The CDC reports that viruses like Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are spread through large respiratory droplets. These droplets can land on surfaces in your home. The smaller droplets that can stay suspended in the air from a few minutes to a few hours. The CDC encourages us to social distance, wash our hands, and clean household surfaces. Epidemiologist and other medical experts also suggest that you be proactive in protecting the air space in your home from these smaller airborne respiratory droplets.
Your HVAC system recirculates all the air in your home 3 – 5 times an hour. This means it is redistributing air throughout your home that can carry these smaller respiratory droplets. This makes your home the perfect location to install an Ultraviolet Light Lamp and Oxidizing UVC system to disinfect your air space 24 all day; naturally and without adding any chemicals, sprays or gases to the air that you breathe.
What does a UVC light do?
UVC radiation is a known disinfectant for air, water, and nonporous surfaces. UVC radiation has effectively been in use for decades to reduce the spread of bacteria, such as tuberculosis. For this reason, UVC lamps are often called “germicidal” lamps.
UVC light is the type of UV light that’s most effective at killing germs. We currently use it to disinfect surfaces, air, and liquids.
UVC light kills germs like viruses and bacteria through damaging molecules like nucleic acids and proteins. This makes the germ incapable of performing the processes that it needs to survive.
UVC light for disinfecting liquids
A recent study in the American Journal of Infection Control investigated using UVC light to kill large amounts of the new coronavirus in liquid cultures.
The study found that UVC light exposure completely inactivated the virus in 9 minutes.
UVC light for disinfecting surfaces
Another study, also published in the American Journal of Infection Control, looked at using a specific type of UVC light to kill SARS-CoV-2 on laboratory surfaces. The study found that the UVC light reduced the live coronavirus by 99.7 percent in 30 seconds.
The type of UVC light used in this study is called far-UVC light, which is UVC light between the wavelengths of 207 and 222 nanometersTrusted Source.
UVC light for disinfecting air
UVC radiation can destroy the outer protein coating of the SARS-Coronavirus, which is a different virus from the current SARS-CoV-2 virus. The destruction ultimately leads to inactivation of the virus. UVC radiation is also effective in inactivating the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is the virus that causes the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
One studyTrusted Source, published in the journal Scientific Reports, explored using far-UVC light to kill two types of human coronaviruses in the air. These two coronaviruses, 229E and OC43, can cause the common cold in humans.
Based off their results with these viruses, researchers estimated that, when applied to current regulatory standards, far-UVC light could kill 99.9 percent of airborne coronaviruses in about 25 minutes. They believe that these findings would extend to SARS-CoV-2 as well.
How is UVC light currently used to kill the new coronavirus?
Because it can effectively inactivate the new coronavirus without using chemicals, UVC light is an attractive option for disinfection. Special lamps that emit UVC light are in use for this purpose.
Currently, the use of UVC light for disinfection are in use in healthcare settings to disinfect things like:
- surfaces
- equipment
- operating rooms
- personal protective equipment (PPE), such as N95 face masks
The Bottom Line
The type of UV light that’s most effective at killing germs, like viruses and bacteria, is UVC light.
If you want to protect your home from COVID-19, give HVAC Experts a call today and ask about the Ultraviolet Light Lamp and Oxidizer! We want you all to feel secure about the air you breathe!