Ultraviolet Light Disinfectant Warning

Do not use ultraviolet light on your body as a way to disinfect it from any germs or viruses!

A warning about ultraviolet light

Let me repeat that, don’t use ultraviolet light intended to disinfect surgical instruments or medical equipment or anything else, on your skin or any parts of your body. According to a recent article Dr. Leslie Baumann, a dermatologist from Miami and a contributing writer to the Miami Herald, the ultraviolet light generated from these machines are very dangerous.¹

Ultraviolet machines and their purpose

Machines designed to disinfect medical instruments and other equipment emit ultraviolet C (UVC) rays, which are not natural to our atmosphere. UVC rays do come from the sun but have such short waves that they are absorbed by the ozone layer and do not reach earth. These UVC rays can be generated artificially and are used in other applications, such as welding where personal protective equipment is required.

Dangerous UVC rays

UVC rays are very dangerous. According to Dr. Baumann, UVA and UVB can both cause cancer and damage the skin in other ways, but UVC rays can cause severe damage to skin and eyes even after a very brief exposure. UVC rays are currently being used to disinfect ventilators, respirators, and other medical equipment and hospital surfaces, but this is done when staff is not present.

UV radiation poses a skin cancer risk

The Prevent Cancer Foundation (PCF) concurs, “Though there’s no evidence that UV radiation can protect you from COVID-19, it can pose a serious risk to your health.”² The PCF adds that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) goes a step further in warning that too much exposure UV rays can cause skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.²

Far-UVC, a safer way?

These warnings come in the context of recent, promising research and development that seems to be pointing to the effectiveness of certain low-level UVC frequencies in disinfecting surfaces and air while not being dangerous to humans. In a recent Columbia University study, these frequencies known as Far-UVC, which have very short wavelengths (approximately 207-222 nanometers), have been effective in killing viruses and airborne bacteria while not harming human cells.³

More research is needed

So, my take on this is that there needs to be a lot more research done on the efficacy and safety of low-level doses of UVC as an openly used disinfectant. I am not comfortable with being exposed to radiation of any kind, but I also understand the overall benefit of disinfecting certain spaces for the general public. As a melanoma survivor, I am just cautious.

Conclusion: Don't try this at home

My concern is for the unsuspecting citizen who gets ahold of a UVC machine designed for commercial cleaning and brings it into his home for personal use with the family. In these uncertain and difficult times, I know that people are looking for ways to protect themselves and their families. I just don’t want people to be burning and subjecting themselves to the skin cancer that I have had.