Researchers have found the wavelength of light that optimally eliminates the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center completed the most thorough test ever conducted of how several different UV and visible wavelengths affect SARS-CoV-2, according to a June 10 U.S. Department of Commerce news release.
“Right now, there’s a big push to get UVC disinfection into the commercial atmosphere,” Cameron Miller, a NIST research scientist said, according to the release. “Long-term, hopefully this study will lead to standards and other methodologies for measuring UV dose required to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 and other harmful viruses.”
The study found the virus is eliminated by the same wavelengths of UV light as other common viruses, the release said. The most effective wavelengths were in the “UVC” range between 222 and 280 nanometers (nm). UVC light (full range from 200 to 280 nm) is shorter (more energetic) than the UVB wavelengths (280 to 315 nm) that cause sunburn.
“I think one of the big contributions of this study is that we were able to show that the kind of idealized results we see in most studies don’t always predict what happens when there’s a more realistic scenario at play,” Michael Schuit of NBACC said, according to the release. “When you have material like the simulated saliva around the virus, that can reduce the efficacy of UV decontamination approaches.”
