Most are aware of a few things each of us can do to help keep infections and cold viruses at a distance, while away from the safety of your home. Wash your hands regularly, cover your sneezes, don’t rub your eyes, use the fist bumping instead of shaking hands . . . These days once a virus, bacteria, or mold is in your body – it is tough to kill.
Luckily our immune systems can fight off many toxins, if it is working correctly. Viruses like Ebola or even influenza, can be deadly. It may then surprise you to learn that something viruses are exposed to all the time — visible light — can be used to kill them.
In recent years Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) has found renewed application in air sanitation.
Did you know by installing germicidal type of UV lights, and making them an integral part of your A/C system, they are capable of inactivating microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses.
As you know UV light is harmful for most organisms – the effects are more pronounced for bacteria and viruses; since the DNA in viruses and bacteria tends to be poorly shielded (it’s more exposed to the UV light).
UV light kills cells by damaging DNA. It causes the nucleic acids in DNA to break their bonds and pair incorrectly. This causes the DNA to either be unreadable or misread, and that in turn causes the bacteria or viruses to be unable to carry out their normal functions or reproduce correctly.
Some bacteria, especially viruses, have zero or very poor DNA repair mechanisms and very little redundancy which makes them an easy target for UV light exposure.
UV Light – A Well Established Disinfection Technology
UV light disinfection is now widely used in hospitals and laboratories to sanitize instruments and work surfaces and to prevent the spread potentially lethal airborne infectious diseases. The technology is used by the food industry to sterilize food before packaging and water treatment systems large and small now incorporate UV light as a chemical-free means of purification.
A Cleaner Air Handler
Installation of a germicidal UV light inside the air handler inhibits the growth of mold there which saves energy by allowing the system to operate more efficiently. A cleaner system also requires less maintenance.
