UV Devices Could Keep Indoor Air Free of Viruses

Post by epicureanideal » Wed, Nov 23, 2022, 7:24 AM UTC

joe_the_user wrote: post #18

Animats wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It works, but it's hard to do. * The far-UV lamps cost way too much. * There are a sizable number of fake ones out there. * There aren't standards and inspection tools for this. A useful tool would be a UV detector on a stick. You touch it to the ceiling, and it reports on whether there's enough UV in the right wavelengths to kill viruses. The idea is to have emitters which radiate horizontally, with most of the UV u…

All that makes sense - for an ordinary product in an ordinary market. But this seems like something that could make a serious dent in the covid situation and so government mandates and money could flow and get these much more widely deployed with strong standards.

Post by colechristensen » Wed, Nov 23, 2022, 7:34 AM UTC

beebeepka wrote: post #22

Auracle wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s not an option for most climates.

Care to elaborate? I would think it depends more on the type of building than anything else. Having wind helps tremendously, of course

Post by orra » Wed, Nov 23, 2022, 7:36 AM UTC

beebeepka wrote: post #22

Auracle wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s not an option for most climates.

Care to elaborate? I would think it depends more on the type of building than anything else. Having wind helps tremendously, of course

Post by saurik » Wed, Nov 23, 2022, 7:42 AM UTC

slimsag wrote: post #15

wesapien wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My uncle has ozone generators in his home. One of them is industrial strength and he only runs it when he is leaving his house for awhile. Does ozone produce by products? I vaguely recall hospitals used ozone to clean n95 masks.

Ozone is very dangerous. The EPA concluded it poses serious health risks back in 2013 (causes asthma and respiratory harm, short and long term exposure is linked to likely early death, and even linked to cardiovascular problems.) Cleaning air is simple; you don't need to look to obscure Ozone/UV devices. For gasses/VOCs, you need a carbon filter. The larger the filter and more air that moves past it, the better. You…

Post by raverbashing » Wed, Nov 23, 2022, 7:43 AM UTC

clumsysmurf wrote: post #16

a1371 wrote: post #4

When you talk to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) most are uncomfortable with UV. Reason being that while you can get rid of viruses, you can also create volatile compounds. Our homes' air is like a soup of natural and synthetic chemicals. From your flooring wear to your decor off-gassing to cooking, there are elements in your air that may be safe as they are, but they can completely change when they hit something volatile l…

Interesting, does this also apply to far-UVC (222nm)? Its not surprising that UV would be a catalyst in some undesirable scenario. I'm thinking about toxic residues left by cigarette smoking reacting with household surfaces. Research suggests that rooms facing the sun (with blinds open) have less bacteria and viruses because it is a disinfectant. I would have to imagine in many homes, UV is somewhat pervasive anyhow.…