How does patented Puraclenz-UVAIRx PCO compare to other technologies?
What makes Puraclenz-UVAIRx PCO Technology superior?
Read below for direct comparative data that proves the superior efficacy, safety, and coverage of UVAIRx model air cleaners!
Go here for details about UVAIRx independent laboratory studies and professional certifications
Overview of Puraclenz-UVAIRx PCO Technology
Replicating How Nature Cleans!
The Puraclenz and UVAIRx line of innovative products successfully address the ever-increasing challenges of global indoor environmental conditions that adversely affect the health of human beings and animals around the world. These conditions include harmful infectious pathogens (viruses, bacteria, mold, and fungi) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs, e.g. chlorine, ethylene, formaldehyde, allergens, and odors).
Puraclenz and UVAIRx units use a completely safe process which combines the use of Ultraviolet Light (UV) and a catalyst of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) to destroy these pathogens and VOCs on a continuous, round-the-clock basis, in the air and on surfaces (both visible and hidden). This process, called Photocatalytic Oxidation (PCO), effectively and efficiently creates clusters of ions that are gently and continuously pushed into an indoor environment by a small fan where they seek out and destroy harmful pathogens and contaminants. The PCO process kills pathogens by destroying their cellular structure. VOCs are chemically transformed into safe Water Vapor (H2O) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2).
Puraclenze and UVAIRx units are filter-free, and further do not produce harmful ozone as part of the PCO process (The Puraclenze P300 includes a pre-filter. Unlike other technologies that use filtration to cull out pathogens, P3000 filters are designed to keep large dust particles out of the unit for more efficient operation.). Pathogens do not have to pass through the unit to be destroyed. Indoor environments protected by Puraclenz and UVAIRx ensure that any new pathogens or VOCs that may subsequently enter the room (as a new person or an animal enters the area, for example) are also destroyed, keeping the indoor environment safe. Puraclenz and UVAIRx units run continuously, hands-free, but consume less electricity than a 15 watt light bulb.
Puraclenz and UVAIRx PCO technology is the only technology laboratory and site tested against both human and zoonotic diseases. Some other PCO technolgies have only been laboratory tested against organisms that are harmless to humans and easy to kill. Puraclenz and UVAIRx PCO has been laboratory tested at 99%+ efficacious against real, harmful pathogens like H1N1, H5N1, Norovirus, MRSA, Psuedomonas, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Listeria, Bacillus, Clostridium, Mold, and Fungi, to name a few.
Competitive Technology # 1: “Ionizers”
How they Work
Ionizers work due to the electrical effects of positive and negative charges, which are attracted to each other. When the air cleaner’s ionizer is turned on, voltage is applied to a series of built-in needles, creating electrons which are discharged into the air. When these electrons attach to air molecules, negatively-charged ions are formed.
These negative ions are expelled into the room where they attach to positively-charged dust, pollen, cigarette smoke, and pet dander to form larger particles. After being connected particles become heavy and fall from the air forming larger pieces of dirt on the floor that can be easily cleaned by common tools like a vacuum cleaner. These can more easily be trapped by your air cleaner’s filters. They may also attach to positively charged surfaces in the room and the grill of your air cleaner, requiring frequent dusting.
Ozone is naturally produced by air ionizers and helps to kill some bacteria and purify a room from pollution and poor odor. The ozone that is produced in the process of generation of negatively charged ions breaks air contaminants into smaller elements. In addition, ozone prevents dangerous germs from growing. But while high concentrations of ozone in the ozone layer are beneficial, they are harmful in the atmosphere as they cause respiratory problems and reduce lung function.
How they Compare
Ionizer technology is effective against VOCs such as allergens, and even certain bacteria. This is because they produce only negatively-charged molecule clusters that are electrically drawn to any positively-charged particle. Conversely, UVAIRx PCO technology produces clusters of ionic plasma that are both positively- and negatively-charged, and thus attracted to any living microorganism floating in the air or residing on surfaces. Because living organisms such as viruses are complex organisms, they repel clusters of ions that are only negatively charged. In other words, “ionizers” are simply not drawn to these more complex and more dangerous pathogens.
The Bottom Line
Ionizers may be ineffective against the hardest-to-kill and most dangerous pathogens, and many of these devices produce ozone, a gas harmful to humans.
