Ultraviolet-emitting LED lights can kill the coronavirus quickly and cheaply, according to a study led by researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel.
Scientists said ultraviolet light-emitting diode bulbs (UV-LEDs) destroyed 99.9 per cent of the virus in less than 30 seconds.
The new findings, published in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology, showed that the lights could be installed in air conditioning and water systems to help limit the spread of Covid-19 in a cost effective way.
The problem is that in order to disinfect a bus, train, sports hall or plane by chemical spraying, you need physical manpower
“The entire world is currently looking for effective solutions to disinfect the coronavirus," said Professor Hadas Mamane, head of the environmental engineering programme at the university and lead author of the study.
“The problem is that in order to disinfect a bus, train, sports hall or plane by chemical spraying, you need physical manpower, and in order for the spraying to be effective, you have to give the chemical time to act on the surface.
"Disinfection systems based on LED bulbs can be installed in the ventilation system and air conditioner, for example, and sterilise the air sucked in and then emitted into the room.”
In the study, researchers tested the optimal wavelength for killing the coronavirus using irradiation. They found that a length of 285 nanometers was almost as efficient in disinfecting the virus as a wavelength of 265 nanometers.
This result was significant because the cost of 285 nm LED bulbs is much lower than that of 265 nm bulbs. The former are also more readily available.
However, Prof Mamane did warn that it was dangerous to try to use ultraviolet radiation to disinfect surfaces inside the home.
She said it was important that people were not directly exposed to the light.
Ultraviolet radiation is often used to kill bacteria and viruses.
Earlier this year, Dubai Health Authority introduced eight robots that use ultraviolet light to kill germs in medical facilities.
The devices can complete an "exhaustive sterilisation" of a room in 15 minutes.
Lights from UV lamps shine at 360 degrees and the robot covers each room several times before moving on.
In September, St Pancras railway station in London enlisted an army of UV-emitting robots to combat the spread of germs.
The UV technology means the robots can cover large areas of ground without the need for chemical disinfectant.
St Pancras International is London's ninth busiest station and home to the Eurostar which takes travellers to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The specs
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Specs
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Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
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The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
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Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
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The%20specs
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
