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The year 2020 began with the wildfire in Australia and the outbreak of coronavirus. The virus which broke out in a city soon spread all over the world forcing every single nation to lock down everything and the movement of almost every single person. The dreadful year is over but the deadly virus is still out there and even new strains of viruses have been found in different parts of the world.
It is indisputable that the virus is going to stay here for a long period and as per the scientific experts, the world should be ready for these kinds of virus outbreaks in future.
It was Bill Gates who predicted the pandemic in a Ted Talk soon after the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa in 2015. Recently Gates in an interview explained that the alarming situation of climate change and bioterrorism are the next biggest threats after the pandemic.
CNBC: - Bill Gates on bioterrorism & climate change
Air pollution, water bodies contamination and deforestation are happening at an alarming rate. An outbreak of similar viruses is also a concern for leaders around the globe and the ways to survive those problems are yet to be understood.
The Need for Air Sterilization
This pandemic has proved that viral diseases are the most dangers especially the ones causing breathing complications by harming our lungs results in the highest casualties. Covid-19 has made the citizens realize the relevance of keeping the air and our surroundings sterilized periodically. It has become a habit to check the hygiene of private and public places we visit.
Whether it’s our home or office, we are worried about the present scenario we’re living in and the need for the purification/sterilization of our surrounding has become manifold.
This led to the demand for highly efficient sterilizers/purifiers in homes and public places.
And the best technology available to purify the air is Ultraviolet (UV) technology at the nano level. Usage of UV light is popular in different industries like manufacturing, healthcare, air purification, etc.
What are UV Rays
Ultraviolet rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation of wavelength from 10 to 400 nanometers which are shorter than visible light. UV radiation is present in sunlight, and it adds up to 10% of total electromagnetic radiation discharged from the sun. It can be generated from electric arcs and exclusively developed lights, like mercury-vapour lamps, black lights, etc.
UV rays are not visible to naked human eyes as the shorter wavelength are blocked by our cornea. Discovered by German physicist Johann Wilhelm Ritter in 1801, UV rays became a new addition to the light spectrum. He observed that it was invisible to the eyes. He called it the (de-)oxidizing rays to emphasize chemical reactivity and to distinguish it from 'heat rays'.
UV rays were found to be a good tool to sterilize and kill bacteria in 1878 by its short wavelength. In 1960, UV rays were found to affect DNA by its radiation.
The UV light range in the electromagnetic spectrum
Here, UV-C light is predominantly used by air purifying products.
How does it work
The method used to disinfect the air, water, materials, rooms, etc. by ultraviolet rays is known as Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI). This is a disinfection method that uses short-wavelength UV light to kill or inactive microorganisms and filter fine particles by destroying nucleic acids and disrupting their DNA, which makes them ineffectual to function and do cellular activities. UVGI is a popular method of eliminating microorganisms from our surroundings. It has the efficiency to remove at least 99.97% of microorganisms and clean the air from airborne particles.
The UV-C light is the main sterilizing agent in many air purifier products. It disintegrates the microorganisms and destroys the DNA/RNA of the viruses passing through the purifier. As the microorganisms have a single cell, they only have their DNA to survive in harsh conditions. Hence, the UV rays are highly efficient in harming and destroying the DNA of the microorganism and killing it immediately.
UV air sterilizer can be installed easily at the home, office and other public places and can purify from a small room to a large boardroom or halls.
Other Types of Air Purifiers
There are some categories of air purifiers other than the one based on UV technology. These can be listed as;
HEPA Air Purifiers
Electrostatic Filters
Ozone Purifiers
HEPA Air Purifiers
It is short of High-efficiency Particulate Air, also called high-efficiency particulate absorbing and high particulate arrestance, is an efficiency standard of the air filter.
The purifiers meeting HEPA certified/standards must qualify certain levels of efficiency. HEPA air filter removes at least 99.95% (European standard) when air passes through the system where particles whose diameter is equal to 0.3nm, with the filtration efficiency amplifying for particle diameters both less than and greater than 0.3nm.
This product is fitted with a mat of randomly arranged fibres. The fibres are made of fibreglass with a diameter between 0.5 and 2.0 micrometres. Key functions affecting its functions are fibre diameter, filter thickness, and face velocity.
Electrostatic Filters
These are some of the contemporary and efficient air purifying technologies available. These are similar to HEPA air purifiers except, it lacks original air filters present in HEPA filters. In fact, they use an electric charge to capture particles as they pass through the air. The newly charged particles will stick to the inner walls of the purifier, letting the purified air escape the filter.
Some products can purify up to eight litres of air per second and are suitable for personal places like a house/single room.
Ozone Purifiers
These purifiers as their name suggests, produce ozone to purify the air. Ozone purifier relies on negative ion technology as it can't remove the particulate matter on its own. Hence, instead of eliminating risky organisms, it masks them.
Studies have shown that ozone air can filter certain biological containments from going multifold. There are some health concerns regarding ozone purifiers like being exposed to ozone can trigger asthmatic reactions and can scar the lungs.
These are some of the prominent air purifiers in the market and their demand is increasing day by day. People have become conscious of the air quality around them. The demand for these purifiers shows the trend in the market.
Safety is the priority
After the covid-19 outbreak people have started considering personal hygiene as a serious matter. Sanitizing hands and wearing masks are the primary precautions one has to take but the air around us has to be clean as well. Choosing the right purifier for one’s family now is as important as installing fire safety at home.
The demand for air purifiers is still rising and the trend seems to continue for the coming years. And the threat of viral diseases still pertains to us, the need for an air purifier in households, hospitals, offices, restaurants etc. are still high; opening a huge market for air purifiers.
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