We live in congested cities.
We work and learn indoors more than 80% of our time.
We pass through interior spaces where tens, hundreds, thousands and maybe other tens of thousands of people pass.
We breathe the same air. The same air as dozens, hundreds, thousands of other people…
The pandemic has once again shown us the importance of disinfecting the air and surfaces, leading us to seek different solutions and adapt our lifestyle and work. We can disinfect with simple germicidal lamps or UV germicidal lamps placed at the top of the rooms, with UVC systems for HVAC/CTAs, with mobile and autonomous UV robots, as well as with smart UVC equipment that can be used in the presence of people and ensures the residual disinfection process at the highest quality standards.
What do the following locations have in common?
- Public transportation, buses, coaches, trains, airplanes. Airports.
- Hotels. Guesthouses. Restaurants. Cinema. Theatres. Concert halls.
- Kindergartens. Classrooms. Schools. High schools. Universities.
- Hospitals. Medical offices. Dental facilities. Medical recovery centers.
- Physiotherapy offices. Fitness centers. Gyms.
- Cosmetics offices. Body remodeling centers.
- Office buildings. Workspaces. Hubs.
- Shopping centers. Malls. Stores.
- Industrial halls. Factories. Warehouses.
These are indoor spaces and are transited by numerous people. We are talking about working standards that are important to be respected, such as air and surface disinfection in the rooms.
The use of ultraviolet light for surface disinfection
Ultraviolet light has been used for disinfection since the mid-20th century. However, its beneficial effects were observed much earlier, in the mid-19th century, when the bactericidal effects of sunlight were studied. UV disinfection technology has advanced in recent years to become more reliable. Currently, UV bulbs have a nominal lifespan of thousands of hours, which has allowed disinfection systems to be recommended for widespread use.
Therefore, the use of ultraviolet light for surface disinfection in various facilities has become increasingly common due to its ease of use, short dosing time, and superior efficiency. Since the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the new coronavirus SARS CoV-2, more and more users are interested in purchasing UV light products for disinfecting surfaces in homes, offices, medical offices, hospitals, public transportation, and commercial spaces. Moreover, the use of UV-C is becoming increasingly common in the medical industry. The method represents a valuable option for preventing the spread of nosocomial infections, ensuring the disinfection of surfaces in hospital rooms and medical offices, in addition to existing cleaning methods.
How does UV disinfection work? How do we understand what UV disinfection is?
UV light exists in the light spectrum between 10 and 400 nm. The germicidal UV action range is between wavelengths of 100-280 nm, known as UV-C, with the maximum wavelength for germicidal activity being 265 nm. WOLF-e ROBOTICS UV-C devices specifically use the wavelength of 253.7 nm.
This range of UV light is absorbed by microorganisms, causing changes in their DNA and RNA structures, making them unable to reproduce. A cell that cannot reproduce is considered dead as it cannot multiply to an infectious number within a host. This is why UV disinfection is sometimes called ultraviolet germicidal irradiation.
What does UV disinfection work well against?
UV light has been demonstrated to be efficient against a wide range of bacteria. All viruses include RNA or DNA are radiosensitive. Similarly, bacteria and fungus contain DNA and are thus susceptible to UV radiation. Ultraviolet light is equally harmful to fungal spores. Bacteria are often simpler to kill than viruses, however fungus and spores are more difficult to kill with UV and need a higher dosage of UV-C light.
Because UV rays have long been used for disinfection, there is a lot of knowledge on the dosages necessary to inactivate specific microbes. The total dosage of radiation to which the surface is exposed (“fluence”), which is a function of the intensity of the lamp and the time of exposure, determines germicidal effectiveness. A recent Boston University research revealed that a dosage of 5 mJ/cm2 is adequate for 99% inactivation of the SARS-COV-2 virus, while a dose of 22 mJ/cm2 is sufficient for 99.9999% inactivation. Here is the source.
Safety
Since no chemicals are added to air/water, there are no by-products to worry about. UV-C lamps also do not require any special handling or disposal processes, making the system an environmentally-friendly alternative to chemical disinfectants. UV-C ensures residue-free disinfection, so there is no concern about hazardous waste that needs to be disposed of or neutralized after disinfection.
