Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 2008 Jan-Feb;123(1):52-60.
doi: 10.1177/003335490812300108.

Safety of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal air disinfection for room occupants: results from the Tuberculosis Ultraviolet Shelter Study

Edward A Nardell  1 , Scott J Bucher, Philip W Brickner, Charles Wang, Richard L Vincent, Kathleen Becan-McBride, Mark A James, Max Michael, James D Wright
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Safety of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal air disinfection for room occupants: results from the Tuberculosis Ultraviolet Shelter Study

Edward A Nardell et al. Public Health Rep. 2008 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

Objectives: We evaluated the safety of room occupants in the Tuberculosis Ultraviolet Shelter Study (TUSS), a double-blind, placebo-controlled field trial of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) at 14 homeless shelters in six U.S. cities from 1997 to 2004.

Methods: Data collection involved administering questionnaires regarding eye and skin irritation to a total of 3,611 staff and homeless study subjects.

Results: Among these subjects, there were 223 reports of eye or skin symptoms. During the active UV period, 95 questionnaires (6%) noted such symptoms, and during the placebo period, 92 questionnaires (6%) did so. In the 36 remaining cases, either the UV period when symptoms took place was unknown or the symptoms spanned both periods. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of reports of symptoms between the active and placebo periods. One definite instance of UV-related keratoconjunctivitis occurred, resulting from a placement of a bunk bed in a dormitory where a single bed had been used when the UV fixtures were first installed.

Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that careful application of upper-room UVGI can be achieved without an apparent increase in the incidence of the most common side effects of accidental UV overexposure.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

None
Tuberculosis Ultraviolet Shelter Study New York City shelter in a church basement. Note the ultraviolet germicidal irradiation fixtures located on the upper wall, directly below the vents. Photo: ©Randall Perry Photography.
None
Louvered upper-air ultraviolet germicidal irradiation in Tuberculosis Ultraviolet Shelter Study New York City shelter. Photo: ©Randall Perry Photography.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. First M, Rudnick SN, Banahan KF, Vincent RL, Brickner PW. Fundamental factors affecting upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation—part I. Experimental. J Occup Environ Hyg. 2007;5:321–31. - PubMed
    1. Lai KM, Burge HA, First MW. Size and UV germicidal irradiation susceptibility of Serratia marcescens when aerosolized from different suspending media. Appl Environ Mircobiol. 2004;70:2021–7. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ko G, First MW, Burge HA. The characterization of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation in inactivating airborne microorganisms. Environ Health Perspect. 2002;110:95–101. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Riley RL, Knight M, Middlebrook G. Ultraviolet susceptibility of BCG and virulent tubercle bacilli. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1976;113:413–8. - PubMed
    1. Riley RL, Permutt S, Kaufman JE. Convection, air mixing, and ultraviolet air disinfection in rooms. Arch Environ Health. 1971;22:200–7. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms