222-Nanometer Far-UVC Exposure Results in DNA Damage and Transcriptional Changes to Mammalian Cells

Ultraviolet (UV) germicidal tools have recently gained attention as a disinfection strategy against the COVID-19 pandemic, but the safety profile arising from their exposure has been controversial and impeded larger-scale implementation. We compare the emerging 222-nanometer far UVC and 277-nanometer UVC LED disinfection modules with the traditional UVC mercury lamp emitting at 254 nm to understand their effects on human retinal cell line ARPE-19 and HEK-A keratinocytes. Cells illuminated with 222-nanometer far UVC survived, while those treated with 254-nanometer and 277-nanometer wavelengths underwent apoptosis via the JNK/ATF2 pathway. However, cells exposed to 222-nanometer far UVC presented the highest degree of DNA damage as evidenced by yH2AX staining. Globally, these cells displayed transcriptional changes in cell-cycle and senescence pathways. Thus, the introduction of 222-nanometer far UVC lamps for disinfection purposes should be carefully considered and designed with the inherent dangers involved.