Filter-Free, Harmless, and Single-Wavelength Far UV-C Germicidal Light for Reducing Airborne Pathogenic Viral Infection

Abstract

Germicidal lamps that primarily emit 254 nm ultraviolet (UV) radiation have been effectively utilized for surface sterilization, but they cannot be used on human skin and eyes due to their harmful and genotoxic activity. Recent reports have shown that far UV-C light (207–222 nm) can efficiently kill pathogens with potentially no harm to exposed human tissues. However, these methods still require additional filtering and/or further protective equipment. In this study, we demonstrate a filter-free, harmless, and single-wavelength far UV-C 207 nm germicidal light source that can be used to inactivate different respiratory viruses. It can be exploited as a safe and effective disinfection tool for various airborne viruses. We successfully developed a single-wavelength far UV-C source that produces an exact wavelength of 207 nm. We examined its safety on human skin and corneal cell lines, as well as its effects on inactivating different airborne viruses, such as coronavirus, adenovirus, and vaccinia virus. We expect that our far UV-C lamps can be safely and conveniently used to reduce COVID-19 infections and protect both our living spaces and hospitals from the threat of contamination by possible new or mutant viruses.