Short-Wave Ultraviolet-Light-Based Disinfection of Surface Environment Using Light-Emitting Diodes: A New Approach to Prevent Health-Care-Associated Infections

Abstract

Ultraviolet (UV)-C irradiation is a promising method for microbial eradication on surfaces. Major developments have taken place in UV-C light-emitting diodes (LEDs) technology. In this study, we examined the suitability of UV-C LED-based surface disinfection in hospitals. We tested the efficacy of UV-C LED surface treatment on different microorganisms dried on a carrier surface or in a liquid solution. The influences of soiling, shading, surface material, radiation wavelength, microbial load and species on the disinfection performance were investigated. UV-C LED caused a reduction of >5 log₁₀ levels of <i>E. coli</i>, <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>C. albicans</i>, whereas 3 log₁₀ reduction was observed for <i>G. stearothermophilus</i> spores. The components of the medium led to a reduced UV-C LED efficiency compared to buffered solutions. We observed that the microbial load and the roughness of the carrier surface had a major influence on the UV-C LED disinfection efficiencies, whereas shading had no impact on inactivation. This study showed that UV-C is suitable for surface disinfection, but only under certain conditions. We showed that the main factors influencing microbial inactivation through UV-C light (e.g., intrinsic and extrinsic factors) had a similar impact when using a UV-C LED radiation source compared to a conventional UV-C lamp. However, the potential of LEDs is contributed by their adjustable wavelength and customizable geometry for the decontamination of medical devices and surfaces, and thereby their ability to overcome shading effects.