Germicidal UVC radiation:

Fact and fiction about killing pathogens

Robert Karlicek, Jr., Center Director

Center Lighting Enabled Systems & Applications (LESA)
and
Professor of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

LESA Center Copyright 2020 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

 Outline

 UV background information
Rocky Mountain Labs

 UV radiation and pathogens

 UVC radiation sources for germicidal deactivation

100 nm

 System Level Considerations

SARS-CoV-2
 UVC Paths Forward

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 Ultraviolet Radiation (Background)

No UVC from the Sun

at the Earth’s Surface

Credit: NASA Imagine the Universe

Name Abbreviation Wavelength Band

Ultraviolet A UVA 315 to 400 nm
Ultraviolet B UVB 280 to 315 nm
Ultraviolet C UVC 200 to 280 nm
Vacuum UV VUV < 200 nm
nm = nanometer

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 Germicidal Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation

FAST

SLOW
Porphyrin (core structure)
Example of an endogenous
photosensitizer

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)

Carcinogenesis 1997 18(4) 811-816 responsible for germicidal action
(example: 405 nm disinfection)

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 First, A word about 405 nm (and sunlight) disinfection

 405 nm slowly deactivates microbes

No impact on virus without chemical help

 405 nm radiation can deactivate virus IF there

is an ROS generator present

 Sunlight’s mild germicidal properties (UVA,

UVB, visible) are due to oxidative damage
caused by ROS generated by sunlight
L. E. Murdoch, et. al., Hindawi, 2012 https://doi.org/10.1100/2012/137805

Dose for an irradiance of 10 mW/cm 405 nm (8.3 hours for 300 L/cm2)

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 Getting back to UVC… The Germicidal Action Curve

N. Kazuhiro, “Disinfection application of UVC-LED”, JUVA

Newsletter, 2018 No.11, 13
N. G. Reed, “The History of Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation
for Air Disinfection”, Public Health Rep., 2010 125(1) 15-27

For a detailed review of germicidal action curves see:

J. R. Bolton, et. al., “Rethinking the concepts of fluence (UV dose) and fluence rate: The importance
of photon-based units – A systemic review,” Photochem. Photobiol., 2015 91, 1252-1262.
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 Pandemic PPE Shortages (e.g. March 2020 in NYC)

N95 Mask Disinfection for Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City
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 Deactivation Testing – Delivering the UVC to the DNA
SARS-CoV2 inactivation in clinical specimen 254 nm (1.9 mW/cm2)
 254 nm is quite effective
for SARS-CoV-2
deactivation
Poor UVC Penetration Good UVC Penetration

 Further testing confirms

Log 4 reduction at a dose
of 1.5 J/cm2 in N95 mask
material

 Exploring FDA Emergency

Use Authorization
Effect of environment on UVC penetration and germicidal efficacy
Unpublished data, R. Rathnasignhe, M. Schotsaert, T. Aydillo, R. Camping, A. Garcia-Sastre, A. Costa, Mt. Sinai Icahn School of Medicine
8 LESA Center Copyright 2020 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
 UVC Germicidal Review
 UVC radiation deactivates pathogens by damaging
their DNA

 It always works – for any microbe, virus, fungus or

spore – it’s just a question of DOSE

 The Dose needed depends on: Can the UVC Radiation

▪ UVC Wavelength get to the DNA?
▪ Type of Pathogen
▪ Environment around the Pathogen
▪ Aerosol droplet size (with virus inside)
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 UVC Sources – Low Pressure Mercury Lamp

 High efficiency (>30%) UVC generation, low cost, lots of varieties, lots of field experience
 Lifetime typically around 10,000 hours
 Contains mercury

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 UVC Sources – Xenon Lamps

 Typically operated in pulsed mode, produces lots of visible light too, more expensive
 Lifetime typically < 10,000 hours
 Contains mercury

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 UVC Sources – 222 nm excimer lamps (Far UVC)

