The promise and pitfalls of using light to stop germs.
When you think of disinfecting a space, what comes to mind? Wipes? Gels? Sprays? Maybe air purifiers or effective HVAC systems? All of these are great defenses against viruses and bacteria, but one thing has been missing from the toolkit despite our knowing about it for over a century: light.
Ultraviolet light is an incredibly powerful disinfectant. Study after study has proven that it can obliterate viruses and bacteria, and yet it’s not often thought about as a defense against germs. In fact, when most people think of UV, they think of the harmful rays from the sun that cause cancer — not the PR you want when advertising, obviously. Luckily, a few years after the pandemic lockdowns, researchers have found a type of UV that isn’t strong enough to penetrate human skin but still effectively stops the germs. Could it be our next defense? Check out the video above to learn more.
Don’t forget to read the full article by Dylan Matthews, and if you want more information on UV light as a defense against disease, subscribe to Unexplainable, Vox’s science podcast about unanswered questions. They’re working on a related piece that goes deeper into some of the pieces we cover in the video. It’ll be out Wednesday, February 20.
A for sale sign hangs in front of a house in Patchogue, New York, on…
Sean “Diddy” Combs, pictured at Howard University in October, was accused of trafficking and rape…
Members of the Schenectady Rotary volunteers Maureen Adamek of Schenectady (left) and Deb O’Connor of…
Law enforcement gather at the crime scene outside the Trump International Golf Club in West…
New Hampshire parents and other child tax credit supporters gather toand demand the credit be…
In recent years, there’s been a growing appreciation for Indigenous land stewardship and traditional knowledge. But what gets overlooked is that…