Lunch and Learn – UVGI and Infection Prevention

The disinfection of air by ultraviolet light can be achieved in three ways – 1) In-duct UV air disinfection, 2) Upper Room UV, and 3) Whole Room UV. Each of these technologies will be discussed and compared in terms of performance and cost. These UV systems are modeled to show reduction rates over time in a model room using a completely mixed model. Performance data from laboratory tests on specific airborne pathogens are used to demonstrate reduction of airborne concentrations over time. Equivalent Air Changes (EACs) are computed for each system and compared. Quantitative Risk Assessment is performed to evaluate the relative inhalation risks for each system over an 8-hour period.

Dr. Wladyslaw Kowalski received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1977, and his MS and PhD in Architectural Engineering from Penn State in 2001.

From 1978 to 1995 he worked for various nuclear power utilities in the USA performing contamination control for HVAC and cooling water systems. He was involved in the shutdown of the Three Mile Island nuclear utility after the meltdown.

After returning to graduate school he wrote a Master’s Thesis on, Technologies for controlling respiratory disease transmission in indoor environments: Theoretical Performance and Economics. He wrote his doctorate on, Design and optimization of UVGI air disinfection systems. After graduating, he consulted with various ultraviolet disinfection companies and hospitals and wrote numerous articles and several books including Aerobiological Engineering (2001), the Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation Handbook (2009) and Hospital Airborne Infection Control (2006). He contributed to the ASHRAE Handbook Chapter on Ultraviolet Disinfection and assisted NASA in the design of the microbiological glovebox, which employs UV LEDs. He was actively involved with the US Army, the CIA, the Pentagon, and the New York Police Department after the post-911 anthrax attacks.

He worked from 2017 to 2021 for Purple Sun of New York, where he was the Chief Scientist, developing and patenting UV systems employing multivector light, and conducting numerous laboratory and field studies on the efficacy of UV systems. He joined Sanuvox in 2022 as Chief Scientist and has since been involved in research and development of new UV systems as well as being involved in ASHRAE committees and IUVA.