Ultraviolet light is effective in decontaminating surfaces

Ultraviolet rays are not just for sunbathing! Depending on their type (A, B or C), their usefulness varies. Californian researchers want to use UV-C to disinfect surfaces contaminated with bacteria and viruses, including Covid-19. “Our main application concerns medical situations: disinfection of personal protective equipment, surfaces, floors, the interior of heating, air conditioning or ventilation systems, etc. ”, says Christian Zollner, researcher in materials science, whose work is focused on the use of LEDs and ultra-violet in the sanitary field.

Harmful to the skin but useful against viruses

Ultraviolet light has been used to disinfect for many years, but research is now focused on its application against Covid-19. UV-C are artificially manufactured, they are recognized as effective in the purification of air or water, on the other hand, they are harmful to humans: they can burn the skin, even with brief use. The WHO does not recommend using UV lamps to disinfect your hands.

In the environment or on surfaces, they could prove very useful. According to a Korean company, LEDs, working with UV-C, are able to remove Covid-19 from surfaces 99.9% in 30 seconds. “This would provide an economical, chemical-free and easy-to-use method for decontaminating public, medical and personal spaces ”, underlines Christian Zollner.

Research will take time

Initially, researchers were interested in this technology to quickly disinfect water in parts of the world where access to drinking water is difficult. LEDs diffusing UV-C can last a long time and are sufficiently reliable. With the arrival of Covid-19, scientists decided to use this system for decontamination. It will have to wait for it to spread: as in many places in the world, the United States has taken measures of social distancing, which slows down the work of researchers at the University of California – Santa Barbara. “Lots of technological advances are needed for UV-C LEDs to reach their potential in terms of efficiency, costs, reliability and lifespan ”, concludes Christian Zollner.

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