COVID-19: Putting UV-C to Work – Optics & Photonics News
By daniellenierenberg
Editors note: Exposure to UV-C light poses known threats to human health. While the research discussed in this story examined ways that UV-C might be broadly deployed to stem the spread of COVID-19, it is presented only as information about new research. Readers are strongly cautionednot to experiment on their own with UV-C as an antimicrobial measure.
COVID-19 has upended society and brought chaos to generous swaths of the global economy, as governments have locked down to prevent the spread of the virus. The pandemic has also boosted interest in a variety of technologies that might help in the coronavirus fightincluding the use of ultraviolet light to sterilize scarce personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks, for reuse.
In recent papers, two research teams have now proposed approaches to take the use of UV-C much farther. The two groups lay out different schemes for using this high-energy light to scrub the pandemic virus from the air in occupied indoor spaceswhile still keeping the occupants safe from the usual harmful long-term effects of exposure to UV radiation. The teams argue that the approaches they suggest, if widely adopted, could sharply reduce viral transmission in public indoor spaces, and thereby help the world resume something closer to normal economic activity.
The antimicrobial effects of UV-C lightwhich occupies the wavelength band from 200 to 280 nmhave long been known, and 254-nm mercury-vapor germicidal lamps are routinely used to disinfect empty hospital rooms, clean up tainted water, and otherwise cleanse surfaces and areas where bacteria and viruses may lurk. The problem is that the same light that hammers pathogenic airborne bacteria also wreaks havoc on human cells, with long-term impacts such as skin cancer and eye damage.
As a result, much of the recent interest in leveraging UV-C light against the COVID-19 virus, SARS-CoV-2, has centered around possible uses in disinfecting PPE for doctors, nurses and first responders. (One such effort, focusing on a low-cost system that can be used to disinfect scarce N95 face masks for reuse in resource-limited areas, is being pursued by an interdisciplinary team including OSA Fellow and past president Thomas Baer.)
The teams behind the two recent papers favor substantially broadening the use of UV-C against SARS-CoV-2. They suggest that, with the right precautions and setups, the light might be used as a prophylactic in occupied indoor spaces such as workplaces, schools, hospitals and other public areas, silently scrubbing the air of the coronavirus even as the occupants of the buildings go about their daily lives.
One of the studies was led by OSA Fellow Javier Garca de Abajo of the Institute of Photonic SciencesICFO, Spain, and tapped a multinational, interdisciplinary team of researchers in virology, aerosols, immunology and other areas (ACS Nano, doi: 10.1021/acsnano.0c04596). In the study, the researchers looked at how the judicious, strategic installation of UV-C sources might attack the most common routes of indoor viral transmission.
The team began by inventorying the indoor places and systems most likely to spread the virus. These, the researchers argue, include interior ventilation systems in a wide range of settings, which can spread airborne viruses; infrastructure items touched by many persons, such as elevator buttons, stair rails and public-transit handles; and common public facilities with repeated, periodic high use, such as public toilets, storerooms and other areas.
The ICFO-led team argues that antimicrobial UV-C light sources could be placed in a variety of locations associated with viral spread, such as ventilation systems and other areas. The lamps could then be operated without a direct optical pathto humans, or while the roomsare not in use, to help reduce virus propagation without endangering human health. [Image: Sketches by Nacho Gaubert] [Enlarge image]
The team then analyzed how a range of UV-C sources, including LEDs and conventional mercury-vapor lamps, could be safely deployed to attack coronavirus in these individual spread scenarios. For example, the team argues that lamps could be deployed inside ventilation systems, with no direct optical path to occupants in the building, and run continuously, to disinfect ambient air. In other settings such as public restrooms, high-intensity UV-C light could be applied during the periods in which the rooms are unoccupied. And frequently touched surfaces, such as elevator buttons, might be subjected to continuous, weak UV-C illumination for ongoing disinfectionas human interactions with these surfaces tend to be brief, and thus would involve only a very low dose of radiation.
