Given the electric current outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease acquired past the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-two, consumers may exist interested in purchasing ultraviolet-C (UVC) lamps to disinfect surfaces in the home or similar spaces. The FDA is providing answers to consumers' questions well-nigh the use of these lamps for disinfection during the COVID-xix pandemic.

On this page:

  • Ultraviolet Radiation and SARS-COV-2 Coronavirus
  • FDA and EPA Regulation of UVC Lamps

Related page:

  • Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation

Ultraviolet Radiations and SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus

Q: Tin UVC lamps inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus?

A: UVC radiation is a known disinfectant for air, water, and nonporous surfaces. UVC radiation has finer been used for decades to reduce the spread of leaner, such equally tuberculosis. For this reason, UVC lamps are oft chosen "germicidal" lamps.

UVC radiation has been shown to destroy the outer protein blanket of the SARS-Coronavirus, which is a different virus from the current SARS-CoV-2 virus. The destruction ultimately leads to inactivation of the virus. (run into Far-UVC calorie-free (222 nm) efficiently and safely inactivates airborne man coronaviruses). UVC radiations may also be effective in inactivating the SARS-CoV-ii virus, which is the virus that causes the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). For more information come across "Q: Where tin can I read more about UV radiations and disinfection?". However, currently there is express published data about the wavelength, dose, and duration of UVC radiation required to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

In addition to understanding whether UVC radiations is effective at inactivating a particular virus, at that place are as well limitations to how effective UVC radiation tin be at inactivating viruses, generally.

  • Direct exposure: UVC radiations can only inactivate a virus if the virus is straight exposed to the radiation. Therefore, the inactivation of viruses on surfaces may not be effective due to blocking of the UV radiations past soil, such as dust, or other contaminants such as bodily fluids.
  • Dose and duration: Many of the UVC lamps sold for dwelling house use are of low dose, so it may take longer exposure to a given surface area to potentially provide effective inactivation of a bacteria or virus.

UVC radiation is usually used within air ducts to disinfect the air. This is the safest mode to employ UVC radiation because direct UVC exposure to homo pare or eyes may cause injuries, and installation of UVC within an air duct is less likely to cause exposure to skin and eyes.

There accept been reports of skin and eye burns resulting from improper installation of UVC lamps in rooms that humans can occupy.

Q: Can UVB or UVA radiation inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus?

A: UVB and UVA radiation is expected to be less constructive than UVC radiations at inactivating the SARS-CoV-two coronavirus.

  • UVB: In that location is some evidence that UVB radiations is effective at inactivating other SARS viruses (not SARS-CoV-2). Nevertheless, it is less effective than UVC at doing and then and is more hazardous to humans than UVC radiation because UVB radiation can penetrate deeper into the skin and center. UVB is known to cause Deoxyribonucleic acid impairment and is a chance gene in developing skin cancer and cataracts.
  • UVA: UVA radiation is less hazardous than UVB radiation only is also significantly (approximately 1000 times) less effective than either UVB or UVC radiation at inactivating other SARS viruses. UVA is too implicated in peel aging and risk of skin cancer.

Q: Is it safe to use a UVC lamp for disinfection purposes at dwelling house?

A: Consider both the risks of UVC lamps to people and objects and the take a chance of incomplete inactivation of virus.

Risks: UVC lamps used for disinfection purposes may pose potential health and rubber risks depending on the UVC wavelength, dose, and elapsing of radiations exposure. The risk may increase if the unit is not installed properly or used past untrained individuals.

  • Directly exposure of skin and optics to UVC radiation from some UVC lamps may cause painful middle injury and burn-like skin reactions. Never wait directly at a UVC lamp source, even briefly. If you have experienced an injury associated with using a UVC lamp, we encourage you to report it to the FDA.
  • Some UVC lamps generate ozone. Ozone inhalation can be irritating to the airway.
  • UVC tin can degrade sure materials, such as plastic, polymers, and dyed textile.
  • Some UVC lamps contain mercury. Because mercury is toxic even in pocket-sized amounts, extreme circumspection is needed in cleaning a lamp that has broken and in disposing of the lamp.

Effectiveness: The effectiveness of UVC lamps in inactivating the SARS-CoV-2 virus is unknown considering there is limited published information most the wavelength, dose, and duration of UVC radiation required to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is important to recognize that, generally, UVC cannot inactivate a virus or bacterium if it is not straight exposed to UVC. In other words, the virus or bacterium will non exist inactivated if it is covered by dust or soil, embedded in porous surface or on the underside of a surface.

To learn more about a specific UVC lamp, y'all may desire to:

  • Ask the manufacturer most the product'southward health and safe risks and about the availability of instructions for use/training data.
  • Inquire whether the product generates ozone.
  • Ask what kind of material is uniform with UVC disinfection.
  • Inquire whether the lamp contains mercury. This information may exist helpful if the lamp is damaged and you need to know how to clean upward and/or dispose of the lamp.

