On 19th October 2017 Smart Energy Management specialist, Ulilog (Pty) Ltd., launched SafeAir Ultraviolet Air Purifiers. These devices ensure clean, healthy indoor air quality by pro-actively controlling and reducing the transmission of pathogens such as airborne bacteria, viruses, and fungi as well as yeast and mould spores.

It also neutralises known carcinogens like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and second-hand tobacco smoke.

“We spend much of our day indoors – in the office, in shopping malls, on public transport and at home and interact with numerous people whose coughs, sneezes or even speech spreads airborne diseases,” comment Ulilog Directors, Trevor Williams and Gail Reynolds. “Some droplet nuclei can live in the air for hours and molecules from a cough or sneeze can travel an astounding 40m! If you take into account that adults consume between 11 000 and 14 000 litres of air every 24 hours, breathing quality indoor air is vital for our well-being.”

According to The World Health Organisation Tuberculosis (TB), a highly contagious airborne virus that is responsible for more deaths than HIV and Malaria, is usually spread from one person to another through the air when a person with pulmonary or laryngeal TB coughs, sneezes or talks.

It is estimated that about 80% of the South African population is infected with TB bacteria, the vast majority of whom have latent TB rather than active TB disease. Individuals with latent TB are not infectious, but once the infection becomes active it is highly infectious. www.tbfacts.org

Exacerbating the situation is the identification a few years ago of a highly infectious strain of TB, far worse than the extensive drug-resistant (XDR) TB. This strain is incurable and is non-responsive to any antibiotics used to treat XDR TB. The fact that patients diagnosed with incurable or ‘totally drug-resistant TB’ are being sent home to be cared for by family members gives rise to fears that South Africa can be facing an epidemic. An article on News24 in February 2017 refers to this crisis as a “ticking time bomb”. 

The SafeAir Ultraviolet Air Purifier uses UVGI (Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation) and an Ionizer to effectively reduce and neutralise airborne microbes such as bacteria, viruses and pollutants and also removes unpleasant odour particles. Gail explains that the device, being fan-assisted, draws in air from the room which passes over concealed ultraviolet lamps.       

UVGI is a sterilization method that uses UV light at sufficiently short wavelength to break down microorganisms. It is used in a variety of applications such as food, air and water purification. An air ioniser (or negative ion generator) is a device that uses high voltage to ionise (electrically charge) air molecules. Negative ions, or anions, are particles with one or more extra electrons that present a net negative charge to the airborne particle.

Available in various models to address the risk of airborne diseases, the compact and flexible SafeAir Ultraviolet Air Purifiers can be easily fitted on to a ceiling or against a wall. “We can even recess-fit the device to respect interior aesthetics,” adds Trevor.

This non-invasive, odourless and quiet unit is ideal for virtually any indoor space where people gather – business (offices, call centres, factories, warehouses), education (crèches, schools, universities), hospitality (hotels, lodges, B+Bs, restaurants, canteens), medical (hospitals, clinics, consulting rooms, ambulances), public transport (trains, buses, taxis), recreational (gyms), retail (shopping malls, public bathrooms), etc.

Trevor notes that the fitment of this device in an office environment, for example, will improve the health of personnel; “healthy staff are productive staff.”

SafeAir is extremely safe and emits zero direct radiation in accordance with the new international standard. The National Health Laboratory Service report of February 2017 concluded that the two UVGI purifiers that were submitted for evaluation were 100% effective in reducing the bacterial count to 6 log reduction (99%) in the laboratory test room, which is in accordance with the principal for design as a disinfection system.

The ‘fit-and-forget’ device requires minimal maintenance; SafeAir’s UVC lamps have a life span of three years or 9 000 hrs and the negative ion generator has a life expectancy of 50 000 hours.

“Our Ultraviolet Air Purifiers are highly efficient, robust, reliable, safe and affordable. Don’t compromise on your indoor air quality, choose SafeAir…for life,” concludes Trevor.