Germicidal Ultraviolet-C (UVC) light surface and air sanitation + purification innovations can effectively eradicate harmful viruses, bacteria, pathogens and microorganisms both indoors and while on-the-go

As COVID-19 rages on, warning sirens have sounded of late amid a flurry of headlines surrounding Ultraviolet-C (UVC) light device safety issues. Rightfully so, as the current pandemic has ushered in a veritable “wild west” of UVC gadget deployments with subpar consumer safeguards, instructions or guidance. So important are the concerns amid this rapidly proliferating product sphere, the FDA recently issued a consumer advisory regarding UVC light technology that’s applicable for both business and residential use.

Once largely a germicidal method leveraged in hospital, industrial and other commercial settings for its extreme efficacy, today’s breed of UVC technologies are small, portable and inexpensive enough to be making their way into homes and businesses of every type across the globe—and even traverse with individuals while they’re out and about. This, as generalist retailers like Amazon and Walmart have joined the fray in their attempts to divert market share from the more specialized, expert-driven, safety-focused UVC purveyors.

While germ-killing UVC technologies do proffer tremendous advantages and results for users—serving as a potent tool for easily and effectively eradicating harmful viruses, bacteria, pathogens and microorganisms—there are a number of considerations one should heed before procuring and using such a powerful device. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, why; when; where; and how it will be used—variables that impact safety and risk concerns related to UVC wavelength, dose and duration of radiation exposure.

Shopping in this category can be equally overwhelming. One need only Google “UVC lamps,” which delivers nearly 100,000 results, to realize how bloated this category has become. Amid the chaos, I did happen upon a highly targeted, category-dedicated source wholly dedicated to UVC technologies: CureUV.com. This company draws on over 20-years of expertise in the design, development and provision of technologically advanced UV products and solutions. Today, they are a premier provider of germicidal UVC light solutions for commercial, industrial, residential, portable and even water applications.

While its form factor catalog is copious, below are a few of CureUV’s more popular UVC devices starting under $80 that proffer chemical-free disinfection, which can help ensure your spaces remain free of illness-causing microbial contaminants like viruses, bacteria, mold and other fungi:

*** RESIDENTIAL, BUSINESS OR PORTABLE: ***

Rechargeable Handheld UV Sanitizer Wand With Digital Timer
Here’s a highly portable way to eliminate germs and have a cleaner environment no matter where you may be. This powerful UVC illumination system, which retails around $89, eradicates up to 99.9 percent of viruses, bacteria, germs, mold, dust mite eggs and flea eggs on surfaces.  This non-chemical option adds an extra layer of safety to you with no hazardous residue. It contains a 6-inch UVC lightbulb allowing for a wider coverage of area as well as accelerating sanitation in the process. A built in timer inside the device allows you to keep track of desired dosage creating precise sanitation sessions–anywhere from 5 to 60 minutes to indefinite. Its silent operation allows for a noise free solution for sanitation, and sleek and cordless and lightweight design is perfect for travel however near or far–daily around town or those hotel visits. Sanitize how you want in your desired target area or on your personal items keeping them germ free. An internal rechargeable battery saves money on replaceable battery purchases as compared to various other handheld wands on the market.

GermAwayUV 18-Watt Handheld UVC Surface Sanitizer
This device offers reliable and highly portable sanitizing performance at an entry-level price. Indeed, at under $120, this is an affordable, dual-bulb, handheld UV sanitizer that still maintains power levels similar to more industrial UV surface sanitizers. This lightweight and ergonomically designed 18-watt UVC sanitizer will give you much peace of mind. It has a 6-foot cord adequate for most applications, but the sanitizer will run easily with virtually any simple power extension. Its two 9-watt UVC sanitizer bulbs are guaranteed to produce UV light in the 253.7 nanometer (nm) wavelength, which has been consistently proven to eliminate all illness-causing microorganisms. It’s the perfect tool to disinfect high use and traffic areas, as well as locations where bacteria and viruses congregate like bathrooms, door handles, seating areas and cooking/dining spaces. It’ll prevent the spread of harmful bacteria and microorganisms, or simply add an extra layer of cleanliness and protection to your cleaning procedures. It comes bundled with protective amber UV safety glasses.

