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Mogensen EH, Holm CK. Intermittent low-dose far-UVC irradiation inhibits growth of common mold below threshold limit value. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299421. [PMID: 38954713 PMCID: PMC11218994 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Mold infestations in buildings pose significant challenges to human health, affecting both private residences and hospitals. While molds commonly trigger asthma and allergies in the immunocompetent, they can cause life-threatening diseases in the immunocompromised. Currently, there is an unmet need for new strategies to reduce or prevent mold infestations. Far-UVC technology can inactivate microorganisms while remaining safe for humans. This study investigates the inhibitory efficacy of far-UVC light at 222 nm on the growth of common mold-producing fungi, specifically Penicillium candidum, when delivered in low-dose on-off duty cycles, a configuration consistent with its use in real-world settings. The inhibitory effect of the low-dose duty cycles was assessed on growth induced by i) an adjacent spore-producing P. candidum donor and ii) P. candidum spores seeded directly onto agar plates. In both setups, the far-UVC light significantly inhibited both vertical and horizontal growth of P. candidum, even when the UV doses were below the Threshold Value Limit of 23 mJ/cm2. These results suggest that far-UVC light holds the potential to improve indoor air quality by reducing or preventing mold growth, also when people are present.
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Tavares RSN, Adamoski D, Girasole A, Lima EN, da Silva Justo-Junior A, Domingues R, Silveira ACC, Marques RE, de Carvalho M, Ambrosio ALB, Leme AFP, Dias SMG. Different biological effects of exposure to far-UVC (222 nm) and near-UVC (254 nm) irradiation. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY. B, BIOLOGY 2023; 243:112713. [PMID: 37086566 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2023.112713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
Ultraviolet C (UVC) light has long been used as a sterilizing agent, primarily through devices that emit at 254 nm. Depending on the dose and duration of exposure, UV 254 nm can cause erythema and photokeratitis and potentially cause skin cancer since it directly modifies nitrogenated nucleic acid bases. Filtered KrCl excimer lamps (emitting mainly at 222 nm) have emerged as safer germicidal tools and have even been proposed as devices to sterilize surgical wounds. All the studies that showed the safety of 222 nm analyzed cell number and viability, erythema generation, epidermal thickening, the formation of genetic lesions such as cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and pyrimidine-(6-4)-pyrimidone photoproducts (6-4PPs) and cancer-inducing potential. Although nucleic acids can absorb and be modified by both UV 254 nm and UV 222 nm equally, compared to UV 254 nm, UV 222 nm is more intensely absorbed by proteins (especially aromatic side chains), causing photooxidation and cross-linking. Here, in addition to analyzing DNA lesion formation, for the first time, we evaluated changes in the proteome and cellular pathways, reactive oxygen species formation, and metalloproteinase (MMP) levels and activity in full-thickness in vitro reconstructed human skin (RHS) exposed to UV 222 nm. We also performed the longest (40 days) in vivo study of UV 222 nm exposure in the HRS/J mouse model at the occupational threshold limit value (TLV) for indirect exposure (25 mJ/cm2) and evaluated overall skin morphology, cellular pathological alterations, CPD and 6-4PP formation and MMP-9 activity. Our study showed that processes related to reactive oxygen species and inflammatory responses were more altered by UV 254 nm than by UV 222 nm. Our chronic in vivo exposure assay using the TLV confirmed that UV 222 nm causes minor damage to the skin. However, alterations in pathways related to skin regeneration raise concerns about direct exposure to UV 222 nm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Spagolla Napoleão Tavares
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Zip Code 13083-970, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Douglas Adamoski
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Zip Code 13083-970, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alessandra Girasole
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Zip Code 13083-970, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ellen Nogueira Lima
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Zip Code 13083-970, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Amauri da Silva Justo-Junior
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Zip Code 13083-970, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Romênia Domingues
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Zip Code 13083-970, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Clara Caznok Silveira
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Zip Code 13083-970, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael Elias Marques
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Zip Code 13083-970, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Murilo de Carvalho
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Zip Code 13083-970, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Zip Code 13083-970, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andre Luis Berteli Ambrosio
