8 Ultraviolet Wands Could Pose Danger of Radiation Injury, F.D.A. Warns

The FDA warned consumers against buying eight ultraviolet wands because of high levels of radiation that could cause injury.

According to the F.D.A., some of the UV wand have as much as 3000 times the recommended amount of exposure to ultraviolet-C radiation. Eight products are available.

• Max-lux Corporation sells safe T lite.

• The model UV 10002M is from OttLite Technologies.

• The UVilIZER FLIP is from In My bathroom.

• There is a portable UV light wand sterilizer in my bathroom.

• Vanelc has an ultra violet sterlamp.

• Sharper image UV Sanitizing portable wand, model 101362, was manufactured by Merch Source.

• SurfaceSoap is from PhoneSoap.

• The Magic UV Light Sanitizer is made of UV light.

The F.D.A. said that using the products near them could cause a burn-like skin reaction or photokeratitis, an eye injury that can cause severe pain after a few seconds of exposure. The products didn't have the proper safety information.

It's likely that a product will give off an unsafe level of UV-C radiation if it's advertised quickly. According to the F.D.A., consumers should not use these products.

The F.D.A. sent letters to the product's manufacturers warning them about the defect, and it plans to work with the companies to "ensure adequate corrective actions."

A spokeswoman for PhoneSoap said that the UV wand in question has undergone rigorous safety testing and has a hand guard and other features that help prevent unsafe exposure to UV-C light.

Ms. Torke wrote that phonesoap takes these concerns very seriously and is engaged with F.D.A. to explore resolutions. We have put safety first with every product we have designed. The UV sanitizing wand is no different.

Requests for comment from the other companies were not responded to.

The F.D.A. said that ultraviolet tools have been used for decades. The products became more popular as people searched for ways to kill the coronaviruses. According to a report by Reportlinker.com, the ultraviolent disinfection industry is expected to grow to $8.3 billion by the end of the decade.

The F.D.A. needs more information about how effective the UV radiation is and how strong it should be.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that overexposure to UV radiation can cause serious health issues. More than 88,000 new cases of skin cancer were reported in the United States in the most recent year for which data is available.