers play
a key role in reducing disease transmission that
occurs in buildings.”
“ASHRAE should commit to improving the health of
individuals that occupy buildings and to reduce the
risk of airborne infectious disease transmission.”
47. UVGI in the News
THE LANCET, NOV. 2003.
“UV-C lamps in office ventilation systems
reduced overall worker sickness by about
20%, including a 60% reduction in muscle
complaints and a 40% drop in breathing
problems.”
48. UVGI in the News
THE LANCET, NOV. 2003.
“Installation of UV-C in most North
American offices could resolve work
related symptoms in about 4 million
employees, caused by contamination of
HVAC systems.”
49. UVGI in the News
THE LANCET, NOV. 2003.
“UV-C installations could prove cost-
effective compared with the yearly
losses from absence because of
building-related illness.”
50. Three general UVGI strategies for infection control:
• Installation into ventilating ducts,
• Irradiation of the upper zones of
occupied spaces,
• In-room irradiation after one occupant and before
the next.
51. Airborne concentration of Influenza A virus in a modeled room,
with and without a UVGI system.
Penn State University
Study
54. UVC Benefits:
• IAQ & Infection Control
March 2010 RSES Journal
(Refrigeration Service Engineers
Society)
55. UVC Benefits:
• IAQ & Infection Control
• Energy Savings
March 2010 RSES Journal
(Refrigeration Service Engineers
Society)
56. UVC Benefits:
• IAQ & Infection Control
• Energy Savings
• Maintenance Savings
March 2010 RSES Journal
(Refrigeration Service Engineers
Society)
57. UVC Benefits:
• IAQ & Infection Control
• Energy Savings
• Maintenance Savings
• Equipment Service Life
March 2010 RSES Journal
(Refrigeration Service Engineers
Society)
58. UVC Benefits:
• IAQ & Infection Control
• Energy Savings
• Maintenance Savings
• Equipment Service Life
• Water Conservation
March 2010 RSES Journal
(Refrigeration Service Engineers
Society)
59. UVC Benefits:
• IAQ & Infection Control
• Energy Savings
• Maintenance Savings
• Equipment Service Life
• Water Conservation
• LEED Contribution
March 2010 RSES Journal
(Refrigeration Service Engineers
Society)
60. Conclusive Studies that Recommend UVGI
to Eliminate Airborne Microbial
Contamination:
NIOSH
Harvard University
National TB Coalition
Penn State University
University of Colorado
Center of Disease Control
World Health Organization
Tennessee Valley Authority
Center for Disease Control CDC
Environmental Protection Agency
FEMA
Reference
Manual 495
61. CDC Guidelines
• “UVGI is effective reducing transmission of
infectious agents in hospitals, military housing
and classrooms.“
FEMA Risk Management Series
• Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) is
lethal to microorganisms. All viruses and
almost all bacteria are vulnerable.
The Lancet Medical Journal
• “Sickness among office workers could be
reduced by using ultraviolet lamps in
ventilation systems.”
Penn State University
• “… airborne respiratory diseases could be
eradicated.” "Reducing the transmission rate
could halt epidemics in their path."
The Lancet
62. Conclusion
UVGI Technology is an
evidence-based Science
Proven to:
Control Airborne Infectious Pathogens
Improve Health & Performance
Save Energy
