Far-UVC

Far-UVC is a type of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation being studied and commercially developed for its combination of pathogen inactivation properties and reduced negative effects on human health when used within exposure guidelines.

Unlike conventional UV-C lamps (which typically have peak emissions at 254 nm), far-UVC demonstrates significantly reduced penetration into biological tissue.

[5] Consequently, far-UVC photons are mostly absorbed in the outer protective layers of skin and eyes before reaching sensitive cells,[6][7] resulting in minimal health effects.

While the technology has been studied since the early 2010s, heightened demand for disinfectant tools during the COVID-19 pandemic played a significant role in spurring both academic and commercial interest into far-UVC.

Although far-UVC shows potential for implementation in a wide variety of use cases, its wider adoption as a pandemic prevention strategy requires further research around its safety and efficacy.

[9] Over the next decade, his lab began to study the technology for its ability to prevent the airborne transmission of pathogens, as well as its health effects on mammalian skin.

[36] Although far-UVC has been shown to be effective at inactivating a wide array at viruses at doses that fall beneath exposure limits,[37][38] the optimal dosage for achieving sufficient deactivation and indoor air quality standards requires further study.

Positive skin and eye safety attributes can be forgone if a given far-UVC lamp produces unwanted emissions at wavelengths other than the a device's stated specifications.

Following the sudden increase in demand for disinfectant tools brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of companies began to market and sell consumer far-UVC devices.