The team acknowledges that putting such an approach into effect would require a massive new deployment of UV lighting, with a correspondingly huge required uptick in its production. Yet the cost, they argue, may not be excessive, given the scale of the problem humanity now confrontsnot just in human mortality, but in the economic devastation that antiviral lockdowns have created.
The team estimates, in fact, that disinfection with fluorescence lamps could be implemented at a cost of a few dollars per person with minimum changes in infrastructure. Thus, they argue, a global capital investment of a few billion [U.S.] dollars could protect on the order of 109 indoor workers worldwide. The authors add, however, that current manufacturers of UV-C sources may have difficulty coping with the expected rise in demand originated by the SARS-CoV-2, pandemic, as the global market for UV-C light barely reaches one billion dollars a year at present.
Another team, based at Columbia Universitys Irving Medical Center, USA, took a different view of how UV-C might be used to fight coronavirus in occupied indoor settings (Sci. Reports, doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-67211-2). The team focused in particular on the specific wavelengths of UV-C light that might be used against the virusstressing that not all UV-C light is necessarily the same in terms of its hazard to human health.
Conventional germicidal lamps operate at a wavelength of 254 nm, as that is one of the sweet spots for UV-C absorption by DNA or RNA molecules; the light thus scrambles and inactivates the pathogens genetic machinery. It can also penetrate into the skin and eyes, causing similar genetic and other damage to living human cells.
The Columbia team points out, however, that light in the far UV-C, between 207 and 222 nm, is also effective at killing microorganismsyet studies to date suggest that these wavelengths do not cause the human health issues associated with the 254-nm radiation of germicidal lamps. The reason, according to the team, is that light in the far UV-C penetrates less than a few micrometers into biological materials. Thats too short a distance to pierce the nonliving protective layers of the skin and eye into the living cells beneath. But its more than sufficient to bore into tiny bacteria and viruses.
These considerations, the Columbia team argues, suggest that far-UV-C light should have about the same anti-microbial properties as conventional germicidal UV light, but without producing the corresponding health effects. Thus, they conclude, continuous, low-dose application of light in the wavelength area of 222 nm might be used in occupied public areas to stem the spread of SARS-CoV-2, without posing other hazards to the occupants themselves.
To test the idea out, the team used a misting device to aerosolize two common coronaviruses that were structurally similar to SARS-CoV-2, and then flowed the aerosols through the air in front of a 222-nm UV-C lamp. The researchers found that, at very low doses, the far UV-C light killed more than 99.9% of the viral load. The team is now at work on tests using the actual SARS-CoV-2 pathogenand says that preliminary data suggest that the far-UV-C light effectively kills that virus, too.
Putting these results together with the safety data, the team leader, David J. Brenner, asserted in a press release accompanying the work that far-UV-C at very low doses could be used in combination with other measures, like wearing face masks and washing hands, to limit the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses.
See the rest here:
COVID-19: Putting UV-C to Work - Optics & Photonics News
- Jessner's Lymphocytic Infiltration of the Skin Mimicking Rosacea: A Rare Case Presentation - Dermatology Times - April 28th, 2024
- Device improves stem cell generation and chance for accessible Alzheimer's cell therapy | KTH Royal Institute of ... - TT Nyhetsbyrn - April 28th, 2024
- Colossal Creates Elephant Stem Cells for the First Time in Quest to Revive the Woolly Mammoth - Singularity Hub - March 18th, 2024
- Vitamin A could have a key role in both stem cell biology and wound healing: Study - Medical Dialogues - March 10th, 2024
