As this appears to be a second sale post for the item recently listed I’m adding a link to those comments since they’re extremely helpful in the current climate. What everyone wants to know is will this kill COVID-19 and the responsible answer is yes BUT it would take a decent amount of time (most likely over 1 minute) of close, direct exposure without movement to each area that needs to be disinfected. In addition, UVC is EXTREMELY dangerous to people, it should be used with appropriate protective equipment and never be near skin/eyes. Woot! shouldn’t be selling such items at a time like this, it’s irresponsible to do so and not even include any warning labels.
UV-C light is harmful & dangerous to both human eyes & skin. This device appears to give off light in 360 degrees that can damage your eyes. It may kill COVID-19 but at what price to your health…
Dr. JR
It says it has 9 medical grade LEDs and the picture only shows 9 on one side, so it’s probably not 360 degrees, but there is definitely significant possibility of unintended exposure.
I’d be more interested if they had several of these mounted in a box with a lid that controlled when they would turn on and you could stick items in to disinfect. Imperfect for the task, but safer.
Arrived today. Very well made. Plugs in and turns on right away. No on/off switch so keep that in mind. Will be rigging a couple of these up in a mirror-lined box for sanitizing PPE.
EDIT fake - does not read any UVC reading at all - do not buy. No UVC reading at 15 or 30 minute intervals using multiple docimeter cards (calibrated for bacteria).
For those who are concerned, it is only “Lighted” on one side. Also, it HAS to be plugged into a power source while in use. It does not “charge”, it needs to be plugged into a charger or a portable power bank to use. Just got mine, ordered on impulse, and I am not happy I missed this salient detail.
Found this on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/DSstyles-Lights-Handheld-Lamp-Tool/dp/B086DP4XTF/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=B086DP4XTF&qid=1586584929&sr=8-1
Why are people paying $40 for an item you can get on alibaba for $9.50/each? Identical product. Identical photos. Even if you don’t want to buy from that site, realize how much you are overpaying here!
If you have something not temp sensitive then 158 F (70 C) for 5 minutes was found to inactivate
Here is a study done on various ways to decontaminate masks.
Here is a study that tests environmental effects. The supplement is where the pertinent info is. Notice on a mask the virus was still detectable after 2 weeks (although at 1/1000 the original value):
UVC will not go through plastic. Unless it is a sapphire lens, it won’t kill any germs. The lens on this device negates any possible effectiveness. It won’t kill any germs.
Just going to put this out there as I work in product development for lighting and everyone is now asking about this. Can UV-C defeat COVID-19? Yes but it takes extremely high amounts at roughly 45 minutes a time. UV sterilization is most effective in longer exposure and then you have DTT (distance to target) to account for. This product will most likely have minimal impact though for the amount of time commonly used for UV sterilization 1-2 minutes. In 1-2 minutes most viruses and bacteria would have enough altered DNA to not be able to spread. If there are parasites present (usually water) they are rendered infertile to be passed through the human body.
Would I buy this for my own uses? Probably not as it is most likely made from the cheapest contract manufacturer in China and I would not trust the safety for your eyes. If you really want to sanitize a phone I would recommend the devices that are on Woot that would encapsulate your phone with reflective surfaces making it more effective.
If you want a safe cleaning fluid something like hypochlorous acid would work and is safe to use around children etc. Be safe everyone.
“UVC will not go through plastic.”
All light wavelengths will go through any clear object. With opaque plastic all bets are off.
That’s not the whole story is it?
Cost for minimum 2 form china plus shipping is 35 . they don’t ship for 10 days and then they “estimate” it will take as many as 10 days an estimate not at all certain at this time with the coronavirus and the Chinese government seizing PPE. Then if it doesnt meet your expectations how do you return it.
That said I wonder where I put my old 40 w blacklight?
I hearted that for the blacklight reference as I think that is what a lot of the junk being sold actually is
Yeah isn’t the effectiveness reduced by the square of the distance? I don’t think anyone expects this to inactivate the virus in 2 minutes though.
" In 1-2 minutes most viruses and bacteria would have enough altered DNA to not be able to spread. If there are parasites present (usually water) they are rendered infertile to be passed through the human body."
People would typically be buying this for the particular problem now not for something like a flu or bacteria. It does stay on surfaces and remains active longer than a few minutes, much longer ( see the supplement to the study in the 2nd link I posted above)
No way i would trust this, unless it has a EU or USA FDA, NIOSH,# something like that . Very irresponsible to sell something like this with the climate now. They didn’t even spell mites correctly on the listing of what it kills.
little sauce for those interested in UVC for sterilization:
You are absolutely correct. I was thinking more water when I wrote that but yes - the distance to target and surface colors etc have a huge influence.
The point was that they are way overpriced.
Correct. You can buy UV-C lights for half this price. Portable wands that last 30 minutes sell for under 20 bucks. The bar is a little more pricey but just remember, a 360 light will screw up your eyes. People line a box or cooler with foil paper to help.