Optronics International has developed a new LED technology that it claims can sanitize the air and material surfaces in vehicle interiors wherever the light shines.

Purilite Light-Shield lamps use a proprietary coating on the surface of the LEDs to generate a constant stream of negative ions, which the company says can cleanse the air of fine inhalable particles, including many types of mold and bacteria.

Such particles, called PM2.5 for their 2.5-micrometer size, can trigger or worsen chronic disease such as asthma, heart attack, bronchitis and other respiratory ailments. PM2.5 is a more serious health concern than the larger and more common PM10 particles (such as diesel exhaust soot). Since they are so small and light and stay in the air longer, PM2.5 particles can travel deeper into lungs, causing more harmful health effects.

The Purilite Light-Shield works by generating negative ions, which bind to the lightweight airborne PM2.5 particles, adding mass and enabling gravity to remove them from the air. The negative ions also combine with positive molecules in mold spores and bacterial proteins, destroying them and causing them to decompose, Optronics says. Preliminary tests reported by the company show a 77% reduction in PM 2.5 and a 65% reduction in Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria in just one hour of exposure to the LED light.

“Until now, some surface coatings and surface cleaning procedures were the only tools available to fleets required to adhere to Food Safety Modernization Act rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food guidelines,” says Brett Johnson, president and CEO of Optronics International. “The Purilite Light-Shield technology is the first to go beyond simple surface-oriented decontamination methods, extending its cleansing capacity to the entire interior environment of a vehicle.”

Optronics says sleeper cabs and areas where drivers come into close contact with work surfaces would also benefit from the cleansing capabilities. The lights produce optimal light quality for human vision, approaching the color temperature of natural sunlight.