Puraclenz and UVAIRx PCO technology produces NO ozone and is effective against ALL harmful microorganisms.
Competitive Technology # 2: HEPA Filtration
How It Works
According to NIOSH (the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), a true HEPA filter is one that can trap 99.97% of dust particles that are 0.3 microns in diameter (where a micron is one millionth of a meter). There’s nothing particularly significant about particles 0.3 microns in diameter: they are simply the ones most likely to get through the filter, and smaller and larger particles than this are trapped even more effectively. To put 0.3 microns in perspective, it’s worth remembering that a typical human hair is roughly 50–150 microns in diameter, so a HEPA filter is trapping dust several hundred times thinner. The coarse, sooty particulates that spew from diesel car exhausts are generally described as PM10 (particles less than 10 microns) or PM2.5 (less than 2.5 microns), so you can see that HEPA filters are working at a scale at least 10 times smaller. A genuine HEPA filter is much more hygienic than an ordinary one because it will trap mold spores and even some bacteria and viruses in the filter. One unhealthy disadvantage of using HEPA filtration lies in its very process – HEPA filters collect all of these harmful particles and microorganisms in/on the filter. A new filter slowly becomes a petry dish, a collection of harmful pathogens that will be transferred to the environment during the filter change. HEPA filters must be changed frequently (the frequency depends upon the type of unit), and are costly to the consumer.
Another disadvantage of HEPA Filtration systems is that only the air passing into and through the unit and filter is purified. Unfortunately, once that purified air is expelled back into the atmosphere, it immediately assimilates into the atmosphere and become instantaneously contaminated again. The only way to completely purify the air in an enclosed environment with HEPA Filtration is to use it in a completely sealed environment, allowing the device enough time to full circulate every cubic millimeter of air through it as many times as necessary.
One advantage HEPA Filtration offers over Ionizers is that it does not normally produce ozone.
How It Compares
HEPA Filtration produces no ozone and easily traps larger allergen particles found in the air; however it is ineffective against smaller, more harmful microorganisms, which includes most viruses and some bacteria. HEPA Filters collect harmful pathogens on the filter that must be changed frequently and at significant cost to the user.
The Bottom Line
HEPA Filtration only cleans air passing through the unit, collecting harmful pathogens on filters that must be changed frequently at significant cost. It is ineffective against the most dangerous and infectious of microorganisms, such as non-enveloped viruses.
Puraclenze and UVAIRx PCO technology uses NO filters to trap harmful pathogens, and eliminates ALL harmful microorganisms in the air and on surfaces – anywhere air can reach – not just inside the unit.
Competitive Technology # 3: Ozone Generators
How They Work
In lieu of a long description of this technology, which is certified harmful to humans and animals, please refer to the Environmental Protection Agency warning regarding the use of these items as air cleaners:
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/ozone-generators-are-sold-air-cleaners
How They Compare
Ozone generators’ primary purpose is the production of ozone, a gas harmful to people and animals (see the EPA warning at the link above). These systems offer short-term eradication of VOCs alone, with no supporting efficacy against bacteria, viruses, mold, or fungi.
The Bottom Line
Ozone generators are effective at high doses in concentrated areas on harmful pathogens, but produce dangerous and harmful levels of ozone into the atmosphere. Ozone generators must be used in enclosed spaces should never be used in the presence of humans, plants, or animals. The systems must be shut down and the enclosed space opened to fresh air prior to further inhabitance; thus, their efficacy quickly erodes after use.
Puraclenz and UVAIRx PCO technology produces NO ozone. Puraclenz and UVAIRx units eliminate VOCs as well as ALL harmful microorganisms – anywhere air can reach – continuously. PCO is completely safe for humans, animals, and plants.
Competitive Technology # 4: PECO
How It Works
PECO stands for Photo ElectroChemical Oxidation. It is patented technology that uses air flow through an enhanced, multi-filtration system. A visual explanation is provided by the manufacturer with the patent, MoleKule here: https://molekule.com/technology.
The manufacturer has a small library of supporting tests and white papers as to the efficacy of this technology against various VOCs, bacteria, and mold, with testing against one virus, non-harmful to humans. These may be found on the same web page. The only virus that has been tested against this technology to date is the MS2 Bacteriophage. As noted here, (and despite the fact that it is a nonenveloped virus) this is one of the easiest strains of viruses to culture and kill: https://microchemlab.com/information/ms2-bacteriophage-viral-screening-tool. Further bacteriophage by their nature are not infectious or harmful to humans. Rather, they can transform some harmless bacteria into agents of disease.
