Pesticidal devices are not subject to pre-market approval by EPA, though EPA does require data supporting efficacy to be held on file. EPA defines microorganisms as pests, disinfectants as pesticides, and disinfecting devices as pesticidal devices. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the primary regulator of chemical pesticides and pesticidal devices, though FDA and various US States also take part.
How are UV Room Disinfection Devices Regulated? The goal of this article is to arm users and prospective purchasers of UV devices with the information they need to properly evaluate efficactiveness. If you have a question or comment about the devices shown above, please contact the lab.Īll UV-C devices kill microorganisms to some extent, but with so many different configurations, features, run times, and UV wavelengths it can be difficult for purchasers to determine effectiveness. The images below demonstrate the variety available to hospitals and other institutions. Many have motion sensors which shut the device off automatically if a person enters the room during treatment. Some are controlled digitally by touch-screens, while others are more simple analog devices. Some have mirrors that focus the UV light as the beam rotates around the room. Certain devices run until UV sensors placed in the room measure a particular UV dose. Some run for short periods of time while others run longer. Most are the size of a small refrigerator or office water cooler. Shapes, sizes, and features of UV room disinfection devices vary. Mercury UV bulbs primarily emit light at 254 nanomers, while pulsed xenon UV bulbs emit UV light at several different germicidal wavelengths. All of the devices produce UV light using either mercury-UV bulbs that run continously or xenon UV bulbs that pulse. Recently, a company called UVC Cleaning Systems introduced a stationary UV device, designed to be mounted on a wall. Most are designed to be wheeled into a room, used, then wheeled out. The machines come in a variety of configurations. Several companies make and sell UV room disinfection devices including market leaders Xenex, UVDI, and Spectra254. For instance, Clorox recently formed a partnership with UV-device maker UVDI. Even companies with roots in chemical disinfection have entered the whole-room UV disinfection market.
Since then, popularity has surged because they sanitize practically all of the surfaces in a room at once, with minimal labor and without hazardous chemicals. Whole-room UV disinfection systems were first introduced to US hospitals around 2007. It is especially advantageous for use in hospitals because it kills the spore-forming bacteriumClostridium difficile, which is a major source of hospital-acquired infections. UV-C light has been used for decades to disinfect industrial surfaces and sanitize drinking water. The high-energy portion of the UV spectrum called UV-C is most effective. It works primarily by destroying the DNA inside bacteria, viruses and fungi. UV light is a reliable, well-studied antimicrobial technology.
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