Karampasi Christina, Sfiniadakis Ioannis, Petri Aspasia, Rallis Michail
Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15784, Athens, Greece.
Pathologoanatomic Laboratory, Athens Naval Hospital, 11521, Athens, Greece.
Photochem Photobiol Sci. 2025 May 14. doi: 10.1007/s43630-025-00732-9.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, portable UV-C radiation sources for disinfection have become increasingly available and integrated into daily life. UV-C devices emitting at 254 nm (mercury lamps) affect skin and eyes, usually causing erythema, burns or photokeratitis. Despite safety recommendations, misuse or accidental exposure remains a risk. Most data on UV-C effects come from cases of accidental overexposure in fixed installations, while portable devices involve different exposure geometry. Users hold the source close throughout the disinfection process, exposing themselves to both direct and reflected UV-C radiation. An in vivo study using male SKH-hr1 mice was conducted in two stages to assess the effects of skin exposure to UV-C radiation from a commercial disinfection device (Hg lamp, 253.7 nm, 5 Wm) under realistic conditions of use. In the first stage, single irradiation doses of 5 Jm, 15 Jm, 30 Jm, 45 Jm and 60 Jm were used to determine the minimum erythemal dose. Doses of 45 Jm and 60 Jm caused irritation and signs of skin aging including reduced elasticity, wrinkling and dry skin. Based on these findings, the second stage assessed long-term effects with repeated exposures of 45 Jm, 60 Jm, and 100 Jm, irradiating mice 5 times per week for 25 days. Progressive skin damage escalated from mild irritation to significant thickening and premature aging, culminating in erythematous papules indicative of actinic hyperkeratosis. These findings demonstrate that both acute and long-term exposure to UV-C radiation can cause significant skin damage, emphasizing the need for strict adherence to safety guidelines.
在新冠疫情之后，用于消毒的便携式紫外线C辐射源越来越普及并融入日常生活。发射254纳米（汞灯）的紫外线C设备会影响皮肤和眼睛，通常会导致红斑、灼伤或光性角膜炎。尽管有安全建议，但误用或意外暴露仍存在风险。关于紫外线C影响的大多数数据来自固定装置中意外过度暴露的案例，而便携式设备涉及不同的暴露几何形状。在整个消毒过程中，用户会将源靠近身体，使自己暴露于直接和反射的紫外线C辐射中。使用雄性SKH-hr1小鼠进行了一项体内研究，分两个阶段评估在实际使用条件下皮肤暴露于商用消毒设备（汞灯，253.7纳米，5瓦/平方米）发出的紫外线C辐射的影响。在第一阶段，使用5焦耳/平方米、15焦耳/平方米、30焦耳/平方米、45焦耳/平方米和60焦耳/平方米的单次照射剂量来确定最小红斑剂量。45焦耳/平方米和60焦耳/平方米的剂量导致了刺激以及皮肤老化迹象，包括弹性降低、起皱和皮肤干燥。基于这些发现，第二阶段评估了45焦耳/平方米、60焦耳/平方米和100焦耳/平方米重复暴露的长期影响，每周给小鼠照射5次，持续25天。渐进性皮肤损伤从轻度刺激升级为显著增厚和过早老化，最终出现指示光化性角化病的红斑丘疹。这些发现表明，急性和长期暴露于紫外线C辐射都会导致严重的皮肤损伤，强调了严格遵守安全指南的必要性。
