UV Air Filters Cut Airborne Asthma Triggers, Study Finds

MONDAY, March 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Ultraviolet air filters might help rid a person’s home of asthma triggers, a new study suggests.

Installing one type of UV air filter in heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems led to a more than twofold decrease in microbes linked to asthma, researchers reported recently at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in Philadelphia.

“Ultraviolet light has known bactericidal effects, but can that affect asthma outcomes? We created a pilot study that highlights the potential of bacterial changes in the setting of HVAC-based ultraviolet light to affect asthma symptom modulation and control,” lead researcher Dr. Kaleb Ware, a medical resident with the University of Cincinnati, said in a news release.

Ultraviolet light can cause airborne allergen levels to decrease by 20% to 25% within a half hour of activation, according to prior research published in the journal ACS ES&T Air in August.

For the new study, researchers installed a UV filter — the CREON2000A filter, by General Innovations and Goods, Inc — into the HVAC system of homes of seven children with asthma. As a control, a “sham” UV device was installed in seven other children’s homes.

Dust samples were collected from household carpets when the devices were placed, and again after one year.

Results showed that the home with the UV filter had a twofold decrease in the abundance of microorganisms typically found in a person’s mouth and sinuses.

More study is needed to further investigate the potential benefits of UV filtration in homes and public institutions, researchers said.

For example, UV filters in school HVAC systems might protect children from asthma attacks in class.

The AAAAI meeting ran from Feb. 27 to March 2.

Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

The University of Colorado-Boulder has more on fighting allergies with UV light.

SOURCE: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, news release, Feb. 10, 2026