Journal of Environmental Health and Sustainable Development

en Investigating the Effect of Different Wavelengths of UV Radiation in Disinfection of Airborne and Surface SARS-Cov-2 Environmental Health, Sciences, and Engineering Original articles <div style="text-align: justify;">Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic which is caused by SARS-CoV- 2 has caused focus on reliable and effective disinfection methods such as ultraviolet radiation. There are significant gaps in the literature regarding the effectiveness of various UV wavelengths and its performance on different surfaces for viral RNA destruction. Materials and Methods: This study evaluates the efficacy of UVA, UVB, and UVC radiation in inactivating SARS-CoV-2 in contaminated air streams on various surfaces. The experiment measured cycle threshold (Ct) values of viral RNA under different UV exposure times and airflow rates. Results: UVC radiation achieved complete viral RNA destruction after 5 minutes at an airflow rate of 1 L/min, significantly outperforming UVA and UVB. Higher airflow rates reduced the efficacy of UVA and UVB, but UVC remained highly effective, showing significant viral reduction. On surfaces, UVC exposure increased Ct values over time, indicating reduced viral RNA, with rapid effects on paper and glass, and longer times needed for cloth and iron. Conclusion: The findings emphasize the importance of selecting the appropriate UV wavelength and optimizing exposure conditions for effective disinfection. UVC, due to its high energy and shorter wavelength, is ideal for rapid and thorough viral inactivation, making it suitable for air and surface disinfection in healthcare and public spaces. In conclusion, UVC radiation is the most effective UV wavelength for SARS-CoV-2 inactivation, offering significant advantages in both air and surface disinfection. Future strategies should leverage UVC's high efficacy and optimize exposure conditions to maximize viral inactivation.</div> Antiviral, Corona virus, Inactivation, Ultraviolet. 2656 2665 http://jehsd.ssu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-967-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Ali Behnami ali.behnami64@gmail.com 0000-0001-9113-2102 No Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Maragheh University of Medical Sciences, Maragheh, Iran Ehsan Aghayani ehssanaghayani@gmail.com 0000-0003-4587-1515 No Research Center for Environmental Contaminants. Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran Ali Abdolahnejad a.abdolahnejad1363@gmail.com 0000-0003-0193-7690 No Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Maragheh University of Medical Sciences, Maragheh, Iran Saber Raeghi Saberraeghi@gmail.com 0000-0002-8283-6447 No Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran Mojtaba Pourakbar ppourakbar@yahoo.com 0000-0002-8211-9640 Yes Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Maragheh University of Medical Sciences, Maragheh, Iran