Lately there have been a lot of discussion on the use of UV-C for disinfection and sterilization. Many products have emerged in all forms, promising to be safe and effective in battling the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The International Commission on Illumination (CIE) has published a Position Statement (http://cie.co.at/…/cie-position-statement-use-ultraviolet-u…) and short informative video (https://lnkd.in/gxbzPjP) that will help all of us understand this better.
The Statement in summary:
1. Avoid exposure to skin and eyes,
2. Do NOT use for sterilization / disinfection direct on skin,
3. Has been used for more than 70-years in disinfection of air and surface, and sterilization of water especially in healthcare,
4. Is known to cause degradation in plastics and other materials,
5. CIE has released 2 publications that establish the threshold for exposure of GUV,
6. Measurements of UV radiation is difficult and may lead to misrepresentation/misinterpretation, and
7. Besides safety issues, handheld devices in domestic settings typically do not emit sufficient UV energy to be effective in disinfecting surfaces in the short time of use.
