Lumin-Air, a provider of germicidal solutions and ultraviolet air filtration, recently unveiled its latest product designed to address the safe transport of students to and from school during COVID-19.
Using ultraviolet germicidal irridation (UVGI) technology, Lumin-19 is an airstream disinfection solution designed to retrofit any sized school bus and most transit buses, according to a news release from the company. Pathogens in the air, including the Coronavirus, are inactivated as they pass through a high dose of ultraviolet light that continuously cleans the air inside the bus, according to Lumin-Air.
“School buses are incredibly dense spaces, which increases the likelihood for transmission of airborne pathogens,” said Andrew Desmarais, co-owner of Lumin-Air. “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that students are 70 times more likely to arrive safely at school if they do so on a school bus instead of by car. The challenge is how to transport them by bus while reducing the probability for the spread of disease."
Dan Fillenwarth, co-owner of Lumin-Air, added that the use of UVGI technology to eliminate harmful pathogens is recommended by the CDC, Harvard Medical School, and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
"Unfortunately, most people are using chemicals just for surface disinfection,” Fillenwarth said. “Pesticide use leads to the breakdown of materials, is likely to cause formicary corrosion in air conditioning systems, and are potentially harmful to workers and occupants."
With Lumin-19, Fillenwarth added that the solution keeps "the UV inside the enclosure where recirculated air is drawn, not allowing it to shine on people.”
While direct exposure to UV can be harmful for human exposure, the power of UVGI reportedly has been used safely in healthcare settings and commercial HVAC systems, according to Lumin-Air.
