Bacteria and UV

Who would have thought that getting sunburn had something in common with germicide? Not me, until I did some research and found out that ultraviolet wavelengths in the UV-C range neutralizes not only flu viruses, but also bacteria, fungi, molds and other pathogens. In fact, UV-C is the preferred way to treat air, work surfaces and equipment in hospitals and laboratories in order to reduce the risk of infection. It's also used to sterilize water and in pharmaceutical manufacturing and food processing facilities.

But don't confuse "neutralize" with "kills." UV-C does not actually kill viruses and pathogens, it sterilizes them. The UV-C wavelengths damage the RNA and DNA of the viruses, thus neutralizing the virus' capacity to reproduce, which is what causes sickness in the first place.

So keep in mind these advantages using UV light in, say, an air purifier:

• Ultraviolet light is a non-chemical approach to disinfection.
• Because ultraviolet light works by physically damaging the DNA, viruses and other germs cannot develop resistance or immunity to it. Microorganisms will remain susceptible to UV-C light.
• It makes your environment healthier in general, providing the benefit of disabling all kinds of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and molds.