SteriPEN Aqua Portable UV Water Purifier
Cities around the world have been using UV light to make water safe to drink for over 100 years. UV light destroys the ability for germs to reproduce and make you sick. This unit destroys 99.9999 percent of bacteria, 99.99 percent of viruses and 99.9 percent of protozoa. SteriPEN, available for around $79, is a safe solution to combat chlorine-resistant microorganisms such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium and a host of other waterborne virus and bacteria present in your water. It’s perfect for hiking, camping or any kind of travel. Whether relaxing in a tropical paradise or hiking through the backcountry, SteriPEN has you covered. Traveler destroys over 99.9 percent of harmful bacteria and microorganisms-causing microbes in a liter of water in just 90 seconds. It’s also handy for home emergencies, and will proffer 3,000 treatments for years of safe drinking water. SteriPEN tested and certified by WQA against US EPA Microbiological Water Purifier Standard. Standard filters may be effective at removing grit, metals and other larger pieces of sediment, they may also improve the taste of your water, but they can’t kill micro-organisms. That’s where UV plays a vital role in water sanitation. UVC light at a particular wavelength, 253.7nm, begins to break down DNA at a molecular level and stops the bacteria, fungus, virus from reproducing leaving water sanitized. This process has been used in municipal water treatment plants throughout Europe for over 30 years and is now becoming commonplace at water treatment plants as well. Now it can be with you wherever you may be.

*** RESIDENTIAL OR BUSINESS: ***

Deluxe GermAwayUV 95-Watt UVC Surface Sanitizer with Cage
With a 95-watt bulb, this chemical-free, tabletop UV room and surface sanitizer is the strongest of its kind. It will result in effective room sanitation by killing up to 99.9 percent of bacteria, viruses, mold spores, yeasts, C. diff, odors and other harmful microorganisms. With a simple touch of a button you’ll be able to leave the room while the entire space is cleaned and disinfected in a matter of minutes. The device has five time settings: 10, 20, 30 and 60 minutes; and hold for indefinite run time. After the selected dosage time has elapsed, the device will automatically shut off. You can use it regularly to ensure a consistently clean room.

Heavy Duty Dual Bulb 72-Watt HVAC UV Air Purifier
Suitable for use anywhere, including homes, schools, offices, work-floors and medical rooms to sanitize air and environmental surfaces, this device is effective in small and large rooms/buildings alike, up to 2,400 square feet. With a powerful 72-watt bulb and a standard electrical unit, you can insert this premium UVC bulb into any HVAC system as an easy add on to sanitize the air in the system. Typical air purifier units and HVAC systems are definitely useful, designed to filter and ventilate air well. But even the finest filters can’t stop atomic sized bacteria and viruses. This device is therefore a great extra add on because it really does target and stop bacteria and viruses from circulating. It sanitizes and disinfects air passing through the HVAC system. Its 72-watt bulb emits UVC light of 254nm and is the most powerful bulb. Most devices are typically only effective in small rooms, but with this level of wattage you can use this device in large rooms and building types. At its wavelength, the emitted light is able to penetrate and kill the DNA of atomic sized organisms that create problems for humans. UVC emission also acts to eliminate mold spores, yeast and fungi. So, inserting this unit device into your existing HVAC system ensures that not only will the air that moves through your building be ventilated, it will also be irradiated and disinfected as it passes over the bulb. Instead of just filtered air in your system, you’ll end up with sanitized, healthy air. Add on (retrofit) features like this one are great because you can just insert them into an already installed and operating HVAC system with minimal additional running costs. This device is easy to install and is capable of DIY application. Other available HVAC retrofit air sanitation and purification solutions include a coil scrubber or 36-watt HVAC UVC air purifier.

*** BUSINESS / INDUSTRIAL: ***

GermAwayUV High Occupancy Wall Mountable 150-Watt Air Purifier and Sanitizer
This is a safe and efficient way to sanitize and disinfect the air in high traffic occupied areas. Simply mount the sanitizer on the wall as you would hang a TV or mount a standalone AC system and let the system do its magic. The air purifier will use its powerful, yet quiet, fan to continually cycle all of the air in the room through the system. Once the air does so, it will be met by a quintuple filtration and sanitation system that culminates in a full 150-watt UVC germicidal irradiation. Put this system in a busy hallway, a crowded restaurant, a veterinary clinic with high traffic, a busy office, etc… and it will eliminate bacteria, viruses and harmful pollutants as quickly as possible without exposing anybody to any UVC rays. It proffers optimum performance with optimum safety.

GermAway Wall Mountable UVC Air Purifier and HEPA Filter
The latest high tech air purifier using advanced UVC sterilization to cleanse the air in a room beyond the level of cleanliness achieved by traditional air filters. The 8.5-watt purifier is also equipped with smart technology. For one, intelligent, automatic air detection sensors detect the air quality of a room and automatically adjust the intensity setting. Enjoy peace of mind knowing that you’re surrounded by the cleanest air, all the time. Its double fan system maximizes the volume of air flowing through the filtering mechanism. Unlike traditional purifiers, these fans are designed to ensure that as much air as possible is being exposed to the advanced filtration system. Yet, despite their power, these fans are very quiet. Even at their maximum speed, it maintains noise level below 53 decibels. The unit’s timed sleep function, with two settings, lets you adjust to suit your schedule. It allows you to go about your day without worrying about having to turn it off. Although many people prefer to leave the air purifier on 24 hours a day, this sleep feature is quite convenient for some. It also features multiple stages of filtration, including the advanced UVC and Negative Ion sterilization processes for extraordinarily clean and fresh air quality.

