Is There an Optimal Wavelength for Germicidal Ultraviolet Air Disinfection?

Germicidal UV (GUV) disinfection is effective against airborne pathogens, but it has been recently reported to increase indoor air pollution. Conventional GUV at 254 nm is applied in the upper room only due to skin/eye safety limits, while "Far UVC" (e.g., at 222 nm) is applied across the whole room due to less restrictive safety limits, enabling simpler installation and disinfection. GUV light sources at other wavelengths are being actively developed, creating an urgent need for guidance on their relative advantages. We investigate GUV between 185 and 310 nm by modeling in search of an optimal wavelength with both high disinfection and safety. For a specific fluence rate, GUV-induced air pollution health risks are at least ∼20 times larger below 242 nm than above it. This is mainly due to O₃ production through O₂ photolysis below 242 nm, with a contribution from particulate matter formation from enhanced volatile organic compound oxidation. When normalized to a constant CDC-recommended disinfection rate of 5 equiv air changes per hour (eACH), pollution risk below 242 nm is also at least ∼20 times that above 242 nm. At very high disinfection rates such as 20 eACH, the difference between the ratios below and above 242 nm is smaller, but still a factor of ∼20. Our results show a clear advantage of upper-room GUV vs Far UVC for indoor air pollution. These results appear robust despite substantial uncertainties in absolute disinfection efficiencies, which are a critical limitation for widespread GUV application. Thus, there is no optimal GUV wavelength across all important criteria (exposure limits, disinfection efficiency, indoor air pollution, and logistic requirements), and these trade-offs should be considered in different situations to maximize the overall benefit. The use of Far UVC may require simultaneous deployment of air cleaning for pollution mitigation.