Scientists have shown that Far-UVC lights, which are already commercially available, can quickly decompose common air allergens, offering a safe and quick new way to relieve asthma and interior allergies.
Air -carried allergen, such as dust mites, cats and dogs, fungi and plants, can trigger allergic reactions ranging from mild to serious, including itching in the eye, sneezing, cough and difficulty breathing. Repeated exposure to Aerolergenians is also associated with asthma development or aggravation.
A new study, recently in the ACS ES&T Air by researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder (whose boulder), investigated a new way to inactivate airergenies: Ultraviolet Light (UV).
“We found that we can use a treatment passivegenerally safeof ultraviolet light to rapidly inactivate air allergens, ”the main author praised Tessyes with boulder.
As explained by, UV lights are divided into UV-A, UV-B, UV-C and Far-Uvceach with wavelengths and exclusive functions. The latter is considered as the Less dangerous for our health.
In this study, the researchers set up a 10 m³ controlled chamber that mimicked inner air conditions and aergeneous allergens – dust and dog dandruff, mold, grass and birch pollen – in 10 µm or smaller particles, which are similar to those people inhale.
The camera was exposed to UV light with a wavelength 222 nanometersalso known as the aforementioned “Luz Far-UVC”.
Unlike normal UV lamp light (254 nm), the light of lamps UV222 It cannot deeply penetrate the skin or human eyes, so it is considered safer. However, it is capable of killing germs such as viruses and bacteria.
In experiments, the UV222 lights disturbed protein structures of allergen, reducing recognition by antibodies. For 30 minutes (realistic time of inner air exchange), the allergies fell about 20% to 25% after UV222 exposure.
“These are very fast reductions when they compare to months and months of cleaning, ripping alpatiffs and bathing your cat,” said Eidem.
The reduction of allergen occurred to Safe twos of UV222far below the occupational safety limits for skin and eyes.
The results suggest that UV222 not only kills microbes-which is as it is normally used-but it can also change allergenic proteins, making them less likely to trigger immune responses.
Although further investigation is required to confirm whether loss of immune recognition means symptom relief in allergic patients, these results are encouraging. UV222 lamps are expected to be integrated into inner air treatment units, classrooms, or houses to reduce passive and quickly allergen loads in real time.
