![]() However, this spectrum happens to be harmful to human eyes and skin due to its ability to penetrate cell walls and disrupt DNA material, which is why UVC has had limited utility until now. Decades ago, scientists discovered the optimal wavelength for this germicidal effect is at 254nm, which is the wavelength most UVC lamps emit. If UVC reached the surface, life as we know it would not exist.Īs a method of killing germs, however, UVC has long been recognized for its efficiency, since it can eliminate 99,9% of all pathogens within minutes of exposure. That is why the ozone layer surrounding Earth absorbs UVC coming from the sun, while the other two are shielded against with mere sunscreen. Of the three, UVC light, which has a spectrum of 200–300nm, has germicidal properties, meaning that it penetrates the cell walls of essentially all pathogens and disrupts their DNA, making them inactive and non-contagious. It is grouped into three categories: A, B and C. Ultraviolet (UV) light is invisible to the human eye and has a wavelength on a spectrum of 100-400nm. Udy Bar Josef, who went from academia (University of Tampere) to become head of scientific operations at Sterlights, and the company began its journey of offering new solutions for the current global crisis. When his research led him to far-UVC light, he teamed up with biologist Dr. He believed there must be, firstly, a more efficient way of disinfection than the most widely implemented one of using chemicals, a continuous method that would not require constant re-application and secondly, an environmentally friendly one. When observing the global response to the coronavirus pandemic, Sterlights’ co-founder Yiftach Atzmon was particularly perplexed by the lack of green solutions to sterilizing social spaces and personal objects. Established in July of 2020, the company champions the use of so-called far-UVC light as a method of disinfection for air, surfaces, spaces, objects, and so on-and provides various solutions using that technology, tailored to the needs of various businesses and organizations. As the coronavirus pandemic proceeds into its second year and most of the world is still in the grip of lockdowns, social distancing, face masks, and relentless scrubbing of surfaces with disinfectants, recent technological advances in the field of UV light may yet offer a better way to deal with our new reality.Īmong those trying to apply UV light technology to mitigating the ongoing pandemic is a Helsinki-based start-up called Sterlights.
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