Far-UVC is a waveband of light between 200 and 235 nm that has been used for more than a decade as an extra way to disinfect airborne pathogens on top of filtering and ventilating the air. Light is measured in nanometers (nm), and while many types of ultraviolet light exist, 200-235 nm is the sweet spot for safety and efficacy. Why is 222 nm the wavelength for our lamp and all other commercial far-UVC lamps you can buy today? It’s because 222 nm is the wavelength that is produced by the types of lamps that are more viable to produce: Krypton Chloride lamps.

When far-UVC light hits viruses or bacteria, it disrupts the pathogens’ proteins and DNA/RNA. Once this genetic material is damaged, the pathogen is inactivated, meaning it can no longer replicate itself or infect people. Unlike filtration and ventilation, the pathogen is still in the air, but is no longer harmful.

Learn more about the science behind far-UVC for pathogen inactivation

Far-UVC (222 nm) light has been extensively researched by universities and medical centers.

The scientific consensus is that it is highly effective against airborne pathogens with promising safety studies showing that it can be used in occupied spaces with humans and animals.

General Safety:

• American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) 2024: Threshold Limit Values and Biological Exposure Indices
• Assessing the safety of new germicidal far-UVC technologies. (Görlitz, et al. 2023)

Skin Safety:

• No Evidence of Induced Skin Cancer or Other Skin Abnormalities after Long-Term (66 week) Chronic Exposure to 222-nm Far-UVC Radiation. (Welch, et al. 2022)
• Extreme Exposure to Filtered Far-UVC: A Case Study. (Eadie, et al. 2021)

Eye Safety:

• Chronic Far-UVC (222nm) Light Exposure of SKH-1 Hairless Mice Does Not Cause Detectable Eye Pathology or Visual Deficits. (Arden, et al. 2025)
• Ocular safety of 222-nm far-ultraviolet-c full-room germicidal irradiation: A 36-month clinical observation. (Sigihara, et al. 2024)
• Interventional human ocular safety experiments for 222-nm far-ultraviolet-C lamp irradiation (Sugihara, et al. 2024)
• 222 nm Far-UVC from filtered Krypton-Chloride excimer lamps does not cause eye irritation when deployed in a simulated office environment. (Kousha, et al. 2023)

Not if used appropriately.

Evidence from multiple peer-reviewed studies suggests that eye doses delivered by far-UVC lights correctly installed overhead are unlikely to cause long-term damage.

This is in part because the eye receives a much lower dose than surrounding skin due to shielding by eyelids, eyelashes, and eyebrows, the same way they shield our eyes from sunlight.

Still, this is an active research area, and some sensitive individuals may experience eye irritation or dryness, especially in low-ceilinged installations.

To mitigate this risk, always use as directed, and avoid looking directly at the light for extended periods, just as you would avoid looking directly into bright lights or into sunlight.

• Chronic Far-UVC (222nm) Light Exposure of SKH-1 Hairless Mice Does Not Cause Detectable Eye Pathology or Visual Deficits. (Arden, et al. 2025)
  
• Ocular safety of 222-nm far-ultraviolet-c full-room germicidal irradiation: A 36-month clinical observation. (Sugihara, et al. 2024)
  
• Interventional human ocular safety experiments for 222-nm far-ultraviolet-C lamp irradiation (Sugihara, et al. 2024)
  
• 222 nm Far-UVC from filtered Krypton-Chloride excimer lamps does not cause eye irritation when deployed in a simulated office environment. (Kousha, et al. 2023)

It is actually completely impossible to receive a sunburn from far-UVC because far-UVC is not sunlight. (That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to do harm with improper use of UVC, even far-UVC.) A sunburn is not just skin reddening (erythema)--it's damage from the full spectrum of solar UV, the concerning parts of which are mostly NOT on the surface of the skin.

While unfiltered far-UVC has been found to be capable of causing skin reddening, multiple safety studies have looked at how human skin can be exposed to filtered 222 nm far-UVC - including over long periods of time, and at extreme doses far higher than those delivered by the Aerolamp when used appropriately.

• No Evidence of Induced Skin Cancer or Other Skin Abnormalities after Long-Term (66 week) Chronic Exposure to 222-nm Far-UVC Radiation. (Welch, et al. 2022)
  
• The effect of 222-nm UVC phototesting on healthy volunteer skin: a pilot study. (Woods, et al. 2015)
  

The danger of UV light depends on which wavelength and dose. Aerolamp uses a specific UV wavelength shown to be safe for human eyes and skin  at doses that are effective at killing germs.

Most germicidal UVC lamps are low-pressure mercury lamps that produce 254 nm UVC. Even a very low dose of 254 nm UVC can cause skin damage and snowblindness.

Instead, Aerolamp uses a filtered krypton-chloride lamp, which produces 222 nm UVC, considered by the American Conference of Governmental and Industrial Hygienists to be acceptable for human exposure at significantly higher doses.

Yes - but only a very small amount.

Typical indoor ozone levels are 4-6 parts per billions (ppb), while average levels of outdoor ozone are 20-30 ppb - almost all indoor ozone comes from outdoors. Most likely, you will raise your indoor ozone levels much more by opening a window than by operating a far-UVC lamp.