- A dive into the genetic history of India, and the role of vitamin A in skin repair - Science - March 10th, 2024
- Herbosa: Clinic under probe after skin treatments linked to womans death - Philstar.com - January 22nd, 2024
- These Will Be the Biggest Skin-Care Trends of 2024 - Allure - December 28th, 2023
- Sorry, But These 10 Skincare Products Are A Scam - Refinery29 - December 12th, 2023
- Cyclerion Strengthens Board of Directors with Experienced Company Builder and Cutting-edge Innovator - December 4th, 2023
- Aptose Appoints Fletcher Payne Chief Business Officer, Expanding his Executive Role - December 4th, 2023
- Opthea to Present at the FLORetina 2023 Congress - December 4th, 2023
- HUTCHMED Highlights Clinical Data to be Presented at 2023 ESMO Asia and ESMO Immuno-Oncology Congresses - December 4th, 2023
- AC Immune Strengthens Management, Appoints Madiha Derouazi as CSO and Christopher Roberts as CFO - December 4th, 2023
- Publication of a transparency notification received from Tolefi SA (Article 14 §1 of the Law of 2 May 2007) - December 4th, 2023
- Annovis Bio Appoints Andrew Walsh as Vice President Finance - December 4th, 2023
- Foghorn Therapeutics Announces Clinical Data from Phase 1 Study of FHD-286, a Novel BRG1/BRM Inhibitor, in Patients with Advanced Hematologic... - December 4th, 2023
- Akari Therapeutics Appoints Experienced Life Sciences Entrepreneur Samir R. Patel, M.D. to Board of Directors - December 4th, 2023
- Ovid Therapeutics to Present Five Abstracts Supporting its Epilepsy Programs at the 77th American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting (2023) - December 4th, 2023
- Spectral Medical Announces CFO Departure - December 4th, 2023
- Are STEM CELL EXOSOMES the secret to a 'snatched' jawline? Discover the products that influencers are claiming - Daily Mail - November 18th, 2023
- Defence Mechanisms: Four ways your body is protecting you every time you fall sick - indulgexpress - May 16th, 2023
- Treat Yourself to a Spa Day With a $100 Deal on $600 Worth of Products From Elemis, 111SKIN, Nest & More - E! NEWS - May 16th, 2023
- INTERNATIONAL STEM CELL CORP MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (form 10-K) - Marketscreener.com - April 5th, 2023
- Skin Regeneration: The Science and How to Boost It - Healthline - March 9th, 2023
- Treat Yourself to a Spa Day With a $100 Deal on $600 Worth of Products From Elemis, U Beauty, Nest & More - E! NEWS - March 1st, 2023
- 7-year-old vows to find a cure for brother in need of bone marrow transplant - WJLA - February 21st, 2023
- World's most radioactive man 'cried blood' as his skin melted in 83-day nightmare - Times Now - February 4th, 2023
- How old are you, really? The answer is written on your face. - National Geographic UK - February 4th, 2023
- Skin: Layers, Structure and Function - Cleveland Clinic - January 27th, 2023
- Human skin | Definition, Layers, Types, & Facts | Britannica - January 27th, 2023
- Skin Disorders: Pictures, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment - Healthline - January 27th, 2023
- Skin care: 5 tips for healthy skin - Mayo Clinic - January 27th, 2023
- Skin Care and Aging | National Institute on Aging - January 27th, 2023
- Wrinkles - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic - January 27th, 2023
- Dry skin - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic - January 27th, 2023
- Stem cells: a brief history and outlook - Science in the News - January 3rd, 2023
- Still Drinking Green Tea? Doctor Reveals A Healthier Drink With Proven Benefits For Diabetes, Aging, Oxidative Stress, And Cancer - Revyuh - January 3rd, 2023
- RUDN Physician And Russian Scientists Investigate Long-term Effects Of Treating Diabetic Ulcers With Stem Cells - India Education Diary - December 25th, 2022
- The Use of Stem Cells in Burn Wound Healing: A Review - Hindawi - December 1st, 2022
- FACTORFIVE Skincare The Power of Stem Cells for Skin - December 1st, 2022
- Embryonic Stem Cells - The Definitive Guide | Biology Dictionary - December 1st, 2022
- From pro soccer hopeful to hip hop artist with illness and addiction along the way, Tymaz Bagbani releases debut album - Toronto Star - December 1st, 2022
