Estimation the efficiency of sunlight UV on inactivation COVID-19 virus

Abstract

The UV radiation of sunlight is considered the main source of microbial germicide and environmental sterilization. The objective of this study includes the estimation of the UV dose amount and time, which required to inactivate coronaviruses by solar exposure. The mean with its confident interval of the unified D90-254 nm inactivation dose (ultraviolet dose for 90% inactivation at 254nm) in several trials published on coronaviruses families, was assumed as ultraviolet susceptibility of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus. The inactivation dose spectrum (sensitivity envelope) for coronaviruses as a function of the UV wavelength equivalent to UVB range (280 to 320 nm) was adopted from literature. The UVB solar measurement intensity at Baghdad's geographical location was used over a year at every fifteen minutes and converted from a lump sum to solar spectrum per wavelength in the range of 280 to 320 nm using a simplified mathematical model. A composite action spectrum was drawn that including the virus sensitivity spectrum normalized to 254 nm, UVB solar measurements spectrum, and inactivation effective dose spectrum for coronaviruses. The area under the inactivation effective dose spectrum was calculated numerically to find the equivalent solar flux. The time required to inactivation the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus is predicted for each value of UVB lump sum intensity to simulate the time required to sterility the outdoor surfaces at all months within Baghdad geographical station. the time required for sterilization ranged from 92.9 minutes at solar flux 0.56 J/m2254/min in July, to 371.4 minutes at solar flux 0.14 J/m2254/min in January for the year of data used. This work would be useful to provide the decision-makers with a clear picture of the sterilization process management of the outdoor surfaces and curfew timing arrangement.