Healthe Downlight
with 222 nm

Sterilray “Luminaire”

Ushio Care222

 Narrow band emission at 222 nm from Kr-Cl excimer

Recommended for use
 More energy per photon = better germicidal impact when people are absent
 Potential for human skin/eye safety, but more data needed
 Strong absorption in many materials at 222 nm
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 UVC Sources – UVC LEDs

All manner of “Chip on Board”

(COB) designs possible

 Devices emitting > 80mW/chip now becoming available

 Efficiencies slowly improving, typically in the 3% to 6% range
 L70 Reliability (30% reduction) typically between 5,000 and 10,000 hours
 Expensive, but price slowly coming down (~ 10 to 15 cents/mW at the chip level)
 Provides exceptional UVC system design flexibility

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 About Ozone…
Need to use the correct window (tube) material Campbell, I. M. 1986. Energy and the Atmosphere: A Physical-
Chemical Approach. Second Edition. John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

222 nm Ozone Issue?

From “ Investigation of EUVL Reticle Capping Layer Peeling under Wet Cleaning”
Proceedings of SPIE (2013) - The International Society for Optical Engineering
A word about oxygen chemistry:
 No issue for UVC LEDs, wavelength too long • Ozone production significant only below 200 nm
• UVC can also decompose ozone
 No issue for Hg lamps or Xenon bulbs IF made • Oxygen – Ozone photochemistry is complicated
from the right materials
 Likely not an issue for Excimer sources
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 System Considerations – UVC Safety (limit eye/skin exposure)

No people Keep UVC away from people

Xenex, Inc .
Atlantic Ultraviolet, Inc .
Shenzhen Guanke Technologies Co. LTD

Occupancy sensing to protect people

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 Possible UVC Impact on the Built Environment

 UVC is damaging radiation for

many common polymers

 Fabrics, paint and other organic

materials will undergo UV
damage under prolonged
exposure

 New material research needed

to insure good lifetime for
common interior materials P. Teska et. al., “Damage to Common Healthcare Polymer Surfaces from UV Exposure,”
Nano LIFE (2020) 2050001, graphic from UV Solutions (2020), Q2, 15

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 Paths Forward, UVC LED Sources
 UVC LEDs will gradually get more efficient and cheaper
at current wavelengths

 UVC LEDs will increasingly replace Hg and Xe lamps for

high power, high irradiance applications

 UVC LED developers have yet to apply high power

packaging and module designs from the SSL industry
M. Kneissl, et. al., “The emergence and prospects of deep-ultraviolet
 It is unlikely that useful 222 nm UVC LEDs will be light-emitting diode technologies,” Nature Photonics (2019) 13, 233-244

developed in the foreseeable future

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 Paths Forward, 222 nm Sources
 Could become the ultimate germicidal UVC source IF...
▪ Lower cost, higher power sources can be developed

▪ Compelling evidence on Human skin and Eye safety can

be generated

 Possible real world application issues

▪ Strong absorption by aerosol droplet materials may reduce
deactivation
Ushio

▪ Long term photochemical degradation of interior design

materials

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 Path Forward: Regulation
 Some UVA LED products are being sold as
germicidal

 Some UVC products available without adequate

user protections/warnings

 Better understanding of human safety issues

related to long term exposure is needed

 Better understanding of the impact on building

materials with long term UVC exposure is needed

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 Summary

 UVC can deactivate pathogens – required dose depends on wavelength and environment

 Shorter UVC wavelengths generally cause more damage to pathogens

 The focus on broad UVC disinfection use needs to drive more research on human safety,
interior design and best disinfection modes

 UVC LEDs and Excimer sources will ultimately dominate germicidal applications

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 Communications

About LESA
Advanced sensors and sensor systems Cognition Healthcare

research: Systems that Think™

Smart System requirements driving material

and device innovation

AIoT platforms for improving sustainability

and human wellbeing
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https://lesa.rpi.edu/
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