Pereira Ana Rita, Braga Daniel F O, Vassal Mariana, Gomes Inês B, Simões Manuel
LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
SpinnerDynamics, Lda., Rua da Junta de Freguesia 194, Escariz, 4540-322 Arouca, Portugal.
Sci Total Environ. 2023 Jun 25;879:163007. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163007. Epub 2023 Mar 23.
Ultraviolet irradiation C (UVC) has emerged as an effective strategy for microbial control in indoor public spaces. UVC is commonly applied for air, surface, and water disinfection. Unlike common 254 nm UVC, far-UVC at 222 nm is considered non-harmful to human health, being safe for occupied spaces, and still effective for disinfection purposes. Therefore, and allied to the urgency to mitigate the current pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, an increase in UVC-based technology devices appeared in the market with levels of pathogens reduction higher than 99.9 %. This environmentally friendly technology has the potential to overcome many of the limitations of traditional chemical-based disinfection approaches. The novel UVC-based devices were thought to be used in public indoor spaces such as hospitals, schools, and public transport to minimize the risk of pathogens contamination and propagation, saving costs by reducing manual cleaning and equipment maintenance provided by manpower. However, a lack of information about UVC-based parameters and protocols for disinfection, and controversies regarding health and environmental risks still exist. In this review, fundamentals on UVC disinfection are presented. Furthermore, a deep analysis of UVC-based technologies available in the market for the disinfection of public spaces is addressed, as well as their advantages and limitations. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable inputs and strategies for the development of effective, reliable, and safe UVC disinfection systems.
紫外线C（UVC）已成为室内公共场所微生物控制的有效策略。UVC通常用于空气、表面和水的消毒。与常见的254纳米UVC不同，222纳米的远UVC被认为对人体健康无害，对有人占用的空间安全，且对消毒目的仍然有效。因此，与缓解当前严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）大流行的紧迫性相关，市场上出现了基于UVC的技术设备，其病原体减少水平高于99.9%。这种环保技术有可能克服传统化学消毒方法的许多局限性。新型基于UVC的设备被认为可用于医院、学校和公共交通等公共室内空间，以将病原体污染和传播的风险降至最低，通过减少人工清洁和人力提供的设备维护来节省成本。然而，关于基于UVC的消毒参数和协议的信息仍然缺乏，并且在健康和环境风险方面仍存在争议。在本综述中，介绍了UVC消毒的基本原理。此外，还对市场上可用于公共场所消毒的基于UVC的技术及其优缺点进行了深入分析。这一全面分析为开发有效、可靠和安全的UVC消毒系统提供了有价值的投入和策略。
