N-95 UV Decon Process

[WolfBrother]

"I got this at Reasonable Rascal's forum.  He's one of the movers & shakers behind the Survival and Austere Medicine: An Introduction book I tell everyone to get, read, study."

 N-95 UV Decon Process

    The Univ. of Nebraska Medical Center has developed a process for decontaminating N-95 masks so they can be reused using a UV-C light room. They have put together a .pdf document that is very picture heavy detailing every step of the process including the collection and redistribution steps. The document is 19 pages in all. UNMC is one of the original Ebola quarantine hospitals and have been one that actively kept up their practice sessions and were ahead of the game when COVID came on the scene.

    RR

https://www.nebraskamed.com/sites/default/files/documents/covid-19/n-95-decon-process.pdf

[Jerry D Young]

WolfBrother, I could not find a reference to UV-C in the paper. Can you find out from RR if that is simply a typo, or if they are using UV-C rather than UV-A and/or UV-B?


Thank you.

[WolfBrother]

WolfBrother, I could not find a reference to UV-C in the paper. Can you find out from RR if that is simply a typo, or if they are using UV-C rather than UV-A and/or UV-B?


Thank you.

Jerry,The pdf mentioned:

Each of the two UVGI towers are equipped with eight 254 nm bulbs, these bulbs are routinely used in biosafety cabinets and produce 200 μw/cm2at 10 feet distance for a dosage of 12 mJ/minute.

using products from this company: Chlordisys Decontamination and Sterilization Equipment and Services  https://www.clordisys.com/products.php
If you go to the UV part of the products page you'll find the UVGI towers there and they specifically state UV-C.

[Jerry D Young]

Okay. Thanks, WolfBrother.


I was just a bit curious. UV-C is not well known. It was only discovered several years ago, as it does not reach the ground through the atmosphere. However, it is much more destructive than even UV-A and UV-B. That is one of the concerns if we lose much of the magnetosphere. Sun burn and eye damage would go way up if UV-C ever starts reaching the ground.


Jerry

[WolfBrother]

I was just a bit curious. UV-C is not well known. It was only discovered several years ago, as it does not reach the ground through the atmosphere. However, it is much more destructive than even UV-A and UV-B. That is one of the concerns if we lose much of the magnetosphere. Sun burn and eye damage would go way up if UV-C ever starts reaching the ground.

Yup, UV-C is not repeat NOT the UV we grew up using make our posters glow in the 60's.
UV-C is not something you'd want to be exposed to without the proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), especially the eyes.
UV is used in chemistry to break carbon bonds in some reactions.

Our skin and eyes are completely made up of carbon bonds and UV-C will absolutely damage them.

[Jerry D Young]

Exactly.