Determination of the UV radiation dose of an aerosol using UV-sensitive dyes to optimize UV ​​room air filters

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Frank Einar Kruis
• Subject Area: Mechanical Process Engineering
• Term: from 2021 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 469047872

UV radiation is effective in inactivating bacteria and viruses. The radiation dose plays a central role in assessing the efficiency. However, it is unclear whether these results also apply to gas-borne viruses, and exposure time is also a decisive factor when a continuous process is applied to viruses in aerosol form. In order to transfer knowledge about virus inactivation gained with stationary liquids, model systems are needed which make it possible to investigate the effectiveness of UV radiation in specialized aerosol laboratories as a continuously supplied aerosol. UV-sensitive dyes are known and have already been tested as a model system. The decrease in absorption or fluorescence can be related to the radiation dose in Ws /cm2.The aim of this project is to investigate whether the decrease in color intensity of dyes (with a known relationship between dose rate and inactivation of viruses and bacteria determined in a high-security laboratory) with increasing dose rate still applies when the liquid is exposed to UV radiation in aerosol form. This would make it possible to check the effectiveness of UV-based air purifiers for aerosols by measuring the color intensity.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants