A Fresh Look at Ultraviolet Light
[Why COVID-19 Is Creating Renewed Interest]

In one of the country’s COVD-19 hotspots, New York City, the Metropolitan Transit Authority has launched a $1 million pilot program to use ultraviolet lamps in the fight against the coronavirus. 

The effort to disinfect subways and buses starts next week. In the Richmond area, you might have read how the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System has been applying the technology to decontaminate N95 masks.

3 Things to Know

1. Using UV light for disinfecting has been around for decades. If you’re into TED Talks, here’s a popular one on the subject by radiation scientist David Brenner a few years ago that’s racked up 1.28 million views.

2. When it comes to pathogens, “all bacteria and viruses tested to date ... respond to UV disinfection,” according to a report by the International Ultraviolet Association. It’s usually used in combination with other methods like filtering and cleaning.

3. It’s more accurate to say UV-C light inactivates viruses, because they technically aren’t living organisms, notes a report from the Illuminating Engineering Society. How does it work?

“Individual, energetic UV-C photons photochemically interact with the RNA and DNA molecules in a virus or bacterium to render these microbes non-infectious. This all happens on the microscopic level. Viruses are less than one micrometer (µm, one-millionth of a meter) in size, and bacteria are typically 0.5 to 5 µm.”

At Veteran LED, I’ve been especially interested in how this technology can be applied through LED lighting, which could provide a more efficient and less expensive vehicle for the UVC rays. We’re exploring intensity, wavelengths and manufacturing process now.

It’s a fascinating and important topic, and I’m planning to host a free online discussion soon on ultraviolet and LED lighting. Click here to let me know if you’d like to join in and I’ll send you details: Yes, Keep Me Posted

We're also going to be tackling the topic in the next episode of our podcast, Energy Sense. You can catch up on other episodes about energy efficiency and technology here, and please subscribe there or wherever you download your podcasts.

Thanks for your support and stay safe.

Chris Rawlings
Chief Efficiency Officer
Veteran LED