

The authors also suggested a safe dose for an 8-hour work shift based on recommendations from the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). They found that for both viruses tested, 99.9% of the virus was inactivated at a lower dose than the one needed to inactivate H1N1 virus. Because the sensitivity of a virus to UV is determined by its genome size and all coronaviruses have genomes of similar sizes, it is reasonable to expect the sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 to be comparable to these viruses.The authors tested several doses of far-UVC on aerosolized viruses. In this study, the researchers tested two viruses that are closely related to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This group previously found low doses of far-UVC light (222 nm) to be an effective germicide against aerosolized H1N1 influenza virus.
#Far uvc light skin#
Far-UVC light (~207-222 nm) has similar germicidal properties without health risks, as it does not penetrate human eye or skin cells. Ultraviolet (UV) light is a well-established antimicrobial however, the UV light commonly used for this purpose (~254 nm) poses significant health risks in public spaces due to its cancer-causing effects. work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 LicenseStatus:PublishedJournal Publicationpublished 24 Jun, 2020Read the published version in Scientific Reports →Version 1posted 27 Apr, 2020You are reading this latest preprint versionResearch HighlightThe global spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has escalated the need for public sanitation. BrennerThis is a preprint it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed.Far-UVC light efficiently and safely inactivates airborne human coronaviruses | Research Square BrowsePreprintsCOVID-19 PreprintsProtocolsVideosJournalsTools & ServicesOverviewDigital EditingProfessional EditingBadgesResearch PromotionYour CartAboutPreprint PlatformIn ReviewEditorial PoliciesFAQOur TeamAdvisory BoardBlogSign InSubmit a PreprintCiteShareDownload PDFResearch ArticleFar-UVC light efficiently and safely inactivates airborne human coronavirusesManuela Buonanno, David Welch, Igor Shuryak, David J. The effect of 222-nm phototesting on healthy volunteer skin: A pilot study. Woods JA, Evans A, Forbes PD, Coates PJ, Gardner J, Valentine RM, Ibbotson SH, Ferguson J, Fricker C, Moseley H.Germicidal efficacy and mammalian skin safety of 222 nm light. Buonanno M, Ponnaiya B, Welch D, Stanislauskas M, Randers-Pehrson G,Smilenov L, Lowy FD, Owens DM, Brenner DJ.The bottom line for safety is that, until more research is done on healthy (and unhealthy) human skin and eyes, and unless the proper wavelength of light can be guaranteed throughout the effective life of the far UVC light source, long term far UVC is not safe to expose to skin or eyes.
#Far uvc light full#
Buyers should verify the full spectral distribution graph of any far UVC lights they purchase. Manufacturing quality could play a large part in making this technology safe in the future, but small differences in wavelength can make a big difference in the effect on human health. The big danger is that, if the far UVC light source does not block longer-wavelength light from passing through the bulb envelope, it can still be dangerous.


One study even showed skin damage to humans after exposure to Far UVC. Several studies have shown that far UVC has not damaged the skin or eyes of some mammals, while other studies have been inconsistent. Some people believe this study to have been sufficiently disproved, however.Īccording to the Illumination Engineering Society, far UVC light bulbs can still pose a threat to human skin and eyes. According to that evaluation of a far UVC device, "At low doses below the threshold bacteriostatic effect, the source was capable of inducing both erythema and CPD formation in human skin." Until more research is done, we do not recommend using unshielded far UVC lights in areas occupied by humans or animals. Please note that at least one study ( PDF) showed damage to human skin after exposure to equipment utilizing far UVC excimer lamp technology. This category of products exists for informational and educational purposes, or for those interested in purchasing products at the leading edge of lighting technology. For the general public, homeowners, consumers, businesses, and medical/government institutions, conventional UV air/surface disinfection and UV water purification products still make the most sense in regards to price and availability.įar UVC is on the cutting edge of medical lighting right now, not readily available, and still cost prohibitive compared to equipment utilizing 254nm UVC light bulbs.
