A new type of ultraviolet light can efficiently kill airborne microbes, which could help prevent future outbreaks, a University of St Andrews-led study has found during successful trials.
The result suggests that this light, known as Far-UVC, could be used to significantly reduce the risk of person-to-person indoor transmission of hospital-acquired infections, as well as airborne diseases such as Covid-19 and influenza.
Published in Nature Scientific Reports, the research carried out jointly with NHS Tayside and the Universities of St Andrews, Dundee and Leeds, and Columbia University in New York, is the first study to measure the performance of Far-UVC under full-scale conditions.
The researchers released an aerosolised bacteria, known to be harder to inactivate than the SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes Covid-19, into a room-sized chamber and then tested the level of microbial reduction when it was exposed to the Far-UVC light.
The trials found that Far-UVC light rapidly and continuously reduced levels of airborne microbes with a greater than 95% reduction recorded even when the bacteria aerosol was continuously introduced.
Dr Kenneth Wood, a lecturer in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of St Andrews, said: “Our trials produced spectacular results, far exceeding what is possible with ventilation alone or using conventional filter-based air cleaners.
“In terms of preventing airborne transmission, Far-UVC lights could make indoor places as safe as being outside on the golf course at St Andrews.”
The team received a grant of £136,000 from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to carry out the trial at the research facility at the University of Leeds.
Richard Murray, UKHSA’s deputy director for innovation and partnerships, said: “The findings offer an exciting insight to how indoor environments might be made safer, protecting people against Covid-19, and other airborne pathogens in the future.”
Dr Ewan Eadie, head of scientific services for photobiology at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, said: “We are excited by these results and the potential for this technology to reduce transmission in healthcare facilities.
“Our earlier studies at Ninewells Hospital were also very encouraging for the safety of Far-UVC - we look forward to testing it directly in a hospital environment.”
The team will continue their research into the safety and efficacy of Far-UVC lights through two recently-awarded grants totalling £270,000 from the UK Health Security Agency and NHS Scotland Assure.
The results coincide with a decision by the US agency which decides on safety regulations for UV light, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, to increase the allowable Far-UVC light exposure in the US seven-fold on 1 January.
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