Ultraviolet (UV) disinfectants are a powerful tool for eliminating infectious bacteria, fungi and viruses. Research has found that these devices can be highly effective, with some eliminating up to 99.99% of disease-causing microbes. UVC light at 254 nanometers is used in UV disinfectants, and it can destroy pathogens in seconds. Manufacturers have created portable devices that can disinfect small surfaces, such as phones, shoes and toothbrushes.
The researchers examined PhoneSoap, a UV disinfectant that envelops the phone and exposes it to 16 UVC bulbs. A 30-second cleaning cycle reduced the number of germs by 90.5%, and two cleaning cycles killed nearly 99.9% of the germs. UV disinfectants can also be used to disinfect toothbrushes, and experts recommend regularly disinfecting or replacing them to reduce the risk of disease. The researchers found that the UV disinfectant was the most effective at significantly disinfecting toothbrushes.
Research has found that personal and hospital-use UV disinfectants can effectively and quickly disinfect surfaces. For example, UVC rays can eliminate nearly 99.9% of microbes from phones after one minute. However, some factors can affect the effectiveness of UV disinfectants. Using a personal UV disinfectant can do more harm than good in the long term, as antimicrobial resistance occurs when microbes adapt and become resistant to certain environments.
Consumer products are likely to be less effective against microbes than industrial UV disinfectants, as they have less energy. The UVC rays emitted by the UV disinfectant can also lose their potency over time. Research has not found that UV disinfectants harm phones, and they are more environmentally friendly than disinfectant wipes which can degrade phone screens. Certain UV wands can cause injury to the skin, eyes, or both after a few seconds of use.
Report any problems with a UV disinfectant to the manufacturer and the Food and Drug Administration. Instead of UV disinfectants, other disinfection methods help keep surfaces clean and safe. Use a household cleaner that contains soap or detergent to reduce the risk of infection on surfaces in your home. When you buy a UV sterilization product for testing in your home or business, make sure its UV wavelength is in the UVC range (100-280 nm).
The Xenex LightStrike emits pulses many times per second with ultraviolet light covering a spectrum of 200 to 315 nm. Berezow, Eric Lee and Linda Lee agree that UV light is most effective when used to disinfect something that may come into contact with germs from several people. More than a century after Niels Finsen won the Nobel Prize in 1903 for discovering that ultraviolet (UV) light could kill germs, ultraviolet light is gaining popularity as a method for disinfecting hospital rooms and other public spaces. And, in general, if your baby drops his pacifier on the floor in the supermarket or shares a toy with all the children on the playground, using ultraviolet light could reduce the spread of germs.
There are also several water bottles and bottle caps that take advantage of UV light to kill germs in the water, reducing bad odors and making water safer to drink. To make a UV lamp, glass is replaced with a material that is transparent to UV light such as fused quartz. Even so, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not include UV lights in List N - a list of disinfectant products that the agency expects to work against SARS-CoV-2 - but doctors may need to convince them to accept that some types of UV light may be safe for human eyes. Linda Lee says that both UV light and chemicals such as bleach or ethanol are equally effective methods for disinfecting surfaces.