Is Air Sanitation Effective to Kill Germs?
We’re living in a world where air sanitation has become just as important as surface
disinfection, especially after last year, when COVID-19 was categorized as an airborne
disease. But the coronavirus is not the only infection that spreads through airborne
transmission, considering that every year during flu season (fall and winter) different variants
of influenza and other respiratory viruses like the common cold, that circulate year-round,
increase their activity due to cold and dry weather. Therefore, it is worth knowing the benefits
of air sanitation, the different methods to achieve it, and whether or not air sanitation is
effective to kill germs, such as bacteria and of course viruses.
What is Air Sanitation?
The concept of air sanitation is essentially deactivating airborne germs and contaminants in
general that are present in a space, usually indoors. These germs usually belong to two major
types, which are bacteria and viruses, and each type is responsible for the transmission of
certain diseases. For instance, bacteria are the ones that cause illnesses like pneumonia,
urinary tract infections, meningitis, tuberculosis, and others. Meanwhile, viruses are behind
chickenpox, the flu, ebola, and the coronavirus. Other types of germs present in the air
include fungi, protozoans, and helminths.
There are multiple ways to achieve air sanitation, including with UV (ultraviolet) germicidal
light technology, ozone oxidation, activated carbon technology, negative ion technology, or
chemicals. All of these offer different benefits and effectiveness levels, and they are the basis
for all the air filtration devices and air purifiers on the market.
What Air Sanitation Methods Are Truly Effective Against Germs
and Bacteria?
Among the most popular methods of air sanitation available to the public, there are two that
stand out for being truly effective against germs. These are UV light technology and ozone.
UV light has natural germ