UV Lighting and Viral Eradication

COVID-19 proves the need for large scale UV disinfection adoption to combat viral and bacterial outbreaks. Citra is proud to be at the forefront of bringing health, wellness and sustainability through PURO™UV light products, powered by Violet Defense™ technology .
UV-C Disinfection Process
UV light is classified into three categories from least to most dangerous: UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. Each of these UV bands (UV-A, UV-B and UV-C) create different risks for humans. UV-A is the least dangerous. An example of a UV-A is a black light lamp which emits ultraviolet light. Most black lights are fairly safe, as the UV light they emit is in the UV-A range of long waves. This is the area which is nearest to visible light. UV-A has been connected to human skin cancer so it is necessary to prevent prolonged exposure to black light radiation. UV-A penetrates deep into layers of skin, where it can damage DNA. UV-A causes no sunburn, but it can kill vitamin A, damage collagen, and promote skin aging. UV-B holds a high risk for skin cancer and sunburn. Specifically, UV-B is the main cause of all three forms of skin cancer; melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. This exposure to UV-B radiation is usually from the sun, tanning beds, or sunlamps. Lastly, UV-C is very dangerous; a cell’s innards can scramble with the radiation released at its wavelengths. UV-C radiation applies to wavelengths below 280 nm. All wavelengths are entirely absorbed by our atmosphere, and no natural radiation from UV-C enters the earth’s surface. While bacteria have a cellular structure, viruses do not. They are, however, made of genes and surrounded by a protective shell known as a capsid. The radiation from the UV-C light also has a harmful effect on the capsid’s innards. Thus making it very useful for sanitizing purposes, be it a virus or a bacterium.

WHY UV-C WORKS SO WELL

UV-C ultraviolet light destroys bacteria, viruses and other harmful microbes by damaging their DNA and RNA, so they can’t multiply. There are a lot of problematic organisms that give rise to infections. However, if you apply a proper dose of ultraviolet light in a proper period of time provided by Citra, then you can be pretty sure that you get rid of your organism. This type of disinfection can also be applied to epidemic situations, like the one we experience right now with COVID-19. Some hospitals today are now seeking to deploy this new tool to reduce infections. Through this technology, hospitals will finally have the ability to bring germ-killing power to nearly any space, penetrating those hard to reach places that other disinfectant solutions can’t reach. UV-C will also eliminate pollutants in the air without the use of harmful chemicals that are dangerous to people. Through this disinfection process, up to 99.9% of airborne viruses and bacteria from the room’s surfaces are eliminated, helping reduce exposure risks for hospital staff and visitors. The radiation distorts the genetic material, leaving it incapable of producing copies of itself. Automating disinfection is a crucial part of preserving health and safety and may be one of the most significant bright spots in COVID-19 response. In a severe crisis like this where the world’s health is threatened, Citra provides innovative UV solutions that really prove its worth the investment.

Can Pulsed Xenon Light Emit UV-C?

For the past two decades, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technology has been the star performer in water and air treatment due in part to its ability to offer treatment without the use of toxic chemicals. UV represents wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum which fall between visible light and X-rays. The UV-C component reflects 200 nm-280 nm wavelengths, which is the wavelength used in PURO’sUV disinfection products, powered by Violet Defense™ technology, we supply. UV-C photons enter cells and cause nucleic acid damage, rendering them unable to replicate or microbiologically inactive. Naturally, the sun emits UV rays that perform this task. At Citra, we carry PUROfixtures that use high powered, pulsed xenon technology to make your facility safe and secure. The rays target viruses, bacteria and other pathogens in water and air, or surfaces to make these pathogens harmless in seconds. As we move forward from our current pandemic, various hospitals, companies and other facilities and spaces have sought out UV light technology. Citra believes that disinfection solutions are a great way to comprehensively control other potential future outbreaks throughout our everyday lives anytime, anywhere.