Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light, when properly applied in combination with other disease-fighting measures, can reduce in-flight transmission of some contagious diseases without harm to passengers and crew, according to a team of U.S. researchers.
A report on their study, published in the March issue of Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, said research shows that UV-C light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, “when applied with appropriate scientific understanding and engineering safeguards,” can be safely used in aircraft cabins, even while the cabins are occupied.1
UV-C light is one of three forms of UV light, and the form with the shortest wavelength (around 200 to 280 nanometers [nm]). The relatively short wavelength means that little of the UV-C light reaches living cells in the skin or the eyes, and any injury caused by excessive exposure is superficial and short-lived. (With their longer wavelengths, UV-A and UV-B light can penetrate sensitiv…