How It Compares
PECO technology uses a multi-layered filtration system to trap VOCs and some pathogens, and produces “clean air” into the atmosphere. The technology collects and destroys pollutants and some microorganisms on filters that must be regularly changed at significant cost. These pockets of clean air are assimilated into the atmosphere, and the result is the same as with any HEPA filtration system (see above). PECO technology does not produce ozone.
The Bottom Line
PECO technology uses a multi-layered filtration system whereby contaminated air must pass through the unit and be subjected to an internal process that traps and destroys VOCs, and some harmful pathogens. PECO filters become contaminated and must be changed regularly at significant cost. PECO technology has not been laboratory tested against any viruses known to be harmful to humans.
Puraclenz and UVAIRx PCO technology uses no filters. It eliminates VOCs as well as ALL harmful microorganisms in the air and on surfaces – anywhere air can reach. Puraclenz and UVAIRx PCO technology has been independently laboratory tested as beyond 99% efficacious against multiple infectious and harmful pathogens, including H1N1, H5N1, and Norovirus.
Competitive Technology # 5: UV Germicidal (UV-C)
How It Works
Ultraviolet light (UV) is part of the light spectrum, which is classified into three wavelength ranges: UV-C, from 100 nanometers (nm) to 280 nm; UV-B, from 280 nm to 315 nm; and UV-A, from 315 nm to 400 nm. The UV-C wavelengths that range from 100 nm to 280 nm are germicidal. Germicidal ultraviolet (UV-C) light deactivates the DNA of bacteria, virus, and other pathogens, destroying their ability to multiply and cause disease. Specifically, UV-C light causes damage to the nucleic acid of microorganisms by forming covalent bonds between certain adjacent bases in the DNA. The formation of such bonds prevents the DNA from being unzipped for replication, and the organism is unable to reproduce. UV-C is effective against all harmful pathogens that come within and remain within close proximity to the UV-C. However, the UV-C is only effective within its wavelength.
UV-C Air and Surface Disinfection models contain one or more germicidal ultraviolet lamps. Germicidal lamps are short-wave, low-pressure tubes that produce ultraviolet wavelengths lethal to microorganisms. Approximately 95% of the ultraviolet energy emitted is at 254 nanometers. This wavelength is in the region of maximum germicidal effectiveness and is highly lethal to virus, bacteria, and mold spores that come within and remain within proximity of the bulb.
Germicidal UV light works on the inverse square law (Inverse Square Law of Physics) , meaning that the farther away a pathogen is from the UV bulb, the less of an effect the UV light will have. Due to this law of physics, UV-C is only effective on pathogens that come within – and remain within – close proximity to the UV light source.
This same phenomenon is also dangerous, however, as UV-C has an extremely harmful impact on the heavier, eukaryotic cells of humans and animals. In other words, the same technology that makes it deadly to pathogens also makes it extremely dangerous to humans, which is why it must be encased or isolated.
How It Compares
The only similarity between a germicidal UV lamp and the Puraclenz-UVAIRx UV bulb is that they both are ultra-violet bulbs. Puraclenz and UVAIRx units do not use their internal UV bulb to inactivate pathogens. Rather, it is an energy source to run a Photocatalytic Reactor, which creates the PCO process, powering a single Puraclenz or UVAIRx stand-alone unit with a UV bulb that’s a little larger than a chemlight to cover an enclosed area up to 7,000 ft2. In contrast the germicidal UV bulb can only cover slightly less than one cubic foot. Germicidal UV lights are very effective on close and stationary pathogens, but have minimal, if any, efficacy against pathogens moving through the air, or on distant surfaces.
The Bottom Line
UV-C is effective on harmful pathogens that come within proximity, and remain within proximity, of the UV light source. It is increasingly innefective the farther away patheogens are from the source, as explained by the Inverse Square Law of Physics. UV light is dangerous to humans, animals, and plants.
Puraclenz and UVAIRx PCO technology uses its UV bulb as a catalyst for the PCO process, which eliminates VOCs, and ALL harmful pathogens in the air and on surfaces – anywhere air can reach. PCO is completely safe for humans, animals, and plants.
