In Eindhoven, 700 classrooms will be equipped with disinfection lamps. The ultraviolet equipment (UV-C) should provide cleaner air. The municipality of Eindhoven is the first city in the Netherlands to invest so much money in better air quality at school. However, children should watch out for radiation, says TU/e researcher Luc Schlangen. “People should not be exposed to the radiation.”
According to the researcher, UV-C lamps can be very effective. “UV-C radiation is a powerful disinfectant. The germs floating in the air are deactivated. UV-C radiation has previously been an effective remedy for measles and flu outbreaks. The chances of infection were reduced.”
The TU/e researcher does indicate that it is important to be careful with the equipment. The UV-C light is invisible to the human eye. “Exposure leads to potential risk of cancer and eye damage. The radiation should never fall directly on people. It should not be the case that children stand on chairs and sit at the top and look at those lamps.”
That is why the lamps are often mounted high in the room, directed upwards. “The radiation then goes to the ceiling and not to the people below. There are known examples where installation companies have mounted the fixtures the other way around. That is very unwise. Another way to avoid exposure is to turn on the radiation when no one is in the room,” Schlangen suggests.
“We don’t want to close schools anymore when it comes to covid.”
The municipality is investing 700,000 euros in the project and wants to take action quickly because of ‘the expected summer wave and because the corona virus flares up again in the autumn and winter.’ “We no longer want to close the schools when it comes to covid,” says alderman Stijn Steenbakkers. The city has already made four million euros available for adjustments to buildings. They mainly focus on ventilation. “In addition, you also have to treat the air. These UV-C lamps do that. Within ten minutes a room is clean. Research shows that UV-C light kills 99.9 percent of the coronaviruses that cause Covid-19. This way you can prevent infections in schools and schools can remain open.”
Still, according to the TU/e researcher, UV-C light is not a panacea. “People can infect each other directly. If two people are talking to each other in a room and one is coughing towards the other, the UV-C light in the room will not help. Direct transfer between two people still takes place. However, the virus particles floating around in that space and passing the UV-C source will be deactivated.”
“You grant this to every class, throughout the Netherlands.”
Eindhoven primary and secondary schools that already have mechanical ventilation in the building can receive money. They may then engage a certified company themselves that supplies the premises with the equipment. It was checked beforehand whether schools were interested. Several school boards have indicated that they want to make use of this.
Alderman Steenbakkers hopes that more cities will do this. “We have appealed to the ministry to financially support this method in addition to a subsidy for ventilation techniques. The disinfection lamps have already proven themselves. For example, they are already at the GGD. If we have to test everything first, we will be too late. You grant this to every class, throughout the Netherlands.”
