The Impact of UVC Light on Indoor Air Chemistry: A Modeling Study

Toby J. Carter; David R. Shaw; Ewan Eadie; Jose L. Jimenez; Paula J. Olsiewski; Zhe Peng; Charles J. Weschler; Nicola Carslaw

doi:10.1021/acs.est.5c07414

The Impact of UVC Light on Indoor Air Chemistry: A Modeling Study

Toby J. Carter
, David R. Shaw
, Ewan Eadie
, Jose L. Jimenez
, Paula J. Olsiewski
, Zhe Peng
, Charles J. Weschler
, Nicola Carslaw (Lead / Corresponding author)

Undergraduate Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Germicidal ultraviolet light (GUV) is gaining attention for air disinfection, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. GUV air cleaning devices use 222 or 254 nm light to remove airborne and surface pathogens from indoor environments, although their impact on indoor chemistry has received limited attention. This modeling study investigates the impact of GUV light on indoor air pollutant concentrations. In a simulated, occupied classroom using a 222 nm lamp with an average room irradiance of 1 μW cm^–2, the predicted ozone production rate was 0.33 mg h^–1for an air change rate of 0.5 h^–1, leading to surface interactions with occupants and inanimate surfaces that formed secondary products including nonanal, decanal, and 4-oxopentanal. By contrast, ozone concentration increased by 0.19 mg h^–1at 0.5 h^–1in the presence of a 254 nm lamp with an average room irradiance of 15 μW cm^–2, primarily due to infiltration. The long-term health benefits of GUV light disinfection need to be quantitatively compared to the health harms due to GUV-induced pollution to allow a more complete assessment of the benefits of this technology.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	16543-16555
Number of pages	13
Journal	Environmental Science and Technology
Volume	59
Issue number	31
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5c07414
Publication status	Published - 12 Aug 2025

Keywords

box model
far-UVC
INCHEM-Py
indoor air chemistry
photochemistry
UVC

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Chemistry
Environmental Chemistry

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title = "The Impact of UVC Light on Indoor Air Chemistry: A Modeling Study",

abstract = "Germicidal ultraviolet light (GUV) is gaining attention for air disinfection, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. GUV air cleaning devices use 222 or 254 nm light to remove airborne and surface pathogens from indoor environments, although their impact on indoor chemistry has received limited attention. This modeling study investigates the impact of GUV light on indoor air pollutant concentrations. In a simulated, occupied classroom using a 222 nm lamp with an average room irradiance of 1 μW cm–2, the predicted ozone production rate was 0.33 mg h–1for an air change rate of 0.5 h–1, leading to surface interactions with occupants and inanimate surfaces that formed secondary products including nonanal, decanal, and 4-oxopentanal. By contrast, ozone concentration increased by 0.19 mg h–1at 0.5 h–1in the presence of a 254 nm lamp with an average room irradiance of 15 μW cm–2, primarily due to infiltration. The long-term health benefits of GUV light disinfection need to be quantitatively compared to the health harms due to GUV-induced pollution to allow a more complete assessment of the benefits of this technology.",

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AU - Shaw, David R.

AU - Eadie, Ewan

AU - Jimenez, Jose L.

AU - Olsiewski, Paula J.

AU - Peng, Zhe

AU - Weschler, Charles J.

AU - Carslaw, Nicola

PY - 2025/8/12

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N2 - Germicidal ultraviolet light (GUV) is gaining attention for air disinfection, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. GUV air cleaning devices use 222 or 254 nm light to remove airborne and surface pathogens from indoor environments, although their impact on indoor chemistry has received limited attention. This modeling study investigates the impact of GUV light on indoor air pollutant concentrations. In a simulated, occupied classroom using a 222 nm lamp with an average room irradiance of 1 μW cm–2, the predicted ozone production rate was 0.33 mg h–1for an air change rate of 0.5 h–1, leading to surface interactions with occupants and inanimate surfaces that formed secondary products including nonanal, decanal, and 4-oxopentanal. By contrast, ozone concentration increased by 0.19 mg h–1at 0.5 h–1in the presence of a 254 nm lamp with an average room irradiance of 15 μW cm–2, primarily due to infiltration. The long-term health benefits of GUV light disinfection need to be quantitatively compared to the health harms due to GUV-induced pollution to allow a more complete assessment of the benefits of this technology.

AB - Germicidal ultraviolet light (GUV) is gaining attention for air disinfection, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. GUV air cleaning devices use 222 or 254 nm light to remove airborne and surface pathogens from indoor environments, although their impact on indoor chemistry has received limited attention. This modeling study investigates the impact of GUV light on indoor air pollutant concentrations. In a simulated, occupied classroom using a 222 nm lamp with an average room irradiance of 1 μW cm–2, the predicted ozone production rate was 0.33 mg h–1for an air change rate of 0.5 h–1, leading to surface interactions with occupants and inanimate surfaces that formed secondary products including nonanal, decanal, and 4-oxopentanal. By contrast, ozone concentration increased by 0.19 mg h–1at 0.5 h–1in the presence of a 254 nm lamp with an average room irradiance of 15 μW cm–2, primarily due to infiltration. The long-term health benefits of GUV light disinfection need to be quantitatively compared to the health harms due to GUV-induced pollution to allow a more complete assessment of the benefits of this technology.

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The Impact of UVC Light on Indoor Air Chemistry: A Modeling Study

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Keywords

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