UNOH installs Hydroxyl Generators on campus

Posted on Monday, January 11, 2021

With the goal of making classrooms, shops, and learning spaces safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Northwestern Ohio recently installed more than 200 hydroxyl generators on campus.

Using CARES Act dollars to fund the purchase of these generators allowed the University to effectively improve the air quality in all learning spaces while not impacting expenditures related to providing a world-class education to students from around the globe.

According to Londell Smith of OMG Sanitizing Ohio, hydroxyl generators were originally developed for NASA to clean the air of odors and pathogens and are now being utilized across the country to treat the air in common spaces and help mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Ohio Department of Health recommend that workplaces, schools, and universities increase air filtration and air flow indoors as much as possible by relying on natural ventilation, propping doors and opening windows to help dissipate airborne coronavirus, and using portable high-efficiency particulate air filtration systems designed to prevent the spread of airborne infectious diseases.

The generators, which look like portable space heaters with ultraviolet light, can help remove pollutants from the air by turning water vapor into hydrogen peroxide. Those hydrogen peroxide molecules then sanitize the air, attacking viruses like the cold, flu and others.

In addition to regular sanitization of surfaces, these hydroxyl generators offer an extra layer of protection for students, staff, and faculty as face-to-face classes resume this month.

Category: Campus & Community

Keywords: Coronavirus, Hydroxyl Generators, COVID-19