Recent global events, and my love for all things lighting, has led me to the question: Can lighting be used on a mass scale to combat viral and bacterial outbreaks? I believe the answer is a resounding, yes! UV-C light (ultraviolet light with wavelengths between 200 to 280 nano-meters) is already used as a disinfectant in personal and work environments.
How And Why UV-C Disinfects
UV light falls into three different categories: UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. UV-A being the least harmful of the bunch, emits what we refer to as 'black light.' UV-B carries the risk of skin cancer and sunburn. UV-C is quite dangerous; the radiation emitted at its wavelengths will scramble the innards of a cell. Bacteria has a cellular structure; viruses do not. However, they are made up of genes and encased by a protective shell known as a capsid. The radiation from UV-C lighting has a destructive effect on the innards of the capsid as well. Thus making it very useful for sanitization purposes, whether it's a virus or a bacterium.
Why It Works So Well
How hard would it be to clean inside of, behind, or underneath a large piece of equipment? It would be highly impracticable. Think of every small nook or cranny. Even using a spray type disinfectant, you won't be able to hit every surface. Light penetrates those little places that other disinfectant solutions can't reach. It will also eliminate particles in the air without the use of harmful chemicals.
Some hospitals are already using UV-C equipped robots to eradicate their operating rooms of MSRA, E.coli, and other pathogens. Airlines are working on building self-cleaning bathrooms that automatically disinfect after every use. It would be great to see this technology used on the entire interior of the plane after a flight.
In the personal market, there are portable sanitization boxes, pouches, wands, and even water bottles. Outside testing has proven these to be very effective at killing up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses on objects. Wave your wand or throw your smartphone, a pacifier, or any other small object into a box or pouch unit to sterilize it.
Can LED Emit UV-C?
It's a rather new technology, but it is starting to come to fruition. Some companies are already supplying units that produce UV-C. They advertise that these can be integrated into water, air, and surface cleaning systems.
The benefits of producing these wavelengths via LED are numerous. Unlimited life cycles, energy savings, semiconductors instead of glass, no warm-up time, I could go on and on.
Leveraging The Tech
As we move forward from our current pandemic, I believe that better fostering of this technology will occur. Companies have already shipped UV-C disinfectant devices to Italy and East Asia. I think we will continue to see this as the Coronavirus expands its reach around the world. Perhaps we will see more comprehensive control during potential future outbreaks as we utilize this technology more and more throughout our everyday lives.