- Stem Cells | The ALS Association - November 22nd, 2022
- What is a stem cell? YourGenome - October 29th, 2022
- Skin Cell - The Definitive Guide | Biology Dictionary - October 29th, 2022
- Explora Journeys Plans Extensive Fitness And Well-Being Initiatives At Sea, Right On Trend - Forbes - October 29th, 2022
- Ahead of the holiday shopping season, Amazon kicks off second annual Holiday Beauty Haul on Oct. 24 - KXAN.com - October 21st, 2022
- Human skin color - Wikipedia - October 13th, 2022
- Mesenchymal Stem Cells | Properties, Process, Functions, & Therapies - October 13th, 2022
- Skin Grafting, Cryopreservation, and Diseases: A Review Article - Cureus - October 13th, 2022
- Anti-ageing cosmetics: Can they turn back the hands of the clock? - The Sunday Guardian Live - The Sunday Guardian - October 13th, 2022
- Brennand named Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor of Psychiatry - Yale News - October 13th, 2022
- The Switch to Regenerative Medicine - Dermatology Times - October 13th, 2022
- Last Chance to Get The Collagen-Infused Massage Oil That Moisturizes Skin & Diminishes Cellulite For Less Than $20 - msnNOW - October 13th, 2022
- Addison's Disease Explained: Causes, Symptoms, And Treatments - Health Digest - October 13th, 2022
- Stem Cells Therapy for Autism: Does it Work? - October 5th, 2022
- Stem-like CD8 T cells mediate response of adoptive cell ... - PubMed - October 5th, 2022
- 6 Under Eye Products You Need To Have STAT - Grazia India - October 5th, 2022
- CellResearch Corporation (CRC) to present promising new stem cell products for the treatment of chronic diabetic foot ulcers at the world's premier... - September 27th, 2022
- Reprogramming pig cells leads way for new regenerative therapies - National Hog Farmer - September 27th, 2022
- A glimpse into Indian consumers expectations for cosmetic treatments and consumption insights - The Financial Express - September 27th, 2022
- Tajmeel redefines beauty to give its patients the best results - Gulf News - September 27th, 2022
- Here Is Why You Heal Slower As You Age - Health Digest - September 27th, 2022
- Creating stem cells from minipigs offers promise for improved treatments - University of Wisconsin-Madison - September 19th, 2022
- Israeli Biotech Firm Plans to Create Human Embryos to Harvest Organs, Field Experts Say There are Ethical Concerns - CBN.com - September 19th, 2022
- CellResearch Corporation (CRC) announces positive results of Phase I study for CorLiCyte - PR Newswire - September 19th, 2022
- The best CBD and hemp products for pampering your skin this fall - Leafly - September 19th, 2022
- Benjamin Button For Real? Scientists Are Close To Cracking The Code To Reverse Aging - Worldcrunch - September 19th, 2022
- I took an international trip with my frozen eggs to learn about the fertility industry - MIT Technology Review - September 19th, 2022
- Propanc Biopharma Reports Significant Effects of PRP Against the Tumor Microenvironment - Business Wire - September 11th, 2022
- 6 Ingredients to Avoid Putting on Your Skin - Healthline - September 3rd, 2022
- Regenerative Properties of the Newborn Heart Offers Hope for Those With Congenital Heart Disease - The Epoch Times - September 3rd, 2022
- Meet White Orange: The Vitamin C Skin Care Brand For Sensitive Skin - Bustle - September 3rd, 2022
- Rejuvenation Roundup August 2022 - Lifespan.io News - September 3rd, 2022
- To better understand Parkinson's disease, this San Diego expert sent her own cells to space - The San Diego Union-Tribune - August 26th, 2022
- Inside the race to make human sex cells in the lab - MIT Technology Review - August 26th, 2022
- Global Biomaterials Market to Reach Value of $372.7 Billion by 2028 | Demand For Biomaterials in the Healthcare Industry will Grow by 53% Over the... - August 26th, 2022
- A Groovy Guide to Anti-Aging Products With CBD and Mushrooms - Out Magazine - August 26th, 2022
- New milestone organoid synthesis will boost disease and drug development research - RegMedNet - August 10th, 2022
- Victoria Beckham and Kim Kardashian are fans of Augustinus Baders skincare range - and you can get 20% off - The Mirror - August 10th, 2022