UV-C irradiation is a highly effective method of removing viruses from our environment. The technology of UV irradiation has been known for approximately one hundred years and is mainly used in medicine and food production. The onset of the coronavirus pandemic has now broadened the scope of application.
UV-C lamps are one of the most effective devices for the elimination of bacteria, viruses and fungi.

Exposing microorganisms to UVC radiation inactivates their DNA and RNA. Irradiation with UVC light has become an effective, convenient, affordable and environmentally friendly form of decontamination. UVC disinfection requires no human labour and consumes no chemical agents. Consequently, it is cost-efficient and ecologically sound.
It also minimises the consumption of chemical disinfectants.

What are the advantages of disinfecting the air with UV-C radiation?
Unlike chemical or filter-based air disinfection systems, our UV-C disinfection units require very little maintenance. Since they require no filters or chemicals, they are also cheaper to run. The service interval for the UV-Cero 300 depends on the service life of the UV lamps, which usually have to be replaced after about 9,000 hours of operation.

Is it possible to combat coronavirus by disinfecting the air we breathe with UV-C?
Yes. The UV-C output of our UV-C disinfection unit is more than twice the required LD90 output for SARS-CoV-2 viruses.
LD90 refers to the UV-C output required to kill 90% of the viruses. Our units achieve a proven disinfection rate of 99.9% for extracted air.

How long do extracted viruses survive in your UV-C disinfection chamber?
Once the air enters the UV-Cero 300’s irradiation chamber, it is directed towards the UV-C tubes. As it passes them, it is exposed to a two-second dose of radiation that immediately kills 99.9% of all microbes. All this data on the UV-Cero 300 is taken from an official test report, compiled following extensive testing. 

Conventional filter systems do not kill or neutralise viruses – they just trap them. This means that when you change the filters, active germs or viruses can escape back into the surrounding air, putting maintenance staff (and anyone else using the space) at risk.

Can aerosols circulate in a room with a UV-C air disinfection system?
Our UV-Cero range is designed to be used indoors and to be installed in the upper parts of the room, which is exactly where contaminated aerosols tend to collect. Provided the system is installed roughly 2 m or more off the ground, it will suck any contaminated air upwards, away from any people in the room, and disinfect it. 

If you need to treat a space of more than 50 square metres, we recommend installing a second unit. This will reduce the distance between the aerosols and the disinfection unit, and ensure that air is not being sucked into the system diagonally across the room.

How much does it cost to run a UV-C air disinfection system?
Disinfecting the air using UV-C radiation is a zero-waste process. The only components that need to be disposed of are the UV-C lamps, which should be dealt with in accordance with your local regulations. Each UV-C lamp has a service life of around 9,000 hours – that’s about four years’ worth of normal office hours. The indicator LEDs on all UV-Cero models will show you whether the lamps are still working properly. 

By contrast, with a filter-based system, the contaminated filters have to be cleaned or replaced regularly. Some of them have to be disposed of as hazardous waste, and staff might come into contact with contaminated material. 

Although manufacturers provide recommendations as to when the filters should be replaced, these are guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Moreover, filter systems don’t measure the actual viral load in the filter, so it is difficult to see how well they are working. As a result, filters are likely to be replaced either too early or too late. Changing them too early wastes resources and leads to high operating costs over many years of use; leaving it too late stops the system from filtering germs and viruses properly. In the worst case, they can be released back into the room, thus causing a health risk rather than eliminating it.

What sorts of spaces are UV-C air disinfection units suitable for, and how many will I need?
Our UV-Cero 300 processes approximately 150 m³/h on its quietest setting (i.e., at 50% power). A room with an area of 60 square metres and a ceiling height of 2.5 metres contains 150 m³ of air. That means it would take about one hour for one of our units to completely disinfect the air in the room. Ideally, it should take about half an hour to disinfect all the air in any one room. Therefore, in this case, you would need to increase the power or install a second unit to speed up the process.

In practice, we recommend installing two units in any room larger than 50 m2. This is because:
a) the bigger the room, the more people are likely to be using it.
b) having two units will make disinfection quieter and faster.

Why not ask one of our experts to help you find the ideal solution for your needs?

Where are UV-C air disinfection systems most effective?
Even the best air disinfection system cannot do its job properly if you put it on the floor! As we all know, anything that is heavy will fall to the ground. This also applies to the particles or droplets we emit when we cough or sneeze. Because these particles are moist, they then stick to the carpet or floorboards, and can no longer be sucked into the disinfection system. 

This means floor-mounted vacuum units overwhelmingly suck in dust and dry particles, not germs. They are ineffective against aerosols, because aerosols float in the air, rather than rolling across the floor.

That’s why our UV-Cero systems are designed to be mounted on the ceiling, or on the wall at ceiling height.

