A case study of upper‐room UVGI in densely‐ occupied elementary classrooms by real‐time fluorescent bioaerosol measurements

Recently, the requirement to continuously collect bioaerosol samples using shorter response times has called for the use of real‐time detection. The decreased cost of this technology makes it available for a wider application than military use, and makes it accessible to pharmaceutical and academic research. In this case study, real‐time bioaerosol monitors (RBMs) were applied in elementary school classrooms—a densely occupied environment—along with upper‐room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) devices. The classrooms were separated into a UVGI group and a non‐UVGI control group. Fluorescent bioaerosol counts (FBCs) were monitored on 20 visiting days over a four‐month period. The classroom with upper‐room UVGI showed significantly lower concentrations of fine size (<3 μm) and total FBCs than the control classroom during 13 of the 20 visiting days. The results of the study indicate that the upper‐room UVGI could be effective in reducing FBCs in the school environment, and RBMs may be applicable in reflecting the transient conditions of the classrooms due to the dynamic activity levels of the students and teachers.