- Sao Carlos Institute of Physics (IFSC), University of Sao Paulo (USP), Sao Carlos, Zip Code 13563-1203, SP, Brazil
| | - Adriana Franco Paes Leme
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Zip Code 13083-970, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sandra Martha Gomes Dias
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Zip Code 13083-970, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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Evaluation of a Polyester Filter and UV Light (PFUV) Dehumidifier to Improve Indoor Environmental Quality: Preliminary Results. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14084504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Older residential dwellings in New Zealand frequently suffer from poor indoor environmental quality (IEQ) due to an ageing housing stock. Recent New Zealand surveys indicated around 50% of children live in houses that do not meet acceptable standards for thermal comfort. Children in these houses frequently experience respiratory conditions caused by dampness and mould during winter. New regulatory standards requiring a fixed heating source in the main living room of rental houses can increase rents and may result in the heating source not being utilized. This study evaluates an alternative low-cost portable air filter/sterilizer (PFUV) dehumidifier device for improving IEQ within the building envelope using Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) and a polyester filter (dual-10 30/30). This paper compares the effectiveness of the PFUV dehumidifier device and a conventional heat pump in terms of measured particulate matters as well as fungal profiles using Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) plates. The PFUV dehumidifier successfully reduced the relative humidity to within a healthy range of (44–49%) compared to not running the device (54–60%), thereby reducing the suitability of the environment for mould growth. Additionally, the PFUV device achieved a reduction in average particulate matter (PM2.5) to within the range of 0.16 to 0.53 µg/m³ compared to the range of 1.06 to 2.42 µg/m³ before using the device.
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Al-Rawi M, Lazonby A, Smith C. Prototyping a low-cost residential air quality device using ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) light. HARDWAREX 2022; 11:e00251. [PMID: 35509924 PMCID: PMC9058593 DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2021.e00251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Many New Zealand residential dwellings suffer from dampness and fungi during the winter, which can cause respiratory health problems. This can be due to poor insulation and ventilation, and the situation worsens when residents cannot afford to heat the dwelling. The main aim of this paper is to modify an existing dehumidifier so that it can remove moisture, heat the living space and reduce fungi growth and bacteria. To achieve that, we installed ultraviolet germicidal lights (UVGI) in an existing dehumidifier with a total cost of USD $150.7 (NZD $213.76). The UVGI lights are known to be efficient in destroying the DNA of fungi and bacteria. The results show that the device reduced the fungi growth and did increase the room temperature because the dehumidifier captured two litres of water over 24 h of testing. The proposed device did achieve a reduction in particulate matters, from 0.9 μ g / m 3 to 0.14 μ g / m 3 and an acceptable range of relative humidity below 50%, which reduces the favourable conditions for fungi growth. Therefore, our proposed low-cost device does improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) in the living space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Al-Rawi
- Centre for Engineering and Industrial Design, Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec), Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Annette Lazonby
- Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Callan Smith
- Designer at Modern Transport Engineers, Hamilton, New Zealand
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The Study of an Ultraviolet Radiation Technique for Removal of the Indoor Air Volatile Organic Compounds and Bioaerosol. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16142557. [PMID: 31319616 PMCID: PMC6678761 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16142557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the use of high dosages of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) (253.7 nm) to deal with various concentrations of air pollutants, such as formaldehyde (HCHO), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), under various conditions of humidity. A number of irradiation methods were applied for various durations in field studies to examine the efficiency of removing HCHO, TVOC, bacteria, and fungi. The removal efficiency of air pollutants (HCHO and bacteria) through long-term exposure to UVGI appears to increase with time. The effects on TVOC and fungi concentration were insignificant in the first week; however, improvements were observed in the second week. No differences were observed regarding the removal of HCHO and TVOC among the various irradiation methods in this study; however significant differences were observed in the removal of bacteria and fungi.
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