Ultraviolet rays could aid school disinfection, researchers say

NEWTON, Mass. — After running out of Clorox wipes, germ-fighting Americans are now starting to see the light. The ultraviolet light that is.

At the Newton-Wellesley Hospital, a robot is part of the cleaning crew. It gets positioned in several areas of a room and blasts powerful UV light, supplementing traditional cleaning protocols at the hospital.

“It shines ultraviolet light on all the surfaces in the hospital room and then the ultraviolet light affects the DNA in organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungus rendering them unable to be infectious,” explained Madeleine Bartzak, an infection control practitioner.

Studies have shown the right amount of UV light works to kill coronaviruses.

[School buildings get updates, redesigns for pandemic learning]

Bartzak says UV light has been a powerful tool in curtailing infections.

“We have noted a dramatic reduction in C. diff over the past three years, specifically when we focused on using the Xenex Robot in more bathrooms,” she said.

Stopping the coronavirus is bringing UV light out of the shadows. JetBlue recently announced they would start cleaning their airplanes this way. Some cruise ships are considering adding UV too.

For decades, Jim Malley, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of New Hampshire, has studied ways to improve public health with UV technology. He says schools, in the age of COVID-19, could benefit from it.

“You’d have your normal dry clean up, maybe it’s a vacuum cleaner or sweeper,” explained Malley. “Then your normal wet cleanup, wipe down the boards etc. And then I can see a UV team, or a set of UV stationary devices brought in and dosing the space, not unlike what we do in health care.”

Malley says all three steps are essential because the UV light must shine directly on surfaces to kill germs and viruses.

He says UV can be particularly effective in cleaning air and water.

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“So air disinfection and UV has been around a long time, upper air disinfection in a room, we hear, is one of the great tools against tuberculosis many years ago,” Malley said.

At Newton-Wellesley Hospital, the robot is positioned in different areas in a room, and the device elevates and descends, to maximize the light’s exposure.

Bartzak is happy with what UV light does for the hospital every day and sees potential in using it to fight the coronavirus.

“I think it’s really an excellent idea to supplement other routine practices that include handwashing, masking, and physical distancing,” added Bartzak.

Malley told Boston 25 News that a UV unit to clean a classroom, for example, can start at about $4,000.

Some robots are now equipped with artificial intelligence and can go as high as six figures.

Finally, Malley says a growing number of consumer devices are becoming available for sale, but that many of them are not verified for their efficiency.

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RESOURCES:

- Massachusetts Coronavirus Information

- Boston Coronavirus Information

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