It's true that in a sealed chamber in a lab, typical far-UVC installations might produce significant (10s of ppb) ozone. However, our indoor spaces aren't sealed chambers. Both theoretical predictions and experimental evidence suggest that Aerolamp will raise indoor ozone levels by no more than 1-2 ppb. Expected ozone increase can also be simulated with Illuminate.

However, we recognize that ozone is a pollutant, and recommend that Aerolamp be used with portable air cleaners which include an activated carbon filter. Studies suggest that a single activated carbon filter is more than sufficient to mitigate any far-UVC derived ozone.

We are confident that your Aerolamp will last at least 10,000 hours, and likely 14,000 hours

Past 14,000 hours, your Aerolamp will still produce up to 70% of its initial output, but will be less and less effective over time.

Phone charger: no. Laptop charger: maybe, but probably not.

Aerolamp operates on 12V USB-PD, requiring a minimum of 2.5A. While some laptop USB-C chargers support this, many do not. Please check the label. Most phone chargers are unlikely to meet this specification. Fortunately, plugging in an incompatible USB-C power supply will not damage anything.

Aerolamp achieves 95% reduction of coronavirus within 15 minutes and 99% reduction within 25 minutes, assuming one Aerolamp in a 250 square foot room.

This is about 3x faster than a high-quality portable HEPA air filter.

This figure scales. Two Aerolamps in the same space will work twice as fast, as will one Aerolamp in a 125 sq ft room.

Note that this is a highly uncertain figure, and that research is ongoing, but represents our current best guess.

Aerolamp has four settings: POWER, RADAR, INTENSITY (dimmable only) and DEBUG.

The top and bottom buttons in the 5-button interface move the cursor between these settings.

If the POWER or RADAR settings are selected, pressing the center button toggles them off. The right button always turns them on. The left button always turns them off.

If INTENSITY is selected, the left button decreases the intensity, and the right button increases it. The center button does nothing.

If DEBUG is selected, the center button shows you the firmware debugging screen. You usually shouldn't worry about this option. From the debug screen, pressing the center button returns you to the main menu. 

The screen will also show the lamp's TILT with respect to the floor. This readout may be helpful during installation, but cannot be interacted with.

Mount your Aerolamp at least 8.5 feet (2.6 meters) up. Ceilings are typically 9 feet high, but some may be 8 feet. You can use a microphone stand, tension rod, tripod, or anything else compatible with a 1/4" mount.

Tilt your Aerolamp to point at the opposite corner of the room. Position it so that the light covers areas where people spend time, and make sure that nothing is blocking the light.

If it is not possible to install your Aerolamp at least 8.5 feet up, you can do a few things to minimize any overexposure risk:

1. Tilt the lamp so it faces more towards the floor.
2. Install the lamp somewhere people usually aren't facing - for example, behind a couch, rather than above a television.
3. Enable the dimming safety features by pressing one of the buttons on the side of the lamp. Note that this is a demo feature that can be used to enhance safety, but is not intended to be a replacement for appropriate use.

The dimmable Aerolamp may be set to a dim level of 20%, 40% or 70%. Otherwise, they are currently the same.

Both versions of the Aerolamp come with a millimeter wave radar to detect proximity and reduce output power to safe levels. Both work by turning off entirely when human presence is detected.

If the radar safety feature is not enabled, the dimmable Aerolamp may be helpful for spaces with very low ceilings.

Short answer: 1 for a typical room, or about every 250 square feet

Long answer: It's complicated

Unlike technologies like air filters, the efficacy of germicidal UV varies by pathogen. Some pathogens, like human coronaviruses, are very sensitive to far-UVC. Others are more resistant. However, there is significant uncertainty in just how sensitive various pathogens are to UV light.

The key metric to look for in all air disinfection technologies is the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR), usually given in cubic feet per minute (cfm). A typical high-quality portable air-cleaner has a CADR of around 400 cfm - a more typical one will deliver 200 cfm.

For a typical 250 square foot room with 9 foot ceilings, Aerolamp has an expected CADR of 200-1500 cfm, depending on the pathogen and the study referenced.

However, this estimate is based on a well-mixed room. In a room with very still air, performance will be worse than expected. Luckily, air mixing is readily accomplished with portable air purifiers, ceiling fans, or central ventilation. To ensure best performance, use Aerolamp in combination with a portable air purifier or other source of air mixing.

Aerolamp uses a Ushio bulb, so is similar to several other far-UVC companies who also purchase their bulbs from that manufacturer in Japan. Aerolamp’s bulb will last for at least 10,000 hours, but we hope up to 14,000 hours. Many other far-UVC lights have a bulb lifetime of 3,000 - 9,000.

Our pricing is also different. The Aerolamp costs $500 because it’s a small open source project with a DevKit. We are using the proceeds from the DevKit to fund the development of future, more polished iterations, while maintaining our commitment to the $500 price tag. We recommend using the Illuminate tool or contacting Osluv to ask about other far-UVC products you’re considering. Aerolamp’s DevKit doesn’t have the same certifications yet that other products may have, so if your budget allows, that might be a higher priority for you than cost.