MACS Monthly Newsletter - 2020 - JUN6

Standard UV-C light sources use low-pressure mercury
vapor discharge tubes (Figure 9) and can kill a wide range
of disease-causing bacteria and viruses in about 6 to 8 seconds. Most are sold to sanitize phones, toilets, flush handles,
sinks, faucets, countertops, computer keyboards and mouse
devices, doorknobs, plastic toys, etc.
The effectiveness of these lights to destroy a virus has to do
with time and intensity (how strong is the light source and
how long is the exposure. That's why mercury lamps are
used instead of LEDs. There are LEDs out there that produce
similar wavelengths of light, but not at the required intensity
to be effective. Same with the time. More can be killed in a
shorter period of time with the right mercury lamp.
UV Sanitizers also have an automotive application. You
can use them to sanitize car keys, door handles, steering
wheels, seat belt buckles, gear shifters, radio knobs, air conditioning control panels, etc... all in a touchless way that
does not require chemicals or wiping of surfaces. You just
have to hold the light about one-half inch from the surface
for about 10 seconds (just to be sure). But remember that
"line of sight" is important, so if the light doesn't shine on it,
then it isn't being sanitized. You may need to move the light
around to get on all sides for it to work.
For example, you can use a hand-held UV light (such as
Spectroline's DeGERM-inator, www.uvsanitizeit.com), to sanitize a customer's car keys before you pick them up. Just hold
the light over the keys for about 10 seconds, then flip them
over for 10 more seconds (so you get both sides). You can
also bring the light out to their vehicle and hold it over the
door handle, steering wheel, ignition cylinder, etc. You may
also want to use a cleaning wipe if the surfaces are visibly
dirty or sticky. After all, the light can't get through built up
gunk!
UV-C light is also helpful to use on radio and A/C control panels. These surfaces are small and multi-angular,
with many tiny, intricate knobs and buttons, and in some
cases, there are words printed on the controls with paint.
Many commercial cleaning products will wipe of that lettering. Just imagine your customer's reaction if they saw you
wiped all the words off their radio control knobs because
you "cleaned" them with some brand of "wet wipes". Yikes!
In this case, UV-C light would be a good option because it's
a "touchless" sanitizing method.

to clean door handles, shifters and steering wheels. After
the vehicle is brought into the shop, those gloves and mask
are discarded. All surfaces touched during service are also
cleaned, and when the vehicle is returned outside, the same
procedure is repeated.
They also offer a concierge service to their customers,
where the shop will pick up and drop off the vehicle to further limit contact. Visiting customers also have the option of
using the night drop box to leave their keys.

UV Light Sanitizers

Wikimedia Commons

Ultraviolet light, or more specifically UV-C radiation, has
been studied and used since the 1930s to kill microorganisms, and has been proven effective against many pathogens. To quote a research paper published by ASHRAE (the
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers), ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI)
uses short-wave ultraviolet (UV-C) energy to inactivate viral,
bacterial, and fungal organisms so they are unable to replicate and potentially cause disease. UV-C energy disrupts
the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of a wide range of microorganisms, rendering them harmless.
UV-C wavelengths can actually be found in sunlight, but
it's weak at the earth's surface because the ozone layer in
the upper atmosphere blocks most of it. The most effective
UV wavelength (measured in nm or nanometers) ranges
between 220nm and 280nm, with peak effectiveness near
265nm. Coupled with filtration systems, they are used in a
wide variety of applications, such as food, air and water purification and have been recommended for over 50 years by
the US CDC.

UV-C in Action: Go to https://www.youtube.com/user/MACSWorldwide to see a demonstration of UV light sanitizing.

Figure 9: Some "UV Sanitizers" sold online have been
shown to be nothing more than LED disco lamps, incapable
of killing germs (https://www.youtube.com/user/bigclivedotcom Video title: Fake UV disinfection lamp from eBay, link:
https://youtu.be/LEVFKHiOfRs). The most effective use
high power mercury vapor tubes that produce strong levels
UV-C light at 253.7nm wavelengths. But don't look at these
lights or aim them towards your skin! Exposure can produce
rapid sunburn and skin cancer, and painful inflammation of
the cornea and even blindness.

June 2020

UV-C and COVID-19

The big question now is, are UV-C germicidal lights effective against Coronavirus? It's hard to find information about
this right now, because there simply are not many "samples"
of SARS-CoV-2 at the labs that would conduct this sort of
test. And the labs that do have samples are super busy trying to come up with treatments and vaccines to combat this
public health crisis.
However, the well-known and well-respected firms we've

MACS Service Reports

http://www.uvsanitizeit.com https://www.youtube.com/user/MACSWorldwide https://www.youtube.com/user/MACSWorldwide https://www.youtube.com/user/bigclivedot.com https://www.youtube.com/user/bigclivedot.com https://www.youtu.be/LEVFKHiOfRs

MACS Monthly Newsletter - 2020

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