Far-UVC light: A new tool to control the spread of airborne-mediated microbial diseases

Abstract Airborne-mediated microbial diseases such as influenza and tuberculosis represent major public health challenges. A direct approach to prevent airborne transmission is inactivation of airborne pathogens, and the airborne antimicrobial potential of UVC ultraviolet light has long been establi...

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Autores principales: David Welch, Manuela Buonanno, Veljko Grilj, Igor Shuryak, Connor Crickmore, Alan W. Bigelow, Gerhard Randers-Pehrson, Gary W. Johnson, David J. Brenner
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Publicado: Nature Portfolio 2018
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Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/cc20fde75c8042879639596b631197b4
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spelling oai:doaj.org-article:cc20fde75c8042879639596b631197b42021-12-02T11:40:46ZFar-UVC light: A new tool to control the spread of airborne-mediated microbial diseases10.1038/s41598-018-21058-w2045-2322https://doaj.org/article/cc20fde75c8042879639596b631197b42018-02-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-21058-whttps://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Airborne-mediated microbial diseases such as influenza and tuberculosis represent major public health challenges. A direct approach to prevent airborne transmission is inactivation of airborne pathogens, and the airborne antimicrobial potential of UVC ultraviolet light has long been established; however, its widespread use in public settings is limited because conventional UVC light sources are both carcinogenic and cataractogenic. By contrast, we have previously shown that far-UVC light (207–222 nm) efficiently inactivates bacteria without harm to exposed mammalian skin. This is because, due to its strong absorbance in biological materials, far-UVC light cannot penetrate even the outer (non living) layers of human skin or eye; however, because bacteria and viruses are of micrometer or smaller dimensions, far-UVC can penetrate and inactivate them. We show for the first time that far-UVC efficiently inactivates airborne aerosolized viruses, with a very low dose of 2 mJ/cm2 of 222-nm light inactivating >95% of aerosolized H1N1 influenza virus. Continuous very low dose-rate far-UVC light in indoor public locations is a promising, safe and inexpensive tool to reduce the spread of airborne-mediated microbial diseases.David WelchManuela BuonannoVeljko GriljIgor ShuryakConnor CrickmoreAlan W. BigelowGerhard Randers-PehrsonGary W. JohnsonDavid J. BrennerNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 8, Iss 1, Pp 1-7 (2018)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic Medicine
R
Science
Q
spellingShingle Medicine
R
Science
Q
David Welch
Manuela Buonanno
Veljko Grilj
Igor Shuryak
Connor Crickmore
Alan W. Bigelow
Gerhard Randers-Pehrson
Gary W. Johnson
David J. Brenner
Far-UVC light: A new tool to control the spread of airborne-mediated microbial diseases
description Abstract Airborne-mediated microbial diseases such as influenza and tuberculosis represent major public health challenges. A direct approach to prevent airborne transmission is inactivation of airborne pathogens, and the airborne antimicrobial potential of UVC ultraviolet light has long been established; however, its widespread use in public settings is limited because conventional UVC light sources are both carcinogenic and cataractogenic. By contrast, we have previously shown that far-UVC light (207–222 nm) efficiently inactivates bacteria without harm to exposed mammalian skin. This is because, due to its strong absorbance in biological materials, far-UVC light cannot penetrate even the outer (non living) layers of human skin or eye; however, because bacteria and viruses are of micrometer or smaller dimensions, far-UVC can penetrate and inactivate them. We show for the first time that far-UVC efficiently inactivates airborne aerosolized viruses, with a very low dose of 2 mJ/cm2 of 222-nm light inactivating >95% of aerosolized H1N1 influenza virus. Continuous very low dose-rate far-UVC light in indoor public locations is a promising, safe and inexpensive tool to reduce the spread of airborne-mediated microbial diseases.
format article
author David Welch
Manuela Buonanno
Veljko Grilj
Igor Shuryak
Connor Crickmore
Alan W. Bigelow
Gerhard Randers-Pehrson
Gary W. Johnson
David J. Brenner
author_facet David Welch
Manuela Buonanno
Veljko Grilj
Igor Shuryak
Connor Crickmore
Alan W. Bigelow
Gerhard Randers-Pehrson
Gary W. Johnson
David J. Brenner
author_sort David Welch
title Far-UVC light: A new tool to control the spread of airborne-mediated microbial diseases
title_short Far-UVC light: A new tool to control the spread of airborne-mediated microbial diseases
title_full Far-UVC light: A new tool to control the spread of airborne-mediated microbial diseases
title_fullStr Far-UVC light: A new tool to control the spread of airborne-mediated microbial diseases
title_full_unstemmed Far-UVC light: A new tool to control the spread of airborne-mediated microbial diseases
title_sort far-uvc light: a new tool to control the spread of airborne-mediated microbial diseases
publisher Nature Portfolio
publishDate 2018
url https://doaj.org/article/cc20fde75c8042879639596b631197b4
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