VALENCIA FIRM FINDS SHIELD AGAINST ANTHRAX.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Staff Writer

VALENCIA - Ultraviolet light alone is not an effective tool against anthrax, but combined with a well-filtered ventilation system it can kill the deadly spores, according to research conducted by a Valencia company.

The technology exists to capture and kill anthrax caught in ventilation systems, but officials at Ultraviolet Devices Inc. dispute studies that say UV light can do the job, said David Witham, vice president of technology for UVDI.

``UV alone is not going to be a solution to ... anthrax,'' Witham said. ``It will take a combination of filtering, ventilation and a UV component.''

Because the anthrax spore is relatively large, it can be effectively filtered, Witham added. Once captured on a filter, it can be readily disinfected with UV light.

Teaming with Pennsylvania State University, Ultraviolet Devices researchers found that, unless the airborne bacterium is caught in a filter, killing it takes extremely high doses of UV light applied over an extended time. Killing anthrax requires 50 times the UV dose needed to kill smallpox, tuberculosis and the germ that causes Legionnaire's disease.

Applying such a high dose would be too costly and wouldn't be effective in an open area, Witham said.

UVDI, headquartered in the Valencia Commerce Center, manufactures and supplies high-tech air and water disinfection products that use UV light. The company has the components that could be used in conjunction with high-end filtering systems to kill anthrax.

``The product is available now,'' said Daniel Jones, the company's manager of corporate development. ``The next step would be that each company has to look at the filtration in its HVAC system. If the filtration is too porous, it won't catch the bug. Most companies today do not have the type of filtration that would capture anthrax.'' Together, Penn State and UVDI have developed a computer design of a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system that would incorporate a quality filter and UV component to clean the air of anthrax spores. The component, Witham, resembles a fluorescent light.

The company and the university had been working together for nearly three years to study methods of improving indoor air quality. In November, UVDI asked researchers to expand their research to include anthrax treatment after studies surfaced showing ultraviolet light could be used to disinfect buildings contaminated with the spore.