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COVID-19 Emergency - Using UV Lamps to sanitize Face Masks overnight

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Caliaxy:

--- Quote from: profdc9 on March 26, 2020, 01:10:50 pm ---Alcohol unfortunately can not be used to disinfect masks.  It destroys a charged layer in the N95 masks that attracts virus particles.  I wrote up a proposal for building a UV sterilizer for mask a couple days ago. 

--- End quote ---

Nice! Not sure how effective this is (what's the penetration of uv light through the mask's material?), but I have two suggestions:

1. In your photo, the lamp is in the middle of the box and the mask on the left side, next to the wall. This way, the "dark side" of the mask (that sits in its own shadow) doesn't seem to get much reflected light. I suggest putting the light source by the wall and the mask in the middle of the box, maybe suspended from the lid.

2. Remove the elastomers before the uv treatment, sterilize them with alcohol and attach them after the uv cycle. Thus, they won't degrade because of the uv light (they might, because of the alcohol but, hopefully, at a lower rate).

1sciguy:
Every town has a dry cleaner.  They use Tetrachloroethylene, which evaporates completely.  Millions of women would complain if there was a residue on their intimate apparel.  I would suspect that no virus or bacteria could live through such a bath.  I can't say whether or not it would harm any other aspect of the material composition.

KaneTW:
Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation Handbook by Kowalski and The Ultraviolet Disinfection Handbook by Bolton and Cotton are what I use as references. Primary sources are listed in the books.

KaneTW:

--- Quote from: profdc9 on April 01, 2020, 04:26:36 pm ---If there are any references for UV mercury germicidal lamp efficiency, please send them may way.  The study I was referring to is

Hao & Han, Qiuyi & Zhang, Shanduan. (2013). “254 nm Radiant Efficiency of High Output Low Pressure Mercury Discharge Lamps with Neon-Argon Buffer Gas” Applied Mechanics and Materials. 325-326. 409-412. 10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.325-326.409.

That is where I obtained by 30% estimate from.


--- End quote ---

from Kowalski's book above

pipe2null:
@KaneTW: Do you mind if I repost the UVGI info in another thread?  Most people don't care, but I've been attempting to collect reference info into one place/thread.  I've seen too many posts where people pull numbers out of their backsides that don't line up with the reference info I've found so far.

Since there are a bunch of people working on other angles/problems, I've been trying to figure out the UVC intensity and exposure time requirements to kill COVID-19 or at least SARS-CoV.  I'm hoping that mathematically it's possible to stick a UVC light in a can, pipe air through it, and kill viruses fast enough to meet or exceed the peak airflow from breathing...  With the info I have so far, it seems like it's possible, but I don't have enough tangible data yet.

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