Easy Health Options®
A cheap and effective way to disinfect coronavirus
As the pandemic continues, we’re still looking for safe, effective solutions to disinfect SARS-CoV-2 from our persons, homes and businesses. Now, a team of researchers in Israel may have found a solution that’s both effective and less expensive using light that may make it possible to feel safer in places we’ve been avoiding for months…
We know that simply washing our hands for at least 20 seconds in soap and warm water can eradicate the virus, and that hand sanitizer is an effective alternative in situations where handwashing is not possible. And when it comes to surfaces, there are a number of disinfectant sprays and wipes that are proven effective at killing SARS-CoV-2.
The Jerusalem Post.
“We discovered that it is quite simple to kill the coronavirus using LED bulbs that radiate ultraviolet light,” said Professor Hadas Mamane, head of the Environmental Engineering Program at Tel Aviv University’s School of Mechanical Engineering. Mamane led the study with Professor Yoram Gerchman and Dr. Michal Mandelboim.
UV-LED bulbs require less than half a minute to destroy more than 99.9% of the coronavirus on surfaces, Mamane explained. An article detailing their study and its finding was published earlier this month in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology.
Ultraviolet wavelengths, available in LEDs as UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C, are very effective at disinfecting surfaces using UV-LED bulbs.
Lightbulb moment: ultraviolet rays can kill coronavirus in less than 30 seconds, new study finds thenationalnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thenationalnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
This method provides a more effective solution to disinfect passenger service vehicles like buses, trains, halls or waiting lobbies like the one at Likoni Ferry which need physical manpower and enough time for the chemical sprays to be effective.
At least 10 minutes contact time is required to kill the virus, but “disinfection systems based on LED bulbs can be installed in the ventilation system and air conditioner, for example, and sterilise the air sucked in and then emitted into the room,” says Professor Mamane.
How do the bulbs work?
UV irradiation is a common method for inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms like viruses. Inactivation by UV could occur via several mechanisms, among them damage to nucleic acids, proteins or internal production of oxygen radicals. The mechanism of UV inactivation is largely dependent on the wavelength used.