Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) is a disinfection technique employing ultraviolet (UV) light, particularly UV-C (180–280 nm), to kill or inactivate microorganisms. UVGI primarily inactivates microbes by damaging their genetic material, thereby inhibiting their capacity to carry out vital functions.

The use of UVGI extends to an array of applications, encompassing food, surface, air, and water disinfection. UVGI devices can inactivate microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi, molds, and other pathogens. Recent studies have substantiated the ability of UV-C light to inactivate SARS-CoV-2, the strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

UV-C wavelengths demonstrate varied germicidal efficacy and effects on biological tissue. Many germicidal lamps like low-pressure mercury (LP-Hg) lamps, with peak emissions around 254 nm, contain UV wavelengths that can be hazardous to humans. As a result, UVGI systems have been primarily limited to applications where people are not directly exposed, including hospital surface disinfection, upper-room UVGI, and water treatment. More recently, the application of wavelengths between 200 and 235 nm, often referred to as far-UVC, has gained traction for surface and air disinfection. These wavelengths are regarded as much safer due to their significantly reduced penetration into human tissue. Moreover, their efficiency relies on the fact that, in addition to the DNA damage related to the formation of pyrimidine dimers, they provoke important DNA photoionization, leading to oxidative damage.

Notably, UV-C light is virtually absent in sunlight reaching the Earth's surface due to the absorptive properties of the ozone layer within the atmosphere.

History

Origins of UV germicidal action The development of UVGI traces back to 1878 when Arthur Downes and Thomas Blunt found that sunlight, particularly its shorter wavelengths, hindered microbial growth. Expanding upon this work, Émile Duclaux, in 1885, identified variations in sunlight sensitivity among different bacterial species. A few years later, in 1890, Robert Koch demonstrated the lethal effect of sunlight on Mycobacterium tuberculosis, hinting at UVGI's potential for combating diseases like tuberculosis.

Subsequent studies further defined the wavelengths most efficient for germicidal inactivation. In 1892, it was noted that the UV segment of sunlight had the most potent bactericidal effect. Research conducted in the early 1890s demonstrated the superior germicidal efficacy of UV-C compared to UV-A and UV-B.

The mutagenic effects of UV were first unveiled in a 1914 study that observed metabolic changes in Bacillus anthracis upon exposure to sublethal doses of UV. Frederick Gates, in the late 1920s, offered the first quantitative bactericidal action spectra for Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus coli, noting peak effectiveness at 265 nm. This matched the absorption spectrum of nucleic acids, hinting at DNA damage as the key factor in bacterial inactivation. This understanding was solidified by the 1960s through research demonstrating the ability of UV-C to form thymine dimers, leading to microbial inactivation. These early findings collectively laid the groundwork for modern UVGI as a disinfection tool.

UVGI for air disinfection The utilization of UVGI for air disinfection began in earnest in the mid-1930s. William F. Wells demonstrated in 1935 that airborne infectious organisms, specifically aerosolized B. coli exposed to 254 nm UV, could be rapidly inactivated. This built upon earlier theories of infectious droplet nuclei transmission put forth by Carl Flügge and Wells himself. Prior to this, UV radiation had been studied predominantly in the context of liquid or solid media, rather than airborne microbes.

Shortly after Wells' initial experiments, high-intensity UVGI was employed to disinfect a hospital operating room at Duke University in 1936. The method proved a success, reducing postoperative wound infections from 11.62% without the use of UVGI to 0.24% with the use of UVGI. Soon, this approach was extended to other hospitals and infant wards using UVGI "light curtains", designed to prevent respiratory cross-infections, with noticeable success.

Adjustments in the application of UVGI saw a shift from "light curtains" to upper-room UVGI, confining germicidal irradiation above human head level. Despite its dependency on good vertical air movement, this approach yielded favorable outcomes in preventing cross-infections. This was exemplified by Wells' successful usage of upper-room UVGI between 1937 and 1941 to curtail the spread of measles in suburban Philadelphia day schools. His study found that 53.6% of susceptibles in schools without UVGI became infected, while only 13.3% of susceptibles in schools with UVGI were infected.

Richard L. Riley, initially a student of Wells, continued the study of airborne infection and UVGI throughout the 1950s and 60s, conducting significant experiments in a Veterans Hospital TB ward. Riley successfully demonstrated that UVGI could efficiently inactivate airborne pathogens and prevent the spread of tuberculosis.

Despite initial successes, the use of UVGI declined in the second half of the 20th century era due to various factors, including a rise in alternative infection control and prevention methods, inconsistent efficacy results, and concerns regarding its safety and maintenance requirements. However, recent events like a rise in multiple drug-resistant bacteria and the COVID-19 pandemic have renewed interest in UVGI for air disinfection.

