UVC Sanitisers

[Matt]

I recently discovered that there’s a wide range and UV sanitising devices marketed for home use. These use UVC, the highest frequency range of ultraviolet light. UVC is not usually encountered in sunlight. The Earth’s ozone layer blocks the more harmful UVC light but lets UVA and UVB through.
UVC photons carry enough energy to damage RNA and DNA and this is how they kill virus and bacteria. Of course, it can also damage human DNA. Exposure to UVC can potentially harm the skin and the eyes.

Commercially UVC is used to sterilise surfaces in highly controlled environment where human exposure is prevented.
Some UVC Room lamps come with announced warnings to leave the room before they switch on. Some will have sensors to switch the lamp of if they detect people or pets entering the room. Reports suggest that these sensors are not 100% effective and of course a regular domestic environment will have plenty of shadowed nooks and crannies where the direct light won’t reach.

There’s also devices you can wave over surfaces like wands or vacuum cleaner heads or enclosures where you can put an item to be sterilised. There’s open questions on whether devices that are strong enough to be effective might harm the item. If you sterilise a baby’s bottle do you know what the ionizing radiation will do to the plastic? If you sterilise your phone could it damage the phone.

It’s suggested that the Covid-19 pandemic has been responsible for the proliferation of these devices into the home, but the consensus scientific opinion appears to be moving in favour of ventilation rather than sterilizing surfaces, as the more effective preventative measure.
I wondered if anybody else had encountered these devices or had thoughts on their safety and effectiveness?

[chaggle]

We touched briefly on something similar here...

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2908&p=19277&hilit=uVC#p19277

These devices must be testable - if they haven't been you've got to wonder why not.

[Tony.Williams]

The latest issue of "Which?" contains an article about these UV devices, explaining how they work and passing judgment on a number of such items. The conclusion: "many aren't worth buying - and some are potentially dangerous".

[Matt]

The latest issue of "Which?" contains an article about these UV devices, explaining how they work and passing judgment on a number of such items. The conclusion: "many aren't worth buying - and some are potentially dangerous".

Yes, it was the which article that piqued my interest. Couldn't see an application that didn't have a safer, more effective alternative.