A HISPACOLD AIR TREATMENT SYSTEM BASED ON ULTRAVIOLET-C LAMPS DEMONSTRATES MORE THAN 93.4% EFFICIENCY IN ELIMINATING SARS-COV-2.
The tests (which were carried out by the Biological Defense Unit of the CBRN Defense Systems Department at the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), part of the Spanish Ministry of Defense) showed that under the trial conditions, the Hispacold air treatment system based on ultraviolet-C (UVC) lamps was 93.4% effective in eliminating viruses.
Last November, at the La Marañosa Campus, which is home to INTA’s technology center and the headquarters of the General Subdirectorate of Ground Systems, the Hispacold air treatment system based on UVC lamps was subjected to a series of tests, in accordance with strict safety procedures and a very demanding test protocol.
The tests were aimed at analyzing the biological decontamination capacity of an HVAC unit designed to provide climate control and germicidal air treatment in a railway vehicle, with a specific view to eliminating any SARS- CoV-2 virus present in the passenger compartment. The goal was to evaluate the reduction in viral load in an aerosol of the MS2 bacterial virus treated using a system based on UVC lamps, located inside the aforementioned HVAC unit in the railway vehicle.
The tests were carried out in a Class II Biosafety Cabinet (BSCII).
Given the impossibility of carrying out the tests on SARS-CoV-2 safely, the decision was made to use the MS2 bacterial virus. The MS2 bacterial virus is more resistant to UVC radiation than SARS-CoV-2, as its inactivation