| Title |
Experimental Study on Sterilization Efficiency According to Irradiation Time at Installation Distance of UV-C |
| Authors |
Beungyong Park ; Sanggu Lee ; Seong-Ryong Ryu |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.6110/KJACR.2023.35.8.394 |
| Keywords |
공기환경; 공기필터; 조사시간; 살균 Air environment; Air filter; Irradiation time; Sterilization; UV-C |
| Abstract |
This study analyzed the sterilization effect of a UV-C light source on filter media based on irradiation time and installation distance. Researchers constructed a specific device for removing microorganisms from filter media and an experimental structure for UV-C experiments to enable quantitative evaluation. It was found that the closer the distance between the microorganism-attached filter and the UV-C light source (at 15 cm and 30 cm), the higher the sterilization efficiency. However, the sterilization effect within the first minute of the experiment was susceptible to error factors due to natural sterilization and experimental errors. The sterilization effect of the UV-C light source varied based on the duration of exposure. When the irradiation lasted for 2 minutes, a sterilization effect of 52% to 78% was observed. At a distance of 15 cm, complete sterilization (100%) was achieved after 5 minutes, showing no detectable bacterial colonies upon visual inspection. This study confirms the need to examine the sterilization efficiency based on installation type of the UV-C light source, including factors such as the number of light sources, light intensity, height of placement, and irradiation time. These findings can be applied to develop air conditioning disinfection technologies for practical sterilization. In future research, the authors plan to evaluate sterilization efficiency considering variables such as the number of UV light sources, distance, irradiation time, and so on when scattered microorganisms adhere to the filter due to the influence of air movement. |