Studies Show Far-UVC Light Can Kill Coronaviruses Without Harming Humans
upstart writes in with an IRC submission for nutherguy:
Studies Show Far-UVC Light Can Kill Coronaviruses Without Harming Humans:
Ultraviolet light can kill microscopic creatures like bacteria and viruses by destroying the molecular bonds in their genetic material. But UV light also damages human DNA, causing eye and skin damage and increasing our risk of cancer. It turns out, though, that there's a loophole: a specific wavelength of UV light that's safe for people but capable of killing coronaviruses, both on surfaces and in the air.
[...] Two recent studies, one conducted at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and one at Hiroshima University in Japan, have found that a very specific wavelength of UVC light-222 nanometers-is unable to penetrate the eye's tear layer or the dead-cell layer of skin, preventing it from reaching and damaging living cells in the human body.
[...] Despite the success[ful] tests, the Japanese research team believes that more studies need to be conducted on far-UVC light using real-world surfaces and environments before it's adopted as an effective tool for disinfection.
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