UVGI for water treatment Using UV light for disinfection of drinking water dates back to 1910 in Marseille, France. The prototype plant was shut down after a short time due to poor reliability. In 1955, UV water treatment systems were applied in Austria and Switzerland; by 1985 about 1,500 plants were employed in Europe. In 1998 it was discovered that protozoa such as cryptosporidium and giardia were more vulnerable to UV light than previously thought; this opened the way to wide-scale use of UV water treatment in North America. By 2001, over 6,000 UV water treatment plants were operating in Europe.

Over time, UV costs have declined as researchers develop and use new UV methods to disinfect water and wastewater. Several countries have published regulations and guidance for the use of UV to disinfect drinking water supplies, including the USUnited States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2006-01-05). "National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule." Federal Register, and the UK.

Method of operation UV light is electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths shorter than visible light but longer than X-rays. UV is categorised into several wavelength ranges, with short-wavelength UV (UV-C) considered "germicidal UV". Wavelengths between about 200 nm and 300 nm are strongly absorbed by nucleic acids. The absorbed energy can result in defects including pyrimidine dimers. These dimers can prevent replication or can prevent the expression of necessary proteins, resulting in the death or inactivation of the organism. Recently, it has been shown that these dimers are fluorescent. Mercury-based lamps operating at low vapor pressure emit UV light at the 253.7 nm line. Ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV-C LED) lamps emit UV light at selectable wavelengths between 255 and 280 nm. Pulsed-xenon lamps emit UV light across the entire UV spectrum with a peak emission near 230 nm.

This process is similar to, but stronger than, the effect of longer wavelengths (UV-B) producing sunburn in humans. Microorganisms have less protection against UV and cannot survive prolonged exposure to it.

A UVGI system is designed to expose environments such as water tanks, rooms and forced air systems to germicidal UV. Exposure comes from germicidal lamps that emit germicidal UV at the correct wavelength, thus irradiating the environment. The forced flow of air or water through this environment ensures exposure of that air or water.

Effectiveness The effectiveness of germicidal UV depends on the UV dose, i.e. how much UV light reaches the microbe (measured as radiant exposure) and how susceptible the microbe is to the given wavelength(s) of UV light, defined by the germicidal effectiveness curve.

UV Dose The UV dose is measured in light energy per area, i.e. radiant exposure or fluence. The fluence a microbe is exposed to is the product of the light intensity, i.e. irradiance and the time of exposure, according to:

UV dose (μJ/cm2) = UV intensity (μW/cm2) × exposure time (seconds)

Likewise, the irradiance depends on the brightness (radiant intensity, W/sr) of the UV source, the distance between the UV source and the microbe, the attenuation of filters (e.g. fouled glass) in the light path, the attenuation of the medium (e.g. microbes in turbid water), the presence of particles or objects that can shield the microbes from UV, and the presence of reflectors that can direct the same UV-light through the medium multiple times. Additionally, if the microbes are not free-flowing, such as in a biofilm, they will block each other from irradiation.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published UV dosage guidelines for drinking water treatment applications in 2006. It is difficult to measure UV dose directly but it can also be estimated from: Flow rate (contact time) Transmittance (light reaching the target) Turbidity (cloudiness) Lamp age or fouling or outages (reduction in UV intensity)

Bulbs require periodic cleaning and replacement to ensure effectiveness. The lifetime of germicidal UV bulbs varies depending on design. Also, the material that the bulb is made of can absorb some of the germicidal rays. Lamp cooling under airflow can also lower UV output. The UV dose should be calculated using the end of lamp life (EOL is specified in number of hours when the lamp is expected to reach 80% of its initial UV output). Some shatter-proof lamps are coated with a fluorated ethylene polymer to contain glass shards and mercury in case of breakage; this coating reduces UV output by as much as 20%.

UV source intensity is sometimes specified as irradiance at a distance of 1 meter, which can be easily converted to radiant intensity. UV intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance so it decreases at longer distances. Alternatively, it rapidly increases at distances shorter than 1m. In the above formula, the UV intensity must always be adjusted for distance unless the UV dose is calculated at exactly from the lamp. The UV dose should be calculated at the furthest distance from the lamp on the periphery of the target area. Increases in fluence can be achieved by using reflection, such that the same light passes through the medium several times before being absorbed. Aluminum has the highest reflectivity rate versus other metals and is recommended when using UV.

In static applications the exposure time can be as long as needed for an effective UV dose to be reached. In waterflow/airflow disinfection, exposure time can be increased by increasing the illuminated volume, decreasing the fluid speed, or recirculating the air or water repeatedly through the illuminated section. This ensures multiple passes so that the UV is effective against the highest number of microorganisms and will irradiate resistant microorganisms more than once to break them down.

Inactivation of microorganisms