Molekule’s PECO technology uses low-energy ultraviolet (UV-A) light to initiate the oxidation reaction that destroys pollutants on the surface of the PECO-Filter. The ultraviolet light is absorbed by the filter, and visible blue light is emitted. This is the blue light you see when Molekule air purifiers are running.

UV-A light is lower energy and safer than the ultraviolet light (UV-C) found in some other air purifiers. In fact, UV-A light is the same light that is emitted from common black lights used in residential and recreational applications. In contrast, UV-C has much higher energy and can cause damage to your eyes if looked at. Furthermore, UV-C light can generate ozone, which is a lung irritant. While UV-C light can deactivate microorganisms on surfaces, it has little if any impact on microorganisms in the air, and can be dangerous. In contrast, the UV-A light that Molekule air purifiers use is much safer than UV-C and is only used to initiate Molekule’s PECO air purification technology. 

For Molekule Air, we offer a Dark Mode option to turn off the ultraviolet lights temporarily. We developed Dark Mode for people who are sensitive to light while sleeping. We recommend using this mode only as necessary. To learn more about Dark Mode, see our article What is Dark Mode?