Building Wellness & UV-C Technology
Let’s be clear – this article is not about COVID-19! On behalf of people worldwide, allow me to proclaim we have had enough of that thank you very much!
One thing is evident though – the world will never be the same. Upheaval of our social and economic systems will be talked about for years. My children’s children will get a healthy dose of ‘back in 2020, when the world stood still’ from their crazy Grandad.
The same can be said for our general understanding of epidemiology – consider social distancing, flattening curves, the R-Value and contact tracing. It’s been a steep learning curve and we should all be commended on how we have managed this drastic education in abstract medical concepts.
Practically, behavioural and policy changes have manifested in Schools – sanitising stations, temperature readings, COVID-Safe plans and a huge upswing in cleaning rigour.
Despite this, Mamachi has been thrilled to see a number of innovations gain momentum during this rapid period of change, especially those targeting one of the most important aspects of our School environments – the air we breathe.
Indoor Air Quality & Building Wellness
We have been advocating Indoor Air Quality (“IAQ”) for years. The US Environmental Protection Agency defines IAQ as “the quality of air within and around buildings, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants.” Ill-effects of poor IAQ can be irritation of eyes, nose, and throat, irritability, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Longer term implications can range from respiratory disorders to heart disease and cancer, although these more concerning ailments are often predicated on repeated exposure to extremely poor IAQ environments over extended periods.
Contributing factors of relevance to today’s Education Sector include newly installed building materials (flooring, painting, upholstery, carpets etc), cleaning and maintenance chemicals, recirculated air from centralised Heating and Cooling (Air-Conditioning) systems or moisture. Flipping the narrative, good IAQ can increase productivity, comfort, health, wellbeing and overall lead to demonstrably improved teaching and learning environments.
Here to stay - More cleaning? More chemicals?
Active infection control to reduce transmissions has been softly enforced during the Pandemic but will no doubt form part of ongoing facilities management.
Whilst more cleaning prompts better sanitation it does not necessarily mean disinfection. Thorough disinfection is more involved - both incur more cost. Current demands seem unsustainable, but with heightened sensitivity to cleaning and infection control both seem unavoidable.
We cast our attention back to technology – there has to be a better way.
UV-C Germicidal Irradiation – old technology: modernised
Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) is a sterilization method that utilizes ultraviolet (UV) energy at the UV-C wavelength (253.7nm) to break down or inactivate microorganisms.
Germicidal lamps have been around for 100+ years. In fact, in 1903 the Nobel Prize was awarded to Niels Ryberg Finsen for his work in the field. In the 1930’s, research turned towards controlling infectious pathogens in medical facilities. UV-C was found to effectively kill Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, the causative agent of Tuberculosis, as well as other microorganisms including mycoplasma, viruses and fungi.
UV-C is currently used in large scale facilities such as abattoirs, food processing plants, hospitals, hospitality venues, laboratories, pharmaceutical production as well as drinking and wastewater disinfection.
“Flipping the narrative, good IAQ can increase productivity, comfort, health, wellbeing and overall lead to demonstrably improved teaching and learning environments.”
UV-C 101
UV-C has been consistently shown to kill microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi, moulds and other pathogens (including some immune to antibiotics). It achieves this by altering molecular bonds within a microorganism’s DNA – destroying it, rendering it harmless or halting its growth or reproduction.
Each microorganism has a specific UV resistance threshold, called DOSE. A specific dose is delivered to achieve a proper disinfection level. The basic formula is “UV-C intensity x Exposure (Time)” and can be 100% measured and verified.
Signify, a leading lighting manufacture with over 35 years’ experience in UV-C technology, recently partnered with Boston University School of Medicine to revalidate the science. Quoting Associate Professor of Microbiology, Anthony Griffiths, “our test results show that above a specific dose of UV-C radiation, viruses were completely inactivated - in a matter of seconds we could no longer detect any virus.”
School Applications
We recognise tremendous potential for this technology in high-traffic, shared locations throughout Australian schools.
Examples include General Learning Areas, Performing Arts Centres, Lecture Theatres, Gymnasiums, Staffrooms and other high-occupancy environments. Lifts and Entryways are also great targets – anywhere with high foot-traffic and concentrated people/sqm or surface contact.
We have qualified three variants of UV-C technology:
• Area Based Surface Disinfection – a centralised unit installed on the internal ceiling
• Lighting Integrated Surface Disinfection– a light fitting with integrated UV-C chips
• HVAC integrated Air Disinfection - inside centralised Air-Conditioning or Air-Handling-Units for full-time UV-C treatment.
Like most cleaning systems, UV-C technology must be applied in a controlled fashion. Exposure can cause eye and skin damage. These concerns are overcome, so long as the installation adheres to safety guidelines from organisations such as the Global Lighting Association or Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPNSA).
Overall, UV-C is considered highly safe if electrical, mechanical, human exposure and electromagnetic metric are managed in accordance with these frameworks. As global standards are developed the efficacy of UV-C continues to be validated in research and commercial applications.
So, what’s driving resurgence in this century old, chemical free infection management approach? You guessed it – technology!
Specifically, modernisation via automation and control technology. In-built motion sensors, kill-switches and other embedded safety systems are coupled with automated cycling and reporting functionality, complementing cleaning routines to supercharge disinfection of key, shared spaces overnight. Some vendors have even built their technology from enterprise grade security systems - bringing the same fail-safes and control capabilities to UV-C that protect our facilities.
Our market review identifies that a number of quality, standards led providers are emerging - overseeing increasing UV-C adoption in hospitals, aged care facilities, hotels and sports facilities. Globally, Universities and Schools are increasingly adopting UV-C with Australian Schools starting to follow suit.
Application in Focus: Air-Conditioning Sytems:
Most Schools have at least 1 large, centralised Air-Conditioning system, usually servicing large spaces (Theatres, Performing Arts, Halls) or resulting from design and construction of newer buildings.
Also referred to as HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning), these systems have long been considered a transport mechanism for microorganisms that cause infection and illness.
Air-conditioning coils are the targets of biofilm, a robust group of starches, proteins and nucleic acids that adhere to, and accumulate inside air-conditioning ducts, filters and drain pans. This allows bacteria and other microorganisms to develop and form communities. Worse, biofilms protect microorganisms from antimicrobial agents that are commonly used to try and destroy built up pathogens.
Compounding this is air recirculation, temperature fluctuations and humidity within the AC system - allowing microorganisms to combine in complex ways and settle across internal surfaces inside AC systems.
Efficacy at inactivating pathogens has been explored in research reviews by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) finding that UV-C wavelengths kill 90% of all microorganisms living in air-conditioning ducts and evaporator coils. Whilst this depends on light intensity, length of exposure, UV lamp placement and lamp life cycle, this application can destroy pathogens year round, as air cycles through the Air-Conditioning Plant or Air Handling Unit (AHU).
Biofilms also lead to dirt and dust build up on the internal surface of HVAC Assets. This reduces the systems ability to pass cool air over the fins, slowing airflow and forcing fans to work harder. The result? Higher energy consumption and more frequent maintenance requirements. The system basically needs to work harder to achieve its desired temperature and must be cleaned more regularly to avoid parts failure and replacement.
One study determined that a biofilm of less than 5mm can reduce system efficiency up to 40%!
The message here - UV-C can battle biofilms for better quality air and deliver a business case!