Disinfection with UV-C technology

Ultraviolet-C can be used for a variety of purposes, including disinfection in the healthcare and professional cleaning industry. Due to population growth around the world, there is an increased threat from antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’. Antibiotics are medicines used to prevent and treat bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in response to the use of these medicines, which leads to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays, and increased mortality.

Ultraviolet-C, also referred to as UV-C, is the use of ultraviolet radiation with wavelengths between 200 and 290 nm. The UV-C rays are highly effective in UV sterilization and disinfection since they destroy the molecular bonds which hold together the DNA of bacteria and viruses, including the ‘superbugs’. This makes UV-C an important technology in hospitals.

UV-C cleaning is not new, it was discovered in 1896 and first used to destroy bacteria and the treatment of skin tuberculosis. Using UV-C light as a disinfectant in hospitals began from the late 1960s onward. With the current Covid19 pandemic it seems we are on the cusp of seeing UV-C become essential in the fight against infection, especially Hospital Acquired Infections or HAI’s.