Submitted by the IUVA YP Committee
This column is a new initiative launched by the IUVA YP committee to recognize and summarize five UV research articles published in peer-reviewed journals throughout 2025 that were identified as impactful and innovative to the UV industry. This spotlight aims to increase awareness and education about critical scientific advancements related to the UV industry and to ensure the authors receive the recognition they deserve.
Please note that the selection of only five research articles was difficult to conduct, and the articles selected were based on the opinions of the IUVA YP committee. The involvement of a young professional as the lead author of the article also was taken into consideration.
Guarding Drinking Water Safety against Harmful Algal Blooms: Could UV/Cl2 Treatment Be the Answer?
Synopsis: This study found that UV/chlorine AOP is highly effective for the control of 4 microcystin congeners, common toxins in harmful algal blooms. Using a combination of target and non-target mass spectrometry and cytotoxicity assays, the authors determined that UV/chlorine led to lower DBP formation and toxicity than chlorination alone, while also providing better degradation of microcystins.
Significance of this paper: This paper adds to the growing body of evidence that UV/chlorine AOP does not create more toxic DBPs than chlorination. The authors employ a non-target mass spectrometry approach to identify and quantify numerous high-molecular-weight DBPs, going beyond the typical suite of low-molecular-weight DBPs to holistically assess the safety of UV/chlorine AOP.
YPs involved: Minghao Kong is a post-doctoral scholar at Emory University.
Kong, M., Passa, E.A., Sanan, T., Mohammed, A.N., Forster, A.L.B., Justen, P.T., de la Cruz, A., Westrick, J.A., O’Shea, K., Ren, B., Nadagouda, M.N., Yadav, J.S., Duan, X., Richardson, S.D., Dionysiou, D.D. Guarding Drinking Water Safety against Harmful Algal Blooms: Could UV/Cl2 Treatment Be the Answer? Environ. Sci. Technol. 2025, 59, 2, 1421-1433.
Experimental Observation and Simulation of UV-C-Based Personal-Scale Reactors for Airborne Pathogen Disinfection
Synopsis: This study developed a personal scale, wearable UV LED reactor for the prevention of airborne disease transmission. Using both simulation and experimental validation, the authors characterized the fluence rate inside the reactor and concluded that this UV-based device could be more effective than an N95 mask.
Significance of this paper: This study demonstrates an innovative new application of UV technology. As evidenced during the coronavirus pandemic, UV technologies can play a critical role in public health and pandemic prevention/preparedness. This paper advances a potential use case of UV technology and develops experimental methods to design and validate future UV wearable technologies.
YPs involved: Christopher Bowers is a post-doctoral scholar at North Carolina State University. Jason Randall is an engineer at Banning Engineering. Xing Li is a post-doctoral scholar at Rutgers University.
Bowers, C.A., Randall, J.A., Jones, C., Prast, E., Li, X., Mosca, D.A., Rasansky, R., Linden, K.G., Blatchlet III, E.R., Ducoste, J. Experimental Observation and Simulation of UV-C-Based Personal-Scale Reactors for Airborne Pathogen Disinfection. ACS EST Engg. 2025, 5, 4, 1054-1067.
Enhanced Photolysis of Sulfite by Far-UVC (222 nm) and Efficient Photoreductive Degradation and Dehalogenation of Halogenated Organic Pollutants
Synopsis: This study compared the UV/sulfite advanced reduction process (UV/ARP) using conventional low-pressure mercury lamps and KrCl* lamps, which emit at 222 nm in the Far-UVC range. UV/ARP using KrCl* lamps was found to improve hydrated electron generation (the primary reactive species in UV/ARP) by 44 times, due to higher absorbance and quantum yield of sulfite at 222 nm compared to 254 nm.
Significance of this paper: The destruction of halogenated compounds such as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is a critical challenge, and UV/ARP may be a potential solution. The treatment approach investigated in this study may enable more effective treatment at lower electrical consumption and cost compared to conventional UV/AOP using low-pressure mercury lamps.
YPs involved: Yujia Nong is a Ph.D. candidate at Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University. Her research focuses on deep-UV-based reduction and oxidation technologies for degrading recalcitrant organic pollutants (including halogenated organic compounds and pharmaceuticals and personal care products) in water.
Nong, Y.J., Wu, Q.Y., Qin, Y.C., Jing, Z.B., Wang, E.D., Bai, Q., Wang, W.L., Enhanced Photolysis of Sulfite by Far-UVC (222 nm) and Efficient Photoreductive Degradation and Dehalogenation of Halogenated Organic Pollutants. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2025, 59, 30, 16011-16020.
Wavelength-Specific Biofilm Control from Internally UV-Emitting Glass Surfaces
Synopsis: This study employed UV-emitting glass (UEG) for the prevention of biofilm growth. The UEG was paired with LEDs at wavelengths of 265, 280, 310 and 365 nm, and lower wavelengths were found to be more effective at inactivating biofilm microbes and limiting biofilm growth. The UEG approach was found to be more effective at bacterial inactivation than other UV LED-based treatments.
Significance of this paper: The application of UV technologies for biofilm control is rapidly gaining interest, as biofilms are associated with significant economic costs and public health burdens, as they can harbor opportunistic pathogens.UEG is an innovative new approach to address this challenge by allowing constant, distributed UV irradiation of wetted surfaces.
YPs involved: Yuxuan Wang is a Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where her research focuses on UV-emitting glass (UEG) technology and its unique mechanisms for disrupting biofilms, integrating CFD modeling and advanced imaging to understand UV penetration and biofilm responses. Athira Haridas works at HDR as a member of the Water and Wastewater team in HDR’s San Diego office. She has a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from UMass Amherst, where her research focused on biofilm prevention on surfaces using UV LED technology.
Haridas, A., Alidokht, L., Wang, Y., Mohsin, M.S., Butler, C., Lanzarini-Lopes, M. Wavelength-Specific Biofilm Control from Internally UV-Emitting Glass Surfaces. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2025, 59, 31, 16743-16752.
Photoinactivation of MS2 Bacteriophage Is Enhanced by Unrecognized Proteins from Viral Preparations in Clear Suspensions
Synopsis: This study found that MS2 inactivation under UV-B irradiation is enhanced by the presence of unidentified, background proteins introduced during viral preparation, which act as photosensitizers and increase the apparent UV inactivation rate.
Significance of this paper: Published virus UV inactivation rates can vary widely in literature. This study identifies one potential cause of this variability, which will improve the standardization of experimental protocols and hopefully lead to greater agreement between studies in the literature, which is an essential step towards advancing mechanistic understanding of UV processes.
YPs involved: Fernando Sanchez Quete holds an MSc. in Virology and Immunology and currently is a research assistant at McGill University. His research centers on environmental microbiology, with an emphasis on viruses and the use of cellular and molecular biology techniques. Yiding Wang is a post-doctoral researcher in Environmental Engineering in Prof. Stephanie Loeb’s research group at McGill University, where he studies photo-induced inactivation of human viruses and surrogates and the implications for water quality and public health. His research integrates experimental virology with data-driven modeling to improve risk assessment and sustainable water management.
Sanchex-Quete, F., Wang, Y., Loeb, S.K. Photoinactivation of MS2 Bacteriophage Is Enhanced by Unrecognized Proteins from Viral Preparations in Clear Suspensions. Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2025, 12, 10, 1426-1431.