Submitted on behalf of IUVA.
Since its establishment in 2022, the IUVA Task Force on Technology and Research for Air and Surface Treatment (TRAST) has brought together researchers, industry professionals, regulators, public-health practitioners and other members of the UV community working on air and surface applications. TRAST was created to exchange emerging knowledge, identify shared technical needs and develop collaborative activities that advance the responsible use of ultraviolet technologies. With several of its original projects reaching important milestones, TRAST is evolving from a traditional task-force structure into a more flexible and ongoing collaborative network.
TRAST’s first several years have demonstrated how cross-sector collaboration can translate shared expertise into outcomes with broader scientific and practical value. One project-focused group completed a comprehensive review examining the factors that influence the measurement and interpretation of UV air-disinfection kinetics, helping clarify major sources of variability and priorities for more consistent measurement and reporting. Another collaborative effort advanced a measurement protocol for pulsed UV systems; the resulting method has been adopted as a group standard in China and is being prepared for broader dissemination. Together, these efforts illustrate TRAST’s valuable role in building scientific consensus, identifying common needs, and advancing methods and guidance that can inform research, standards development and practical implementation. They also showcased the value of combining broad community exchange with smaller teams focused on clearly defined projects.
The reorganized TRAST Network is built around this approach. Quarterly Network meetings will provide a forum for research presentations, technical and committee updates, discussion of emerging priorities and professional networking, while smaller project groups can meet as needed to advance specific initiatives. This structure is intended to preserve the inclusiveness of an international research and professional community while giving focused teams greater flexibility to move projects forward. TRAST will also continue coordinating with other IUVA groups so that related activities remain complementary and expertise can be shared across the organization.
Looking ahead, the TRAST Network aims to translate sound science into reproducible methods, reliable data and practical guidance for the UV community. One near-term opportunity is an interlaboratory study on UV inactivation of microorganisms on surfaces. Future project groups may address air-disinfection kinetics, emerging infectious-disease needs, agricultural and livestock applications, measurement and standards priorities, and state-of-the-art or position documents on important UV topics. By strengthening participation across academia, industry, regulatory and standards organizations, public health, and the broader international UV community, TRAST aims to create a flexible pathway from shared challenges to collaborative action and trusted scientific and practical outcomes.