GermAwayUV Mobile UVC 30-Watt Surface Sanitizer with Motion Sensor Shutoff
Now you can use one of the most powerful UVC lamps to sanitize and disinfect rooms and surfaces with the security of knowing that this unit’s added motion sensor will serve to protect you. Imagine you’ve set the sanitation process in motion to run for an hour on the device timer, but you’ve forgotten your car keys inside. Before, you would have to wait for the round to finish and lose what could’ve been a productive hour. Now, you can enter the room, retrieve you keys, resume your sanitation and continue your day! Simple as that. While it’s still recommended that you check the room and clear it of all pets, plants and people, with this unit you have the added security of knowing that if you’ve missed something (or someone), the motion sensor will automatically stop the UVC emission immediately, protecting whatever or whoever is there. It will only resume when no further movement is detected. It boasts a lamp arm length reach of 36.22” for maxim ray emission and optimal scope over surfaces, with range of motion from 30° to 180° allowing you to rest at the arm at an angle best suited to your sanitation needs. Two UVC high intensity lamps with button allow you to adjust UVC exposure intensity by choosing whether you want to have one or both lamps on and its digital timer can run from 15- to 1,440-minutes long (24 hours). The device can operate optimally in room up to 323 square feet.

GermAwayUV Xtreme 55-Watt Handheld UVC Surface Sanitizer
This device, made in the USA, is the most powerful UVC handheld device available. It destroys 99.9 percent of harmful bacteria, viruses, mold spores, yeasts, fungi, C. diff and odors. It’s so powerful that typical molds are effectively treated in half of the time. Just like the company’s mountable UVC sanitizers, this unit is designed to disinfect large coverage areas. Ideally, you would use multiple units of the mountable sanitizers that would be set up as part of an automated process of disinfection. However, what happens when you need to disinfect a component outside of that process? This handheld sanitizer offers a great alternative solution with the same powerful effect. Its easy grip handle makes it is easy to maneuver and hold. You can hold it close to surfaces for strong, rapid sanitation, or it can be held longer at further distance to reach hard to get to surfaces, like gaps between cabinetry and the like. At just seven pounds, it’s easy for anyone to pick up and use. Plus, the bulb lasts up to 10,000 hours and has a shatter-proof coating available so that, should it break, any glass shards will remain trapped in the coating—a feature making it well-suited for food spaces. Its chemical-free UVC light produces zero ozone and electronically brightened reflectors increase UBC output and efficiency. An even smaller, more compact and lower cost 35-watt handheld UVC surface sanitizer is also available.

GermAwayUV Xtreme Heavy Duty Mountable UVC 95-Watt Surface Sanitizer
This powerful 95-watt mountable fixture is the most potent way to disinfect and sanitize surfaces. With its long length, this unit provides a lot of coverage area ideal for decontaminating larger workstation surfaces. Designed for easy mounting, this device can be made to face any direction to meet your sanitation and disinfection requirements. Best of all, it can also be used as singular unit, or it can be set up with two or more of the same units to create a modular chain link to expose very large surface area. You could even combine it with a similar, smaller, but equally efficient 35-watt mountable UVC Deep Cleaner. Although it’s easy to use, lightweight and portable, its 21.06” lamp length is able to sanitize and disinfect a wide surface area. Although you can mount it, you can set it up so that it is easy to move and place it as you need to. The lamp bulb lasts up to 10,000 hours, which is a full year of usage. So, there’s no need to be worried about constantly replacing the bulb, which is also shatterproof. The lamp is actually coated to prevent shards of broken glass from splintering everywhere. This unit is equipped with electronically brightened reflectors that increase the efficiency and output of the UVC for a better sanitized finish by up to 30 percent.

Amid today’s wide-ranging breed of UVC light sanitizers, outdoor air cleanliness is possible using the strongest protection that nature has to offer: UVC light. The key is finding the right sanitation and purification technology to suit your specific needs. Luckily, options abound.

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Sources:

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/uv-lights-and-lamps-ultraviolet-c-radiation-disinfection-and-coronavirus

https://www.ul.com/offerings/ultraviolet-uvc-light-testing-and-certification

https://collateral-library-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/asset_file/attachment/26057/CT_26219573_UVC-Germicidal-Devices-flyer_digital_FINAL_073020.pdf

Photos courtesy of www.CureUV.com

***Some or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or service(s) detailed above may have been provided at no cost and/or arranged to accommodate this review, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way as per the disclosure policy on our “Legal” page***