Warnings Raised by Leading German Radiation Experts Over The Use of Far UVC for Disinfection Around Humans!
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team May 27, 2025 1 day, 17 hours, 37 minutes ago
Medical News: Far UVC Radiation in Public Spaces Could Be a Silent Health Threat Despite Disinfection Hype
As the world continues to search for safer and more effective ways to reduce the transmission of viruses like SARS-CoV-2 in public settings, one of the more futuristic tools that has gained traction is far-UVC radiation. Promoted as a game-changer in disinfection technology, far-UVC light is being installed in airports, hospitals, offices, and even restaurants to sterilize air and surfaces. However, a new and highly authoritative report by the German Commission on Radiological Protection is raising red flags about its use around people.
Warnings Raised by Leading German Radiation Experts Over the Use of Far UVC for Disinfection Around Humans
This
Medical News report unpacks the findings of the 329th meeting of the German Commission on Radiological Protection (Strahlenschutzkommission or SSK), which took place on December 7–8, 2023, and cautions that the unregulated or widespread application of far-UVC radiation in public spaces could pose serious risks—especially for children, elderly individuals, and those with pre-existing eye or skin conditions.
What Is Far-UVC Radiation and Why Is It Being Used
Ultraviolet-C (UVC) radiation is already a well-established technology used for disinfecting water, surfaces, and air in enclosed systems. Traditional UVC operates at a wavelength of 254 nanometers, which effectively inactivates viruses and bacteria by damaging their DNA or RNA. However, this type of UVC light can cause burns, cataracts, and even skin cancer, which is why it has long been used only in empty rooms or enclosed systems where no people are present.
Far-UVC radiation, a newer form of UVC operating between 200–240 nanometers—most commonly at 222 nm—is now being touted as a safer alternative. Its shorter wavelength allegedly cannot penetrate the outer dead layer of skin or the tear film of the eyes, making it “safe” for human exposure while still killing airborne viruses and bacteria. This has led to proposals for installing unshielded far-UVC lamps in schools, hospitals, airports, and gyms.
The Experts Are Not Convinced
The SSK report involved contributions from scientists at several prominent German institutions, including the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Dortmund, the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety in Munich, the Elbe Hospital Buxtehude, and the German Social Accident Insurance Institution in Cologne. These experts concluded that there is insufficient scientific evidence to confirm that far-UVC radiation is harmless to human health in real-world conditions.
One of the key concerns is that while far-UVC may not reach the living cells beneath the skin in controlled experiments, its actual behavior in everyday environments—where skin types, exposure times, and device reliability vary—is far less
predictable.
The Data Gaps Are Worrying
The SSK noted that most existing studies on far-UVC safety were funded or influenced by companies with a vested interest in commercializing the technology. These studies often lacked clear, standardized measurements of radiation doses, exposure times, and device calibration. Moreover, very few studies examined long-term or cumulative exposure. There was also a glaring absence of research involving vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and people with hypersensitive skin or eyes.
Another red flag was the lack of real-world studies on how far-UVC might affect people who already work in environments with UV exposure. For example, a healthcare worker might face additional cumulative UV doses if these devices are installed in hospitals and public spaces without proper controls.
Potential Harms Include Eye Damage and Microbiome Disruption
While proponents of far-UVC argue that its limited tissue penetration prevents harm, the SSK emphasized that the protective tear film over the eyes and the dead skin layer vary greatly among individuals and can be easily compromised. Moreover, the study raised concerns about the effects of far-UVC on the microbiomes of the skin and eyes. Overexposure could lead to “hyperdisinfection,” which disrupts the body’s natural microbial defense systems—a phenomenon already observed with excessive hand sanitizer use.
Additionally, the complex biological effects of far-UVC, such as enzyme inhibition in tear films and interactions with surface proteins, remain poorly understood.
No Framework Yet for Safety Regulation
Currently, there are no universal standards or reliable regulatory frameworks for verifying whether far-UVC devices comply with exposure limits. The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) has recommended safety thresholds, but these were originally designed for industrial workers—not the general public or vulnerable groups. The SSK warns that without strict legal guidelines and enforcement, people may be unknowingly exposed to unsafe levels of radiation, especially with the rise of unregulated online sales of far-UVC lamps.
Furthermore, the reliability of filtering systems in these lamps, which are critical in blocking harmful UVB and UVA emissions, has not been thoroughly tested over time.
Key Study Findings Explained
The report also reviewed a number of experimental studies on the effectiveness of far-UVC against pathogens. For instance:
-A dose of 36 mJ/cm² of 222 nm far-UVC successfully eradicated several strains of bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli, but spores of Clostridium difficile and Bacillus cereus required up to 96 mJ/cm² for complete inactivation.
-Fungi like Aspergillus niger were highly resistant to far-UVC and needed doses of up to 500 mJ/cm² to be killed—doses that far exceed current safety limits.
-In animal studies, far-UVC reduced MRSA infection in mice skin wounds, but the effectiveness was lower when wounds contained proteins or fluids that absorbed radiation.
-Human skin exposed to 500 mJ/cm² of far-UVC showed reduced bacterial load but also experienced signs of DNA damage in upper skin layers, suggesting possible health risks from repeated or prolonged exposure.
Conclusions and Final Warnings
In conclusion, while far-UVC technology does show potential for disinfection, the SSK firmly warns against its use in open, unshielded formats in spaces where people are present. The evidence does not yet support the claim that it is completely safe. On the contrary, gaps in data, questions over long-term exposure, and a lack of protections for vulnerable groups make this technology a public health risk if not properly regulated.
The commission calls for immediate legal oversight to restrict the use of such devices to controlled environments and recommends that chemical disinfectants—already proven to be effective and safer for public use—remain the preferred option. It also stresses that technical standards, exposure monitoring, and independent research are urgently needed before far-UVC can be considered safe for use around humans. Until such measures are in place, using far-UVC lighting in public areas may be a gamble with unforeseen consequences.
Details of the German Commission on Radiological Protection report on Far UVC can be found here.
https://www.ssk.de/SharedDocs/Beratungsergebnisse/EN/2023/2023-12-08_Empf_Fern-UVC-Strlg_Desinfek.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=5
For the latest on Far UVC, keep on logging to Thailand
Medical News.
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