According to several reports, President Trump mentioned ultraviolet (UV) radiation as a possible treatment for coronavirus this week. Numerous experts were concerned about how the information was conveyed (bringing light inside the body) and the level of conclusiveness of recent studies. Scientists also strongly reacted to banter suggesting possible injections of disinfectants. In fact, the manufacturer of Lysol issued a statement warning people against internal ingestion of disinfectant products. As a scientist and a professor, I am going to steer clear of “piling on.” My objective is to use this teachable moment to shed “light” on what UV radiation is and introduce research that may have formed the basis for comments about UV radiation.
The Sun in UV
It is very likely that you have heard of the ozone hole. Ozone is gas that occurs in the stratosphere that literally protects us and all other life from the Sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Scientists discovered several decades ago that chemicals in everyday products like aerosol cans and refrigerants were destroying the ozone layer. The so-called “ozone hole” still appears even though most of those damaging chemicals were banned or regulated by the Montreal Protocol. The graphic below shows the ozone hole in the fall of 2019. Without the protective stratospheric ozone, NASA’s website says, “the Sun’s intense UV radiation would sterilize the Earth’s surface.”
Ozone hole in Fall 2019
UV radiation is a part of something that you may faintly remember from your K-12 or collegiate years called the electromagnetic spectrum (below). Electromagnetic energy propagates in wave form and includes gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet radiation, visible light, heat (infrared), microwaves, radio waves. Our eyes detect the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, but our skin feels the infrared energy that comes from the sun or a fireplace. The Sun emits UV, visible, infrared, and even special types of sound waves.
The electromagnetic spectrum
UV energy is at a shorter wavelength (higher frequency) on the spectrum than visible light. Humans cannot see UV waves, but according to NASA, certain insects like bumblebees can. UV radiation is often used in sunlamps and tanning beds. Sharon Miller, M.S.E.E. is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientist and is an internationally-recognized expert on UV radiation and associated tanning practices. On the FDA website, she notes, “A tan is the skin’s reaction to exposure to UV rays..Recognizing exposure to the rays as an ‘insult,’ the skin acts in self-defense by producing more melanin, a pigment that darkens the skin.” The website goes on to warn that over time such activity can lead to skin cancer or prematurely aging skin.
Circling back to coronavirus, the idea of UV radiation as a treatment option is not as far-fetched as injections of disinfectant but still seems to be in the early stages. According to a news release issued by Columbia University this week, they are developing a process to attack SARS-CoV-2 using UV light. The news release says, “The technology, developed by Columbia University’s Center for Radiological Research, uses lamps that emit continuous, low doses of a particular wavelength of ultraviolent light, known as far-UVC, which can kill viruses and bacteria without harming human skin, eyes and other tissues, as is the problem with conventional UV light.” It has been known for years that UV radiation can kill certain microbes. It is used to sterilize medical equipment, and personal UV sterilizers can be purchased for home use. However, conventional UV can penetrate our flesh and cause health risks. According to Columbia researchers, far-UVC has a shorter wavelength so doesn’t damage human cells.
One thing that has come to “light” during this COVID-19 crisis is a general misuse and interpretation of science terms, tools, and expectations. I see people erroneously sharing perspectives and interpretations of isolated studies and trend lines all over social media. The public and policymakers must understand that science isn’t a microwave process. It is more like a slow simmer in a crockpot. New methods and medicines require proper evaluation and testing. This UV research is certainly worth keeping an eye on, but as one of my favorite singing groups, the Pet Shop Boys, once said, “sometimes the solution is worse than the problem.”
