The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to consumers about potential risks associated with the use of certain brands of ultraviolet (UV) wands promoted to disinfect surfaces.
UV wands are consumer products designed to give off UV-C radiation as a method of disinfecting surfaces outside of healthcare settings. However, testing by the FDA shows that some UV wands currently being marketed to consumers expose users to unsafe levels of UV-C radiation. In some cases, FDA testing showed that certain UV wands generate as much as 3000 times more UV-C radiation than the exposure limit recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).
The FCC has posted an updated list on its website of 13 specific UV wands that give off unsafe levels of UV-C radiation. The FDA also advises consumers to follow all safety instructions included with UV wand products and warns against the use of any UV wand product that fails to provide safety instructions or information about potential risks associated with emissions radiated from UV wands.
