New UV Glow Test Rapidly Measures Air Disinfection Effectiveness

University of Michigan researchers develop a faster method to evaluate air purification technologies for viral pathogens.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 8:40pm

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An abstract painting in soft, earthy tones of green, brown, and blue, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise botanical spirals, conceptually representing the complex scientific forces behind a new method for rapidly measuring the effectiveness of air disinfection systems.A new UV fluorescence technique enables rapid, real-time evaluation of air disinfection technologies, accelerating the development of better antiviral air purifiers.Ann Arbor Today

Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a new technique that can measure the effectiveness of air disinfection devices in minutes, rather than hours. The method uses UV fluorescence to track changes in viral aerosols before and after disinfection treatment, providing a rapid way to evaluate the performance of technologies like air purifiers in mitigating the spread of viral respiratory diseases.

Why it matters

This new approach could significantly speed up the development and testing of better antiviral air purification technologies, which is crucial for preparing for and responding to future viral outbreaks. The standard testing methods are time-consuming, making it difficult for researchers to quickly iterate on and improve disinfection processes.

The details

The new UV fluorescence technique works by measuring how viral aerosols 'glow' under UV light before and after disinfection. Viral particles absorb UV light and then emit energy at a different wavelength, creating a fluorescent effect. This fluorescence is diminished after the viruses are inactivated by the disinfection process. By tracking these changes in fluorescence intensity, researchers can rapidly assess the effectiveness of the air purification technology, rather than relying on the slower, labor-intensive standard method of exposing host cells to the pathogen samples.

  • The new technique was developed in February 2026 at the University of Michigan.
  • Researchers published their findings in the journal Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing in April 2026.

The players

Herek Clack

Associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Michigan, whose research focuses on reducing the environmental and health impacts of airborne aerosols, including the spread of zoonotic diseases.

Zhenyu Ma

A postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan and the first author of the study on the new UV fluorescence technique.

Taza Aya

A startup founded by Herek Clack that has prototyped plasma-based respiratory protective gear, currently being tested in a Michigan turkey processing plant.

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What they’re saying

“Our findings suggest that it may be possible to detect changes in aerosol infectivity in a rapid, real-time manner without tedious laboratory procedures.”

— Zhenyu Ma, Postdoctoral research fellow

“Even as the paradigm has shifted regarding the significance of airborne disease transmission, air disinfection technologies that do not rely on filtering air suffer slow development cycles because of how tedious it traditionally has been to prove how well the pathogens have been inactivated. Having an indirect indicator, properly calibrated, for pathogen infectivity could speed up that development process tremendously.”

— Herek Clack, Associate professor of civil and environmental engineering

What’s next

Researchers plan to further refine and calibrate the UV fluorescence technique to work with a wider range of disinfection technologies and viral pathogens, in order to provide a faster and more versatile tool for evaluating air purification systems.

The takeaway

This new UV fluorescence method represents a significant advancement in the ability to rapidly assess the performance of air disinfection technologies, which is crucial for developing more effective tools to mitigate the spread of viral respiratory diseases and prepare for future pandemics.