Desarrollo de un prototipo sinérgico multi-banda uv para la mejora de la calidad del aire interior en entornos hospitalarios
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Date
2026-04-05
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana UNITEC
Abstract
Las personas pasan aproximadamente más del 90% de su tiempo en interiores, lo que los expone a contaminantes gaseosos y químicos habitados en el aire que pueden afectar a la salud y bienestar de estos.
Este indicador se conoce como calidad del aire interior y ha surgido como una problemática debido a la gran cantidad de casos reportados en los últimos años. Esta problemática se agrava al trasladarse a entornos hospitalarios, donde los microorganismos transportados por el aire pueden causar infecciones en individuos con sistemas inmunológicos comprometidos. En estudios recientes se ha encontrado que hasta un 63% del personal de salud presenta al menos un problema de salud asociado a la mala calidad del aire interior.
En consecuencia, en el presente estudio se evaluaron las distintas tecnologías existentes para mejorar la calidad del aire interior y, con base en la información recolectada, se desarrolló un prototipo funcional que aprovecha la eficacia germicida de la luz UV-C y el efecto fotocatalítico generado mediante la exposición del dióxido de titanio a la luz UV-A.
Se realizaron diferentes pruebas bajo tres escenarios experimentales distintos, obteniendo una reducción del 86.19%, 81.68% y 69.87% en compuestos orgánicos volátiles, y del 100% en la eliminación de bacterias aerobias y levaduras cuando se aplicó el prototipo en los distintos entornos hospitalarios evaluados.
Los datos obtenidos fueron sometidos a rigurosas pruebas estadísticas, demostrando que existieron diferencias significativas (p < 0.001) entre cada uno de los escenarios experimentales.
People spend over 90% of their time indoors, which exposes them to gaseous and chemical pollutants lingering in the air that can negatively affect their health and well-being. This metric is referred to as indoor air quality (IAQ), and it has become a growing concern due to the increasing number of reported cases in recent years. The issue is exacerbated in hospital environments, where airborne microorganisms can infect individuals with weakened immune systems. Recent studies have found that up to 63% of healthcare workers experience at least one health issue associated with poor IAQ. In response to this, various existing technologies for improving IAQ were evaluated. Based on the collected data, a functional prototype was developed that combines the germicidal effect of UV-C light with the photocatalytic activity generated by titanium dioxide (TiO₂) under UV-A radiation. The prototype was tested under three distinct experimental conditions, resulting in reductions of 86.19%, 81.68%, and 69.87% in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and a 100% elimination of aerobic bacteria and yeasts in the evaluated hospital environments. The data were subjected to rigorous statistical analysis, confirming statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) between each experimental scenario.
People spend over 90% of their time indoors, which exposes them to gaseous and chemical pollutants lingering in the air that can negatively affect their health and well-being. This metric is referred to as indoor air quality (IAQ), and it has become a growing concern due to the increasing number of reported cases in recent years. The issue is exacerbated in hospital environments, where airborne microorganisms can infect individuals with weakened immune systems. Recent studies have found that up to 63% of healthcare workers experience at least one health issue associated with poor IAQ. In response to this, various existing technologies for improving IAQ were evaluated. Based on the collected data, a functional prototype was developed that combines the germicidal effect of UV-C light with the photocatalytic activity generated by titanium dioxide (TiO₂) under UV-A radiation. The prototype was tested under three distinct experimental conditions, resulting in reductions of 86.19%, 81.68%, and 69.87% in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and a 100% elimination of aerobic bacteria and yeasts in the evaluated hospital environments. The data were subjected to rigorous statistical analysis, confirming statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) between each experimental scenario.
Keywords
Calidad del Aire Interior, Desinfección del Aire, Radiación UV-C, Fotocatálisis, Hospitales