Risk vs. Benefit Analysis of Ultraviolet-C Advanced Aircraft Disinfection.

Area of Science:

• Aviation Safety and Public Health
• Infectious Disease Transmission
• Environmental Disinfection Technologies

Background:

• Commercial aircraft contribute to the spread of airborne pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A, causing substantial annual deaths and economic burden.
• An estimated 10,000 annual deaths and $200 billion economic burden were linked to in-flight transmissions prior to May 2023.
• Future projections indicated approximately 3,000 annual deaths if current transmission rates persist.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the health benefits and safety risks of using ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light for air disinfection in aircraft.
• To compare the efficacy of UV-C disinfection against the potential for passenger and crew overexposure.
• To provide a risk-benefit analysis for implementing advanced UV-C disinfection systems in aviation.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of disease transmission data for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 and Influenza A on commercial aircraft in the U.S. through May 2023.
• Modeling the impact of supplementing standard aircraft ventilation (30 air changes per hour) with UV-C disinfection systems (120 air changes per hour).
• Quantification of risks associated with accidental UV-C overexposure versus the risks of contracting airborne diseases.

Main Results:

• Supplementing aircraft ventilation with UV-C disinfection could save up to 80% of deaths and economic burden associated with airborne diseases.
• The risk of acute UV-C overexposure (0.00003%) is orders of magnitude lower than the risk of contracting COVID-19 or Influenza A (0.5%).
• UV-C overexposure risks are limited to minor, temporary skin or eye irritation with no long-term effects; the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer is negligible.

Conclusions:

• The substantial health and economic benefits of UV-C air disinfection in aircraft significantly outweigh the minimal risks of accidental overexposure.
• Implementing UV-C disinfection systems presents a highly effective strategy for mitigating the spread of airborne pathogens in aviation.
• Advanced UV-C technology offers a safe and viable solution to enhance air quality and reduce disease transmission on commercial flights.