Sanitation has taken on a new meaning during the COVID-19 pandemic, with new companies forming to help address how to destroy harmful, virus-spreading pathogens to help keep community members safe and healthy.
One of these is Purification, LLC — an innovative, Tempe-based company that’s harnessing the power of CDC-approved UVC lights to destroy harmful bacteria and viruses through environmental sterilization and HVAC air sterilization. The one-of-a-kind technology can be used on any surface to sanitize homes, schools or businesses in a way that’s fast, environmentally friendly, cost-effective and free of human error.
Founder Nicholas Knudsen was working in the hospitality industry when the pandemic began, and when the restaurant he was operating closed, he utilized his engineering background to find a way to help the community in its battle against COVID-19. He began testing UVC lights and evaluating different ways to use them to destroy pathogens on the surface as well as in the air.
UVC lights are the most effective lights for eliminating viruses and bacteria, as the light’s energy breaks down the bonds that hold together the DNA and RNA of viruses and bacteria so they are no longer able to spread. However, when effective, the lights are strong and carry risk of damaging the eyes and skin. The lights are also heat free, which makes identifying damaging levels difficult to identify.
Through vigorous testing, Knudsen was able to create lights with the right amount of disinfecting power to be able to sanitize large spaces without causing permanent damage.
Federal grants and tax write-offs have already been made available for the technology, which has received backing from the CDC for its safety and effectiveness in producing disinfected air, sanitizing exposed surfaces and significantly reducing the transmission of infections within a space.
Photo courtesy of Purification, LLC
