Wissenschaftler stellten fest, dass wir passives, im Allgemeinen sicheres UV -Licht verwenden können, um die Allergene in der Luft schnell inaktivieren zu können. Nach nur 30 Minuten nahmen die Allergenspiegel in der Luft effektiv um durchschnittlich um 20% bis 25% zurück. Nach 40 Minuten UV -Lichtbelastung sank das Katzenallergen um 61%.

I’ve linked to the press release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsestair.5c00080

From the linked article:

“We have found that we can use a **passive, generally safe ultraviolet light treatment to quickly inactivate airborne allergens**,” said study author Tess Eidem, a senior research associate in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering.

Previous research has shown that UV light can kill airborne microorganisms, including the virus that causes COVID-19.

It’s already used widely to disinfect equipment in hospitals, airports and elsewhere, but the bandwidth is typically so strong (a wavelength of 254 nanometers) that users must wear protective equipment to prevent damage to skin and eyes.

Eidem used 222-nanometer-wavelength lights, a less-intense alternative considered safe for occupied spaces because it doesn’t penetrate deep into cells. (It does not come entirely without risks, including ozone production, she notes, so exposure should be limited.)

The team pumped microscopic aerosolized allergens from mites, pet dander, mold and pollen into an unoccupied and sealed 350-cubic-foot chamber. Then they switched on four lunchbox-sized UV222 lamps on the ceiling and floor.

When they sampled the air at 10-minute intervals and compared it to untreated, allergen-filled air via laboratory tests, they saw significant differences. In the treated samples, immunorecognition was reduced, meaning the antibodies no longer recognized many of the proteins and stuck to them.

**After just 30 minutes, airborne allergen levels effectively decreased by about 20% to 25% on average**, the study showed. Efficacy depended on the type of allergen, how long the light was on and what the allergen was floating in (dust, dander, liquid droplets, etc.) In one condition tested, **after 40 minutes of UV light exposure, the cat allergen Fel d 1 had decreased by 61%** compared to untreated air.

“Those are pretty rapid reductions when you compare them to months and months of cleaning, ripping up carpet, and bathing your cat,” said Eidem.

I thought this was known for a while as many air purifiers utilize UV for this reason

This is new? 10 years ago I put a UV light in my home HVAC system for allergens removal.

(As others have noted) there are existing UV lights that can be added to HVAC systems, but I thought part of the problem is that the air in them is never exposed for a long enough time to the UV light to be effective. I

My question is at what point are the allergens worse than the ozone? I feel that there is a sweet spot that can balance the exposure of ozone to the exposure of allergens and vice versa.