Thread by @TaNaishaJ

1/8 "#Ultraviolet #germicidal #irradiation (#UVGI) is known to #inactivate various #viruses and #bacteria, including #SARSCoV2, and is widely applied especially in #medical facilities."

#COVID19 #CovidIsNotOver #COVIDisAirborne

pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ac…

An abstract thread 🧵...

2/8 "This #inactivation results from the #high #photon #energies causing #molecular #bonds to break, but when #nonpathogen #molecules are affected, #unwanted #effects may occur."

3/8 "Here, we explored the effect of a commercial high-intensity (∼2 kW) #UVC #disinfection device on the #composition and #concentration of #gases and particles in #indoor #air."

4/8 "We find that the #UVC (254 nm) caused dramatic increases in #particle number concentrations, and nearly all (∼1000) monitored #gas #phase #species also increased."

5/8 "These responses were unsurprising when considering the typical impacts of ultraviolet-C (#UVC) on #atmospheric #chemistry."

6/8 "High #particle #concentrations are associated with adverse health effects, suggesting that the impact of #UVGI devices on #indoor #air #quality (#IAQ) should be studied in much more detail."

7/8 "The high-intensity device in this study was intended for short durations in unoccupied rooms, but lower-intensity devices for continuous use in occupied rooms are also widely applied."

8/8 "This makes further studies even more urgent, as the potential #indoor #air #quality (#IAQ) effects of these approaches remain largely unexplored."

#HEPA #filtration #ventilation