How Does UV - UV-C Light Sterilization Work?

The ultraviolet (UV) treatment process is an extremely quick physical process. Ultraviolet light mutates and/or degrades DNA. DNA is the part of the cell that gives an organism its instructions on how to function and reproduce. This process works on most bacteria, viruses, and germs.

When the DNA is damaged, the organism becomes unable to function. An organism that has no instructions cannot function and reproduce, and cannot cause infection. It is rendered harmless and eventually dies. Therefore sanitization has occurred.

UV light technology was discovered in the 1870’s by a physician named Niels Ryber Finsen. He actually won the Nobel Prize in 1903 for his use of light radiation to treat diseases such as Lupus. Since his discovery, hospitals have been using this technology to disinfect surgical suites and cut down on the spread of drug-resistant germs.

It typically takes a very low dose of UV/UV-C light in this germicidal range to inactivate a pathogen. The UV/UV-C dose is determined by the intensity of the light source and duration of exposure. For a given required dose, higher intensity sources require shorter exposure times, while lower intensity sources require longer exposure times.

One thing we do know for sure is that UV light sanitizers are effective killing simple viruses like the flu.

David Brenner, who directs Columbia’s Center for Radiological Research. “Because viruses and bacteria are much smaller than human cells, UV-C light can reach their DNA and kill them.”