Jan. 08, 2021
Is Far UVC Light Dangerous or not?
A type of ultraviolet light known as UVC could be safely used to disinfect air, according to new research, which could help in the fight against coronaviruses. Scientists from Columbia recently discovered a way to harness the pathogen - and kill the power of UV light without damaging the eyes or skin. The research team found that light, a combination of high-energy ultraviolet (UV) light and ultraviolet radiation, can kill flu viruses in the air without damaging human tissue. The far uVC light could kill 99.9 percent of viruses in the air, Brenner said. [Sources: 2, 9, 11, 12]
Brenner, who has spent most of his career cleaning UV wastewater, also believes it is safe enough. UVC light from the sun is absorbed by the Earth's ozone, so we don't normally expose ourselves to it every day. This makes it difficult to use UV light safely, such as wearing sunscreen in the sun. [Sources: 1, 5, 14]
A lot of UVC light kills pathogens in the air before you can inhale them, "he told the university magazine, according to the University of California, San Diego School of Public Health. [Sources: 17]
UVC light is an attractive way to disinfect, because it can effectively inactivate new coronaviruses without the use of chemicals. Interestingly, Dr. Brenner and colleagues hypothesized a few years ago that a new type of light, called Far UVC, can kill microbes without damaging healthy tissue. It inactivated flu viruses, and after exposing mice to the virus, they found no evidence of skin damage, while finding that the same light effectively killed superbugs like MRSA and Radiat. [Sources: 11, 14, 16]
People should never be exposed to UVC light, which also causes burns and discoloration of materials, the scientists advise, and moving devices are prone to operating errors. Self-cleaning water bottles that use UV / C rays to kill germs, such as Larq, should be safe when used properly, but do not work when the cap is tightly screwed on, as UV / C light can leak out and cause damage. [Sources: 3, 13]
The greatest danger is that they are not dangerous, because they do not prevent long light sources - wavelengths - from penetrating the bulb shell, but are dangerous in the short term. Although Far U VC light is actually safe for humans, virus particles are not deactivated or destroyed before they can spread from person to person, and they are not absorbed. [Sources: 8, 10]
Never look directly at a UVC light source, even for a short period, and avoid direct skin contact with UVC radiation. Although the use of UVAC has been classified as safe in international protocols, it is still dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. [Sources: 4, 19]
As anyone who has had sunburn knows, conventional UV light exposure is dangerous to humans, including UCV light, which is currently used to kill pathogens. This means that while it cannot harm humans or animals, the use of widely used UVC light (or any other type of UV light source) can be harmful and even dangerous when people are present. This does not apply to all UV / C lamps, but widely used UVC lamps are safe to use as long as you are not in close proximity to people. What you see may not match what you get, though an extremely important consideration. [Sources: 3, 17, 18]
UV light can also damage human skin and UVC light in particular has a germicidal effect (see below). U-shaped lamps and lamps can potentially contain mercury, produce ozone, which can be harmful to humans, or cause cancer. [Sources: 0, 14]
Although international guidelines warn against exposing people directly to UV-C, the risk of skin cancer is considered negligible, especially compared to longer wavelengths of UV that can penetrate deeper. International guidelines warn of the potential for skin cancer in people who have been directly exposed to UVC / C. Although UV radiation can be penetrated more deeply with long wavelengths, it is not dangerous for humans as it cannot penetrate as deeply into the skin as the shorter wavelengths such as the ultraviolet (UV-1) and ultraviolet (UVA) wavelengths. Despite international guidelines warning against direct human exposure to uVC / C, especially compared to the longer wavelength of uV, which can penetrate deeper than UAV / B. The risk to human health from UV / C is also considered to be negligible, especially compared to the shorter wavelength UV / B. [Sources: 6, 15]
However, there is new evidence that the narrow range of ultraviolet wavelengths is safe for humans without being deadly for viruses. It seems likely that it would be safe for humans in the short term - as long as it is not harmful to the human body. However, there are signs that this narrow, widespread UV wavelength is safer for humans without being deadly for viruses, as a study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. [Sources: 16]
There is a special type of UV light, the so-called high beam, which kills microbes and is not dangerous, but still harms germs. Not all UV lamps are the same, and the species that kills coronaviruses best is also the most dangerous to humans. [Sources: 7, 9, 14]
Sources:
[0]: https://www.rp-photonics.com/ultraviolet_light.html
[1]: https://www.biotechniques.com/lab-design-machinery/can-far-uvc-light-kill-sars-cov-2/
[2]: https://www.newsday.com/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-ultraviolet-airborne-1.44287805
[3]: https://www.cnet.com/health/can-uv-light-protect-you-from-covid-19/
[4]:https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/uv-lights-and-lamps-ultraviolet-c-radiation-disinfection-and-coronavirus
[5]: https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/are-ultraviolet-sanitizing-lights-safe-for-humans
[6]:https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/07/13/890387205/coronavirus-sparks-new-interest-in-using-ultraviolet-light-to-disinfect-indoor-a
[7]:https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-8237137/Columbia-scientist-says-special-type-ultraviolet-light-secret-killing-coronavirus.html
[8]:https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/L8KGSDchPpNo48PCM/ubiquitous-far-ultraviolet-light-could-control-the-spread-of
[9]: https://www.businessinsider.com/uv-light-kills-coronavirus-surfaces-safe-for-humans-2020-7
[10]: https://www.prolampsales.com/pages/far-uvc-222nm-ultraviolet-germicidal
[11]:https://www.genengnews.com/topics/translational-medicine/uv-light-that-is-safe-for-humans-but-bad-for-bacteria-and-viruses/
[12]:https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/far-uvc-light-could-be-used-against-coronavirus-without-harming-people/
[13]:https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/sunlights-ultraviolet-wavelengths-have-strengths-limitations-in-disinfecting-against-the-coronavirus/2020/04/24/166c0816-7a67-11ea-8cec-530b4044a458_story.html
[14]: https://www.healthline.com/health/does-uv-kill-coronavirus
[15]: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/ultraviolet-light-fight-spread-coronavirus/story?id=70170111
[16]: https://physicsworld.com/a/the-potential-of-far-ultraviolet-light-for-the-next-pandemic/
[17]:https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-crisis-far-uvc-light-microbe-blasting-uv-technology-could-kill-covid-19-public-places/
[18]: https://www.hepacart.com/blog/what-is-far-uv-sterilray
[19]: http://ddnews.gov.in/sci-tech/Far-UVC-To-The-Rescue