Do I have to switch the UV-C air purifiers on and off manually?
This depends on the product. The current version of the UV-Cero 300 is operated by means of its on/off switch.

Where are UV-C disinfection systems used?
Our air disinfection systems are particularly useful in enclosed spaces where several people gather. Since a continuous and comprehensive supply of fresh air is often not possible in Central European climates due to weather conditions, the concentration of germ-laden aerosols in the air automatically increases.

In these situations, our air disinfection systems demonstrably reduce the germ count in the air and help to keep it below the infection threshold for an extended period.

Where exactly should I put an UV-C air disinfection system?
Our UV-Cero 300 model should be installed on the ceiling, or on the wall at a height of a least 2 m. This is because the thermal characteristics of enclosed spaces cause contaminated aerosols to collect at heights of 1.50 m and above.

Can anyone install a UV-C air disinfection system?
No. Installing our system is a job for a professional. Installation instructions are included with each unit.

Are UV-C air disinfection systems dangerous?
UV-C radiation can damage the skin and eyes if not used properly. That is why the UV-C disinfection chambers in UV-Cero devices are enclosed in their own metal housing, so that no UV-C radiation can escape. The design has been tested and the test report proves our systems do not pose any health risk. If the UV-C disinfection chamber is opened while the system is running, a safety fuse will immediately interrupt the power supply.

UV-C disinfection has been used successfully in a variety of settings for many years now, including in hospitals.

Do you offer personal advice on these devices?
It is very important to us that you understand our products. We will be happy to advise you on the individual products by telephone or e-mail. We have also explained everything you need to know here on our product website.

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of products have come onto the market promising various forms of air disinfection, including the use of UV-C light. It is sometimes hard to distinguish between offers that are just playing on the fears of the general public and those that are genuine. We have taken a close look at the products advertised by our competitors, scrutinising the data sheets and testing some of them in our development laboratory. We identified the following criteria which you may find helpful in choosing the right UV-C air disinfection system for your circumstances:

Key criteria in selecting the right UV-C disinfection solution
Research
A large number of research studies have established that viruses, bacteria and fungal spores (germs) can be killed by UVC light. When evaluating the results of these research projects, it should be noted that there is a difference between surface disinfection and air purification. In the case of surface disinfection, large dimensions (sometimes > 1 m) and long exposure times apply, whereas in the case of air purification, smaller dimensions (approximately 2 cm) apply to allow a significant reduction in exposure time. Nevertheless, a defined dose of UVC light (mJ/cm²) is needed to achieve an LD value of 90 (LD90 signifies that 90% of a particular virus has been deactivated).
Some of our competitors’ products are advertised with performance specifications that are either far too low (no disinfection effect) or even technically unfeasible (UVC performance is limited by the lamps and LEDs that are currently available).

Furthermore, we are not aware of any other product that has a dwell time in the disinfection chamber for the extracted air (aerosols) of just under two seconds, the time that is required to neutralise the viruses and which is achieved by UV-Cero 300.
This dwell time together with the special UVC tubes in our system enables us to easily achieve the disinfection factor that is necessary for the elimination of viruses.

Laboratory tests
Certain providers claim a ‘laboratory-confirmed’ deactivation of coronaviruses of up to 99.9999%. This value cannot be achieved in a normal environment; it implies an absolutely sterile room, which is not possible in any space frequented by people.
Often, the other performance specifications of the device are inconsistent with the level of protection claimed, either because the UVC output is too low or because the specification does not refer to a single pass of air, but instead to a 24-hour test conducted in a small closed room – an unrealistic application scenario. Moreover, there is no mention of a dwell time for the extracted air in the irradiation chamber. Be sure to question the laboratory results and technical specifications here!

Technical status
Some products advertised are simply not feasible in price terms with the components currently available. Special care should be taken with offers based on LED solutions. UVC LEDs are still very expensive and have only a very limited service life and low efficiency. Often, only UVA or UVB LEDs are installed, which are useless for disinfection purposes. In general, you should check whether the specified volume flow (i.e. the rate at which air is circulated) matches up with the UVC output of the lamp.
-> Look at the output of the UVC component of the lamp rather than the power consumption in watts.

Our UV-Cero 300 disinfection system with an air flow rate of 150m³/h (= 50% output) and a UVC light output of just under 30W (4 x 7.3W) clearly exceeds the specification required to neutralise viruses. Even when the UV-Cero 300 is set at maximum output of 300m³/h (= 100% power), the deactivation rate is still approximately 99%.

Our UV-Cero 300 can be used in the following locations without any problems:

• Medical practices
• Meeting rooms
• Waiting rooms
• Schools
• Hospitals
• Nursing homes
• Offices
• Fitness studios
• Reception foyers
• Retail premises
• and many more besides...