Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation in tap water contaminated by Aspergillus spp

We investigated the effect of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVI) from a low-pressure mercury lamp on several pathogenic Aspergillus spp. including A. flavipes, A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. glaucus, A. nidulans, A. niger, A. terreus, A. ustus and A. versicolor suspended in tap water under laboratory-scale conditions. It was shown that within 10 s of exposure, time species such as A. glaucus, A. niudulans and A. ustus were completely inactivated, while 40 s were needed for the elimination of all the species tested. A. flavus and A. niger were found to be less susceptible than other species. Based on these results we conclude that UV disinfection could effectively inactivate Aspergillus spp. in tap water. Such disinfection could be used to reduce potential exposure of high-risk patients to fungal aerosols, particularly in hospital settings, where point-of-use (POU) UV light devices could be installed to provide safe water at a very low cost.

Pulmonary hysteresis

The pressure-volume (P-V) diagram of the human lung was recorded on three subjects at minute ventilation from 2.5 to 180 liters/min. The area included between the inspiratory and expiratory curve is the expression of the work necessary to overcome a) airway resistance to the flow, b) lung viscosity, and c) eventual pulmonary hysteresis. From the experimental data the mean pressure (Pm) and the mean flow (Vm) have been calculated, and the mean pressure plotted against the mean flow; the extrapolation of the Pm data to Vm = o leads to a positive value of Pm of 0.5-0.9 cm H2O, and this is interpreted as being due to pulmonary hysteresis. This is almost equal to the pressure necessary to overcome the airway resistance and the lung viscosity during respiration at rest.

Submitted on April 17, 1961