Normally in this space you’d expect to find a list of explanations of the harmful effects of Ultraviolet (UV) light. There would be admonitions against tanning (either outside or in tanning salons), lectures about using daily SPF, especially on your face and hands, piles of information on how UV rays increase cellular aging and are responsible for everything from age spots and wrinkles to deadly skin cancer.  And that is all still very true! But today we are going to talk about one way that UV light is used to your benefit: as an air purifier.

The sun is a source of the full spectrum of UV radiation, which is commonly subdivided into UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. Although UV waves are invisible to the human eye, some insects, such as bumblebees, can see them.   Unprotected exposure to UV-A and UV-B damages the DNA in skin cells, producing genetic defects, or mutations, which can lead to skin cancer.

UV-C rays are the most harmful, but are almost completely absorbed by our atmosphere, luckily for us. These rays consists of a shorter, more energetic wavelengths of light, and they are particularly good at destroying genetic material – whether in humans or viral particles. Since this discovery in 1878, artificially produced UVC has become a standard method of sterilization – used in hospitals, airplanes, offices, and factories. Though there hasn’t yet been research looking at how UV-C affects Covid-19 specifically, studies have shown that it can be used against other coronaviruses, such as Sars. The UV radiation warps the structure of their genetic material and prevents the viral particles from making more copies of themselves. So clearly, the benefits of UV-C sterilization need to happen nowhere near the human body! One ideal way to do that is using a ventilation system, such as an HVAC system. By installing a UV air purifier, UV irradiation can be used to destroy harmful organisms in the very air that circulates around you in a building.

At Privy Skin Care, UV air purification has been one of the many safety precautions we’ve taken over the years.  Long before this current situation, our office was outfitted with a CaluTech UV Air Purifier, ensuring the cleanest, safest, and most allergen free environment possible for our customers.