Using Light To Fight Bacteria May Be Solution To Drug-Resistant Strains

Updated on

Ultraviolet Germicidal irradiation is using light to fight bacteria, and the market will triple in size between 2013 and 2023.

Using Light To Fight Bacteria

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation is a booming market that is expected to grow to $430 million by 2023, and the growth doesn’t show any sign of slowing down. There are a variety of ways in which we can be using light to fight bacteria, with applications ranging from Hospitals and food packers to general workplaces looking to decrease contamination.

One of the benefits of using light to fight bacteria is the fact that it can attack bacteria and viruses in a multiple of areas – disinfecting air, water, and surfaces. Surface disenfection is still a bit limited, but overall this ultraviolet germicidal irradiation is one of the top options for killing germs and leaving areas disinfected.

Air Contamination

Contamination of air by microbial pollutants is starting to become more and more recognized as a public health issue. While there may not have been any major changes in the amount of microbial presence, our advancement and study as a scientific community has shown that it is a major issue that needs to be addressed.

Using light to fight bacteria isn’t a perfect solution, but the fact that the market is growing so rapidly speaks to the fact that there is a demand for these solutions to this mounting problem.

UVGI is being used in order to combat bacteria, viruses, and fungi. These microorganisms are often contained in droplets in the air, and can cause issues ranging from minor allergies to serious diseases. Patients who are sensitive to these microbial interferences complain of symptoms including fatigue, nausea, headaches, congestion, and eye irritation.

Using light to fight bacteria has been around as a concept for quite some time, and it appears as if it’s being applied more and more in a variety of environments as we move further into 2018.

How It Works

UVGI uses short-wavelength ultraviolet light in order to kill these microorganisms by destroying their nucleic acids and disruption their DNA. As DNA is vital to being able to perform basic functions, negatively affecting it renders these harmful agents useless and makes this ultraviolet treatment one of the most effective for sterilizing an area.

The effects of ultraviolet light were demonstrated by Robert Koch as early as 1890, and our knowledge of the technology has only continued to grow since then. The rise of antibiotics and vaccination programs has led to decreased interest int he technology, but the resurgence of drug-resistant strains has once again brought the idea of using light to fight bacteria to the forefront.

Ultraviolet light has wide-ranging applications and is needed once again in order to protect against these drug-resistant strains. When we can’t kill the organisms by normal means, it remains a viable line of defense to protect hospitals, workplaces, and even our food from dangerous contamination.

Leave a Comment