Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 11, 2025

Inactivation of Pathogens via Visible-Light Photolysis of Riboflavin-5′-Phosphate
Published on: April 6, 2022
Spectrum of virucidal activity from ultraviolet to infrared radiation
Luke Horton1, Angeli Eloise Torres2, Shanthi Narla2
1Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.
Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a demand for safe and highly effective decontamination techniques for both personal protective equipment (PPE) and hospital and operating rooms. The gradual lifting of lockdown restrictions warrants the expansion of these measures into the outpatient arena. Ultraviolet C (UVC) radiation has well-known germicidal properties and is among the most frequently reported decontamination techniques used today. However, there is evidence that wavelengths beyond the traditional 254 nm UVC - namely far UVC (222 nm), ultraviolet B, ultraviolet A, visible light, and infrared radiation - have germicidal properties as well. This review will cover current literature regarding the germicidal effects of wavelengths ranging from UVC through the infrared waveband with an emphasis on their activity against viruses, and their potential applicability in the healthcare setting for general decontamination during an infectious outbreak.
Related Concept Videos
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Ultraviolet and Visible (UV–Vis) Spectroscopy: Overview
Infrared (IR) Spectroscopy: Overview
Different compounds display unique properties due to their...
UV–Vis Spectrometers
IR Spectrum
Transmittance is defined as the ratio of the radiant power passing through a sample to that from the radiation's source. Multiplying the transmittance by 100 gives the percent transmittance (%T), which varies between 100% (no absorption) and 0%...

