New Kind of Ultraviolet Light Safely Kills Airborne Pathogens Indoors, Scientists Say

Scientists report in a new study that a type of ultraviolet light called Far-UVC could change the way we fight airborne pathogens.

Researchers say the technology represents a new way of controlling the spread of COVID-19, compared to existing control measures that involve significant changes in people's behavior.

In contrast to the challenges of these effective but often unpopular measures, installing Far-UVC lighting in indoor environments could be as easy as changing a light bulb.

According to biophysicist David Brenner from Columbia University Medical Center,Far-UVC rapidly reduces the amount of active microbes in the indoor air to almost zero, making indoor air essentially as safe as outdoor air.

UVC has germicidal properties, but it can cause sunburn, skin cancer, and harm people's eyes, leading to strict controls on its usage.

The research suggests that the subset of the UVC spectrum that is shorter than the wavelength of the light doesn't pose a risk to humans or mice.

Testing Far-UVC in small-scale lab setup has been the focus of existing research.

To see if the technology was as effective in a small room as it was in a large one, scientists pumped a stream of aerosolized Staphylococcus aureusbacteria into the room.

The facility is a sealed chamber the size of a single-occupancy hospital room where different types of building ventilation and devices can be implemented to test the potential effectiveness of approaches like Far-UVC in a full-scale situation.

According to the team, the Far-UVC lamps reduced the pathogen load in a matter of minutes, and maintained an ambient level of 92 percent reduction at a level in line with International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines.

The test chamber was set to be like a normal room at equivalent air changes per hour, but the Far-UVC radiation meant that the team said it surpasses any other approach to disinfecting occupied indoor spaces.

Physicist Kenneth Wood from the University of St Andrew's in the UK says that the trials produced spectacular results.

Despite the clear promise of the technology, the researchers acknowledge there are difficulties to overcome the potential use of Far-UVC in the real world, specifically in ensuring that the installation of Far-UVC lamps in indoor environments meets the correct level of radiation exposure, being both effective.

Researchers say that if balance can be achieved, we might just be looking at a game-changing piece of health technology.

The next potential Pandemic could be prevented by using this technology in locations where people gather together indoors.

Evidence from multiple studies suggests that theFar-UVC light may be a safe way to prevent the transmission of any virus, including the COVID virus.

Scientific Reports report the findings.