Sneezing from cats, dust mites, or mold may one day be preventable with a flip of a switch. Researchers at CU Boulder found that UV222 light can alter allergen proteins, reducing allergic reactions without dangerous side effects. Within 30 minutes, airborne allergens decreased by up to 25%. The team imagines portable devices that could shield people in homes, schools, and workplaces from harmful triggers.
Cats. Dust mites. Mold. Trees.
For people with allergies, even a brief whiff of the airborne allergens these organisms produce can lead to swollen eyes, itchy skin and impaired breathing.
Such allergens can persist indoors for months after the original source is gone, and repeated exposure can exacerbate, and even lead to, asthma.
What if you could just flip a switch and disable them? You can, according to new University of Colorado Boulder research.
"We have found that we can use a passive, generally safe ultraviolet light treatment to quickly inactivate airborne allergens," said study author Tess Eidem, a senior research associate in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering. "We believe this could be another tool for helping people fight allergens in their home, schools or other places where allergens accumulate indoors."
