Comparative Study of Blue Light with Ultraviolet (UVC) Radiations on
SARS-CoV-2 Virus
Abstract
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic requires more effective disinfection
methods. The disinfection using ultraviolet light (UV), especially
longer UVCs such as 254 nm, 270/280 nm have been proved to have
virucidal properties, but its adverse effects on human skin and eyes
limit its use to enclosed unoccupied spaces. Several studies conducted
the in past have shown the effectiveness of blue light (405nm) against
bacteria and fungi, but the virucidal property of 405nm has largely been
unexplored. Based on previous studies, visible light mediates
inactivation by absorbing the porphyrins and reacting with oxygen to
produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). This causes oxidative damage to
biomolecules such as protein, lipids, and nucleic acids, essential
constituents of any virus. The virucidal potential of visible light has
been speculated because the virus lacks porphyrins. This study
demonstrated porphyrin independent viral inactivation and a comparative
analysis of the effectiveness of 405nm against other UVC wavelengths.
The beta coronavirus 1 (strain OC43) was treated against 405nm,
270/280nm, 254nm, and 222nm, and its efficacy was determined using
median tissue culture infectious dose, i.e., TCID50. The results support
the disinfection potential of visible light technology by providing a
quantitative effect that can serve as a basic groundwork for future
visible light inactivation technologies. In the future, blue light
technology usage can be widened to hospitals, public places, aircraft
cabins, and/or infectious laboratories to inactivate SARS-CoV-2.