Optronics’ Purilite Light-Shield LED Lamps Will Reduce Exposure to Allergens and Pathogens in Commercial Vehicles
TULSA, OK… Optronics International, a
leading manufacturer and supplier
of heavy-duty LED vehicle lighting, recently unveiled its new LED-based
Purilite Light-Shield decontaminating light. The unique LED technology promises
to bring a revolutionary level of hygiene to vehicles everywhere, while
improving air quality and enhancing worker safety in the process.
Many who work in,
on and around vehicles are exposed to microscopic airborne pollutants so small
that they evade the body’s natural defense mechanisms, penetrating deep into
respiratory and circulatory systems, and causing damage to lungs, hearts and
brains. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has developed
ambient air quality trends for particle pollution, also called Particulate
Matter (PM).
PM 2.5
describes fine inhalable solid particles and liquid droplets, with
diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller. These particles
include many types of mold and bacteria found in vehicles transporting food.
PM2.5 also includes soot emitted by diesel engines and APUs.
“Airborne and
surface-based mold and bacteria are also a concern for those workers on
vehicles that are exposed to biological residue and other contaminants,” Brett
Johnson, president and CEO of Optronics International, said. “Sleeper cabs,
vehicles with multiple users, and dry bulk and refrigerated food transportation
haulers may be at greater risk of exposure. The climate a vehicle operates in
may also be a factor in allergen and pathogen proliferation.”
Purilite
Light-Shield LED lamps generate a constant stream of negative ions, created by
a proprietary coating applied to their LEDs. The lamp provides decontamination
and sanitization functions, while producing optimal light quality for human
vision, approaching the color temperature of natural sunlight.
The ionic sanitization occurs through both
physical and biological mechanisms. The negative ions bind to lightweight
airborne PM2.5 particles, adding mass and enabling natural gravitational forces
to remove them from the air by causing them to float safely to the ground.
The negative ions
also combine with positive molecules in mold spores and bacterial proteins,
destroying them and causing them to decompose. Once terminated, what’s left of
the pathogens also fall inertly to the ground. With viability removed,
the biological remnants are rendered essentially sterile, reducing exposure
risks even if they are disturbed and become airborne again.
“When the lights
are on, they are doing their job, it’s deceptively simple,” Johnson said, “A
sleeper cab driver can flip on these lights, go grab a bite and when they
return, the cab environment will be significantly cleaner. If they prefer,
drivers can remain in the cab while the lights are working, it’s perfectly safe
just to leave them on.”
Preliminary tests
in a controlled environment show a 77 percent reduction in PM2.5 and a 65
percent reduction in Escherichia coli (E. coli) in just one hour. Testing also
compared Purilite Light-Shield with standard LEDs as well as no light source.
The new lamp will
also help food supply chain and cold chain shipping companies comply with the
most recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Food Safety Modernization Act
(FSMA) rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food. With some
exceptions, the final rule applies to shippers, receivers, loaders and carriers
that transport food in the United States by motor or rail vehicle, whether or
not the food is offered for or enters interstate commerce.
“Until today,
surface cleaning procedures and bacteria-resistant surface treatments were the
only methods available to fleets required to adhere to FSMA guidelines,”
Johnson said. “Optronics’ Purilite Light-Shield is the first technology to
transcend simple surface-oriented decontamination methods and move toward
cleansing the entire interior environment of a vehicle, including the air.”
Optronics products
are available in the U.S. and Canada through the company’s extensive distribution network of more than 15,000 convenient distribution
locations. Users can access individual Optronics distributor websites by simply
clicking on their logo icons. For information on international sales and
distribution of Optronics products, please contact Dorian Drake at +1 (914) 697-9800, or visit http://doriandrake.com.