Why are some children chronically sick with cold-like symptoms and what can be done in the home or school?

Children, especially those with asthma, allergies or respiratory problems in their family are often much more sensitive to irritants and allergens in the air than adults. Unfortunately homes, schools and other public places where children tend to gather are often full of these types of allergens and irritants. UV sterilization is one way that parents and school systems can provide improved indoor air quality or IAQ for their children. Ultraviolet sterilization actually destroys or deactivates the molds, viruses, germs and bacteria that may be triggering both asthma and allergic reactions, plus it can also help to cut down on the risk of flu epidemics. Since N1H1, Avian flu and even all the very contagious Influenza A strains are more problematic, treating the air and ridding it of contaminants just makes good sense. Since children are estimated to miss 14 million days of school because of asthma related illnesses, this is a very important consideration.

UV sterilizers can be portable units used in specific rooms or facilities, they can be units installed in air conditioning systems to treat the air moving through the system or they can be room sterilizers that are used as a combination of air filters, purifiers and UV sterilizers.

What health benefits can I expect to see with the use of UV sterilization in the home and how quickly will they occur?

In most cases homes, schools and businesses that install ultraviolet sterilization systems in their air conditioning units or as portable units in the building will notice an immediate improvement in air quality and a decrease in odors and irritants in the air. For those units installed in air condition coils continue cleaning of the air around the drip pan, coils and drains will continue to kill and eliminate the yeast, bacteria and mold colonies, increasing the efficiency of the system and preventing mold spores and other contaminants from entering into the rest of the system. This all begins immediately upon operation of the UV sterilization system. Full effects in very contaminated systems are seen within a few months resulting in decreased air quality complaints and odor problems.

Are there any possible harmful effects of UV sterilization around children or adults?

Correctly maintained and installed UV sterilization systems pose no danger to humans, regardless of their age. The units installed in air conditioning systems are designed to prevent any possible exposure and children and adults will have no contact with the UV light emitted by these types of UV sterilization systems. The room systems that feature UV sterilization either have the bulbs sheltered from any potential exposure to humans, or they are designed to have motion detectors that shut off to prevent any accidental exposure.

Specially designed bulbs used in various types of UV sterilization units also do not prevent ozone, ensuring a very safe and healthy environment even during the sterilization cycle.

Do the UV bulbs in UV air purifiers ever need to be cleaned or dusted, if so how can I do that safely?

In general a UV air purifier system should not need to have the bulbs cleaned on any type of routine basis. This is because in some systems there are filters that the air passes through before reaching the bulbs that actually remove most of the larger dust particles and other microscopic particles that may be present. Even in those UV air purifiers that don't have pre-bulb filters the UV rays from the light will actually degrade the particles over time, literally self-cleaning the surface. In some instances if oil from someone's hands or any other type of adhesive material gets on the bulbs, clean with a soft cloth and a solution of 99% alcohol. Always use a lint free cloth and only clean when necessary.

What does UV actually mean and can UV be seen by the naked eye?

UV air purifiers use a technology known as ultraviolet light. This is a naturally occurring light in the spectrum that is beyond what the human eye can detect. UVC is the type of UV light used in ultraviolet air purifier systems. It is also known as short wave UV and is the most effective at killing germs, molds, viruses, bacteria and other type of naturally occurring and man-made types of contaminants. Another common term for UVC is UVGI which stands for ultraviolet germicidal irradiation. This type of UV, UVC or UVGI is potentially harmful to any living organism, including humans. Exposure to UVC light can have serious health effects as it does destroy organic material including DNA within individual cells. High levels of safety back-ups such as infrared motion detectors and LED displays that show the cycle of room type UV air purifiers make this advanced technology both safe and efficient for a wide range of home and facility applications.

If I already use a filter system in my home or office air conditioner, do I still need to consider a UV air purifier?

Standard filters, including HEPA filters and activated carbon filters are a good way to eliminate odors and some types of allergens and irritants from the air. However, they are not designed nor do they claim to remove the smallest particles, many which are the most problematic. Viruses, bacteria and even mold spores are simply too small to be trapped by these types of filters. UV air purifiers can be used in conjunction with other filtration systems to provide a very comprehensive improvement to indoor air quality. Filters are helpful in making the ultraviolet air purifier even more efficient as they remove the dust particles that the germs may be on. This then allows the UV light to immediately start destroying or deactivating the target microorganism. Some of the newer portable types of UV air purifiers incorporate all three types of air treatments, HEPA filters, activated charcoal and then UV light for fast and efficient cleaning.