## UV222 Irradiation Shows Promise in Reducingโ Airborneโ Allergens
A recentโ study investigated โขthe effectivenessโ of โคfar-UVC โฃ(UV222) irradiation in reducing the concentrationโข of common airborne allergens within a โcontrolled experimental chamber. The research, conducted with allergenโ concentrationsโ mirroring those found in clinical settings, suggests UV222 โคcould be a valuable tool inโ managingโค aeroallergen levels.The โฃstudy focused on a โขrange of prevalent allergens, including:
* Canโ f 1 (domestic dog)
* Fel D 1 (domestic cat)
* โ Phl P 5 (Timothy Grass)
*โค Betโฃ V 1 (European white birch)
*โ Asp f 1 (Aspergillus fumigatus โ – a common mold)
These allergensโ wereโ introduced either from original dust sources or in purified form, and particle size distribution was analyzed to ensure allergen enrichment wasn’t skewed towards โขspecificโฃ fractions.
Researchers exposed the chamber to UV222 irradiation, carefully maintaining levels below established exposure thresholds for skin andโข eyes โas defined by the Americanโค Conference ofโ Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). โOzone โlevels, a โpotential byproduct of UV irradiation, were alsoโ closely monitored.
The results indicatedโ that over 99% of โthe aeroallergens present were 10 โฃยตm or larger. UV222 irradiation led to a considerable โreduction in โthe average allergen load, ranging โขfrom โฃ20% toโข 25%, with โthe most significant decrease occurring within the first 30 minutes โขof treatment. โข
Allergens originating from original dustโฃ sources wereโ reducedโข more rapidly than purified allergens. โคNotably, the birch allergen (Bet V 1)โค exhibited the most substantial โคreduction. Conversely, โthe cat allergen (Fel D 1) proved the most resistantโฃ to UV222 treatment, even though its vulnerability increased when โคstabilized withโค components โlike Tween-20.
whileโ ozone was generated during โtheโข experiment, it did not significantly contribute to allergen reduction. The observed allergen โขreductions were comparableโ to โฃthose reported in longer-term โallergy studies, thoughโข theโค researchers emphasize that โdirect clinicalโ validation was not part of this study.
The authors hypothesize that UV222 likely disrupts the protein structure of allergens, perhaps reducing their detection in immunodosages and diminishing the โฃrecognitionโ of IgE-epitopes by the body.โ โคFurther investigation is needed to โconfirm this mechanism.
This study represents the first to โutilize common โขaeroallergens in a controlled habitat at clinically relevant concentrations. The developedโ methodology isโ expected to โฃimprove understandingโค of allergen behavior in the air and informโฃ the developmentโข of effective โallergy controlโ and โprevention strategies.
The study concludesโข that UV222 exposure *may* reduce theโ immunorecognition of allergens in airborne particles, supporting its potential as part of a complete aeroallergen โคcontrol โstrategy. However, further research is crucial to determine if theseโค reductions translateโข into clinically meaningful โคsymptom relief โfor individuals with allergies.