Q: Are all lamps that produce UVC radiation the same?

Non all UVC lamps are the same. Lamps may emit very specific UVC wavelengths (like 254 nm or 222 nm), or they may emit a wide range of UV wavelengths. Some lamps also emit visible and infrared radiation. The wavelengths emitted by the lamp may affect the lamp's effectiveness at inactivating a virus and may bear on the health and condom risks associated with the lamp. Some lamps emit multiple types of wavelengths. Testing of the lamp can decide whether, and how much, other wavelengths the lamp puts out.

At that place is some evidence that excimer lamps, with height wavelength of 222-nm may cause less damage to the skin, eyes, and DNA than the 254 nm wavelength, but long-term prophylactic information is lacking. For more data see "Q: Where can I read more about UV radiation and disinfection?".

Q: What are the different types of lamps that can produce UVC radiation?

Low-pressure mercury lamp: Historically, the nearly common type of lamp used to produce UVC radiation was the depression-pressure mercury lamp, which has its primary (>xc%) emission at 254 nm. Other wavelengths are also produced by this type of lamp. There are other lamps bachelor that emit a broad range of UV wavelengths, only also emit visible and infrared radiation.

Excimer lamp or Far-UVC lamp: Type of lamp, called an "excimer lamp", with a summit emission of effectually 222 nm.

Pulsed xenon lamps: These lamps, which emit a curt pulse of wide spectrum (including UV, visible and infrared) light have been filtered to emit mainly UVC radiation and are sometimes employed in hospital settings to care for environmental surfaces in operating rooms or other spaces. These are ordinarily employed when no humans are occupying the space.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs): Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that produce UV radiation are also becoming more ordinarily available. Typically, LEDs emit a very narrow wavelength band of radiations. Currently available UV LEDs have top wavelengths at 265 nm, 273 nm, and 280 nm, among others. One advantage of LEDs over low-pressure level mercury lamps is that they contain no mercury. Notwithstanding, the small surface area and college directionality of LEDs may make them less constructive for germicidal applications.

Q: Where tin I read more virtually UV radiations and disinfection?

A: For full general information almost UV radiation, see Ultraviolet (UV) Radiations.

For more technical details, see these reports and publications:

  • Ultraviolet Air Disinfection (International Commission on Illumination: CIE 155:2003)
  • Germicidal Ultraviolet (GUV) – Often Asked Questions (Illuminating Engineering Society Committee Study: IES CR-two-20-V1)
  • Germicidal Efficacy and Mammalian Skin Prophylactic of 222-nm UV Light (Radiations Research: 187(4); 483–491)
  • UVC Lamps and SARS-COV-2 (International Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiations Protection: ICNIRP)
  • The outcome of 222-nm UVC phototesting on healthy volunteer skin: a airplane pilot report (Photodermatology Photoimmunology Photomedicine: 31; 159–166)
  • Far-UVC light (222 nm) efficiently and safely inactivates airborne man coronaviruses (Scientific Reports: x; 10285)

For questions most this page, contact 1-888-INFO-FDA or the Office of Health Applied science 7: Part of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health (OIR)/Division of Radiological Health (DRH) at RadHealth@fda.hhs.gov.

FDA Regulation of UVC Lamps

Q: What is the FDA'southward role in the oversight of UVC lamps?

A: UVC lamps are electronic products. The FDA regulates electronic products that emit radiation (both non-medical and medical products) through the Electronic Production Radiations Control Provisions, which were originally enacted as the Radiation Command for Health and Safety Human activity. Certain electronic products may also be regulated every bit medical devices. The FDA is responsible for regulating firms who industry, repackage, relabel, and/or import medical devices sold in the United States.

UVC lamp manufacturers are responsible for compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements, including Title 21 Lawmaking of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 1000 through 1004, and section 1005.25 and, as applicable, 21 CFR Chapter I, Subchapter H. The radiological health regulations include reporting of Accidental Radiations Occurrences, notification to the FDA and customers of radiation safety defects, and designation of a U.S. agent for imported lamps. When a UVC lamp is regulated only as an electronic production, there are currently no specific FDA performance standards that apply.

Ultraviolet lamps intended for medical purposes, such as products that disinfect other medical devices or irradiate role of the human body, that meet the definition of medical device under section 201(h) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Human action likewise typically require FDA clearance, approval, or authorisation prior to marketing.

For farther information, please see FDA'southward pages, "How to Determine if your Product is a Medical Device" and "Overview of Device Regulation."

UVC radiation can cause severe burns (of the skin) and eye injuries (photokeratitis). Avoid direct skin exposure to UVC radiations and never look directly into a UVC lite source, even briefly. If customers identify a problem with a UVC lamp, they tin can report information technology to the manufacturer and the FDA.

Consumers who are interested in learning more virtually the Environmental Protection Bureau's (EPA'southward) function, may want to run into EPA'due south page, Why aren't ozone generators, UV lights or air purifiers on List North? Tin can I use them to impale the COVID-nineteen?