Devices for air disinfection with UV lamps hidden inside the casing can be safely used around people if they use UV-C sources from reputable manufacturers that do not produce significant amounts of ozone. Devices for surface UVC disinfection, with exposed lamps (visible from the outside of the device), can be used safely ONLY if they are equipped with additional safety devices, such as presence sensors that automatically turn off the lamp if movement is detected nearby.
In addition, operators must be trained to use these devices safely, only in spaces where there are no other people present. All devices produced by WOLF-e ROBOTICS have these safety measures and are therefore safe to use in public spaces, with adherence to safety standards.
There have been concerns regarding residual odors that have been observed after rooms are disinfected with ultraviolet light and have been associated with ozone, a harmful gas. In reality, this odor is due to the reaction between UV-C rays and dead cells in the dust in the disinfected room.
Up to 80% of the dust in the air in homes, offices, and other indoor environments is made up of dead cells, coming from human skin and hair. Skin cells and hair contain a protein called keratin, and hair contains an amino acid, cysteine. When UV-C light hits keratin/cysteine molecules, it has enough power to break their internal chemical bonds, creating smaller organic compounds that contain sulfur, called thiols. These have an extremely unpleasant smell. The human nose is extremely sensitive to thiols and can detect them at concentrations of just parts per billion. This means that any odor present after a UV-C disinfection is not dangerous, making the room immediately safe to enter after a UV-C disinfection has been carried out.
Ease of use and UV disinfection time calculator
WOLF-e ROBOTICS UV-C devices are designed to be user-friendly and easy to operate. They can be easily programmed to run at specific times and intervals, allowing for efficient and effective disinfection of a variety of surfaces and environments.
To help users determine the appropriate UV-C disinfection time for their specific application, WOLF-e ROBOTICS provides a UV-C disinfection time calculator. This tool takes into account factors such as the size of the room, the type of surface being disinfected, and the distance between the UV-C device and the surface.
By inputting these variables, the calculator can provide an estimated disinfection time that will ensure maximum effectiveness while minimizing the risk of overexposure to UV-C radiation. This feature makes it easy for users to customize their UV-C disinfection process to meet their specific needs and requirements.
UV-C disinfection time calculator / exposure time to UV-C light
Furthermore, we have developed a separate tool for calculating UV-C radiation exposure time, to easily calculate the rate of use for our bactericidal lamp, smart devices, mobile robots, and autonomous air and surface disinfection robots of various nominal powers for different commonly found microorganisms. The Romanian manufacturer, Wolf-e Robotics, based in Ploiești, offers a very useful resource for free to interested parties: the disinfection time calculator with UV-C light.
This disinfection time calculator shows us the necessary UV-C exposure times and can be accessed on the website, being extremely user-friendly.
Depending on the type of device used (unidirectional or omnidirectional), the user selects the electric power of the tubes (8, 15, 30, 55, 200, and 325 W/tube), as well as the number of tubes. The calculator automatically provides data on the total electric power (in W) and total UV-C irradiance (in μW/cm2) measured at 1 meter. Then, based on the room dimensions entered by the user, the required exposure times for inactivating the most common pathogens are displayed. The results table not only provides values for exposure times required for inactivating pathogens (MRSA- golden staph, SARS CoV-2, clostridium difficile), but also a graphical comparison of the efficiency of each device in the WOLF-e Robotics portfolio.
To summarize
When used correctly, UV-C disinfection is vastly superior to traditional disinfection methods, both in terms of efficiency and cost. As with other disinfection methods, users must turn to certified manufacturers and know how to use the UV-C device safely.
Therefore, we recommend that you purchase UV-C devices directly from the manufacturer rather than from general websites. This way, you will receive high-quality products with high germicidal efficiency and no risks for users! All devices produced by Wolf-e Robotics are safe to use in public spaces, comply with safety standards, and use only UV-C sources that operate at 254 nm and do not produce ozone.
————————————————————————————————————
We are Wolf-e Robotics, and every day we work to support our mission of disinfecting the air and surfaces in the places where we work, learn, and spend our time. Through disinfection with intelligent UVC light equipment and mobile robots, we provide the most efficient and environmentally friendly method of inactivating microorganisms on surfaces and in the air. With applicability in the medical, commercial, transportation, education, and corporate sectors.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!
