A Blueprint for Far-UVC Use in Airborne Pathogen Control
JAMES MONTAVON, Richard Williamson, Jacob Swett, Blueprint Biosecurity
Abstract Number: 262
Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
Abstract
Background: Protecting people from infectious aerosols in their indoor air is a remarkable opportunity for improving public health, but comes with significant challenges. Recent standards, such as ASHRAE 241, set equivalent clean air delivery rate targets to reduce airborne transmission risk. While increased ventilation and added filtration can meet these targets in some settings, many environments—such as classrooms, gyms, and restaurants—require impractically high ventilation rates to achieve sufficient infection risk mitigation. This gap highlights the need for additional strategies to supplement traditional air quality interventions. Far-UVC – an emerging type of germicidal UV light – could be one of these strategies.
Methods: To develop an actionable roadmap for far-UVC disinfection, we conducted extensive literature reviews, semi-structured interviews with over 100 experts from academia, industry, government, healthcare, and the non-profit sector, and performed parametric modeling using the Wells-Riley infection risk framework. This multidisciplinary effort evaluated far-UVC’s potential to inactivate pathogens in diverse settings, focusing on technical domains such as disinfection efficacy, photobiological safety, materials compatibility, and indoor air chemistry.
Key Findings: Far-UVC can be both safe and effective when properly implemented. Current evidence supports its safety below existing exposure guidelines, with studies showing minimal DNA damage in skin and eyes due to limited tissue penetration. When integrated with other air cleaning technologies like ventilation and filtration, far-UVC offers a cost-effective and energy-efficient way to achieve equivalent clean air delivery rate targets, particularly in spaces where increased ventilation is impractical. However, key knowledge gaps must be addressed to ensure responsible deployment, particularly regarding: 1) pathogen susceptibility in human respiratory aerosols, 2) standardization of efficacy testing, 3) potential novel photobiological effects, 4) indoor air chemistry impacts, and 5) practical implementation considerations. These findings are summarized in the Blueprint for Far-UVC, a reference document developed to align scientific evidence with regulatory, engineering, and public health needs.
Our presentation will also outline how this blueprint has informed the launch of the Airborne Infection Resilience (AIR) Program, a five-year initiative to coordinate and accelerate the research needed for safe and effective global deployment of far-UVC. Project AIR includes a large-scale clinical trial, foundational safety and air chemistry studies, and engagement with standards and regulatory bodies. We will highlight areas where the UV community—particularly those focused on emitter development, photobiological measurement, and international standards—can contribute to ensuring far-UVC realizes its potential as a practical tool for airborne transmission suppression.