Indoor Air Quality Implications of Germicidal 222 nm Light.

ABSTRACT: One strategy for mitigating the indoor transmission of airborne pathogens, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is irradiation by germicidal UV light (GUV). A particularly promising approach is 222 nm light from KrCl excimer lamps (GUV₂₂₂); this inactivates airborne pathogens and is thought to be relatively safe for human skin and eye exposure. However, the impact of GUV₂₂₂ on the composition of indoor air has received little experimental study. Here, we conduct laboratory experiments in a 150 L Teflon chamber to examine the formation of secondary species by GUV₂₂₂. We show that GUV₂₂₂ generates ozone (O₃) and hydroxyl radicals (OH), both of which can react with volatile organic compounds to form oxidized volatile organic compounds and seco

SUBMITTER: Barber VP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10607233 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature