Health Canada says it is considering how UV wands and devices can be found on store shelves and in the hands of Canadian consumers after CBC. market Research has shown that only one consumer UV device is properly licensed for sale in this country.
In addition to not being properly approved for sale in Canada market We also learned that most of these UV wands and devices on the market are likely not doing what they claim and can even do potential harm to users. I was surprised.
Consumer UV wands and devices that claim to reduce microbes on surfaces or objects, but do not claim to reduce or prevent disease, Pest Control Product Law (PCPA) Before manufacture, import, distribution, or use in Canada.
To date, Health Canada has stated that Dyson humidifiers are the only UV products approved for registration with PCPA.
By email market, “Under any regulation, no other product is allowed to use UV light claims to disinfect, sterilize, or decontaminate products or surfaces,” Health Canada has stated.
Still, since the coronavirus pandemic first broke out in March last year, the market has been flooded with advertisements for UV wands and devices claiming to remove harmful bacteria and viruses from surfaces and objects in seconds. Prices for consumer goods range from $ 20 to hundreds of dollars.
market We were able to purchase a large number of devices from various physical stores and online retailers. According to PCPA, the act of selling, distributing, importing, manufacturing or using UV wands that are not properly registered with PCPA is not permitted in Canada.
A person convicted of any of the above charges may be fined up to $ 500,000 or sentenced to three years in prison.
Health Canada states that devices approved for registration under PCPA clearly bear the Pest Control Product (PCP) number and the words “Pest Control Product Act” or “PCP Act” on the packaging. I did.
No device market These markings purchased include a Homedics UV sanitizer bag. The company emails market I believed that the product would be exempt from registration under PCPA.
Health Canada has since market Products that make a clear claim about killing 99.9 percent of the bacteria and viruses you put inside are subject to PCPA.
Health Canada said it is considering information market It will be presented and followed up by the company. Regulators will take action if nonconformities are identified.
Homedics will maintain that the product is exempt from registration and will follow up directly with regulators.The company also said market, “We are not an organization that tries to avoid scrutiny, we are really proud of compliance.”
“There was a depth of regulation” products often do not respond to claims, experts say
After inquiries from market Regarding the availability of UV devices to Canadian consumers, Health Canada is currently “reviewing existing pre-market and post-market regulatory frameworks to determine if these devices require additional requirements. I have. “
In addition to not being approved here market It is also likely that most UV wands and devices on the market have not responded to the claim that they can kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria on objects and surfaces, especially for COVID-19. I learned.
“The basic thing we see on the market is that we haven’t reached the level of disinfection that Wand claims,” said James Marie, a professor of civil engineering at the University of New Hampshire.
Marie said further regulation and verification of allegations made by products sold and sold to the general public has long been delayed.
“There was an abyss of regulation,” he said.
Malley has tested a variety of products on the market, including many consumer devices, none of which have achieved 99.99% disinfection. Most of them achieved a 50 to 80 percent reduction in bacteria and viruses. Devices that worked well were home medical devices that sold for hundreds of dollars, or larger commercial devices that sold for thousands of dollars.
“You’re going to get most of what you pay for,” Marie said.
Most UV devices market Wands are on sale, but other styles of consumer UV devices, such as bags and cups, are also on sale.
Homedics UV sanitizer bag maker said market The bag has a safeguard to protect the user and is designed to turn on the light when the bag is closed and the item is placed inside. The company also said it conducted lab tests to ensure that its products were the most effective possible, but it is not possible to guarantee 100% elimination of bacteria from various objects. I admitted that there was.
Another UV device market Ontel’s safe and healthy UV-C disinfectant lights were seen. The company said it has taken safety measures for its customers and that its products meet regulatory standards. However, this is also not registered with PCPA. market We were able to find a product for sale through many online retailers in Canada, but the company insisted not to sell it to Canadians.
Mobile clean, another UV wand market Claims to reduce the chances of your family getting sick by killing 99.9 percent of the purchased surface bacteria.The company did not respond market place Questions about the validity of that claim.
Health Canada has issued a warning about coronavirus claims and potential harm
Health Canada has so far focused on UV devices that its enforcement claims to kill the new coronavirus, but “given the growing number and variety of UV devices on the market.” He said he would shift.
No device market Claimed to kill the purchased coronavirus.
Health Canada has previously warned consumers who have purchased wands claiming COVID. This is because there is no evidence or evidence that a UV wand or device can kill the coronavirus.
The best advice of Health Canada for consumers who have questions about UV wands or devices that make other bactericidal claims is to stop using it and consider reporting through its website.
Health Canada, the World Health Organization, and other UV experts have also clearly warned that UVC light can be dangerous.
There are three types of ultraviolet rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC. Sunscreen protects humans from UVA and UVB light that reaches the earth. UVA and UVB light is known to cause sunburn and skin cancer. UVC light is filtered by the ozone layer and does not reach the surface of the earth, but is usually artificially reproduced by a light bulb or laser.
Health Canada has stated that UV devices, especially those that use UVC light, are at risk of exposure to UV light, especially on the eyes and skin. Wavelengths, doses, and duration of exposure all affect risk and severity of injury, officials said. The risk can be exacerbated if the product is “improperly designed, used or installed”.
According to experts, user error is also the cause
Effective UV wands or devices should use UVC light and typically emit UVC in the 220-280 nanometer range. According to experts, the majority of consumer UV devices on the market may be using the wrong type of UV light, or simply a light that is strong or not strong enough.
Another reason UV devices may not be as effective as they claim is that consumers don’t use the device the way they intended, Marie said.
“Human is unlikely to hold it close enough long enough and is unlikely to cover the entire area,” he said.
To effectively clean objects and devices with UV light, the entire surface must be treated evenly. Areas that are hidden from light, slightly shaded, or covered with a small amount of dust are not properly cleaned.
UVC lights work by breaking the bonds between DNA and RNA in bacteria and viruses, essentially preventing replication and spread.
According to Marie, it takes time for UVC lights to work well.
“A good device we’ve tested usually has a reaction time of 5 minutes, some of which is 20 minutes.”
Marie’s biggest concern with consumer UV wands and devices is the false sense of security that she may provide to consumers during a pandemic. He repeated calls from public health experts to recommend proven means of disinfection and proper hygiene.
“We need these multiple barriers. We need masks, hand sanitizers, and social distance. There are no UV devices on the market to remove them,” says Malley.
Other experts, including Dominik Mertz, an associate professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, claim that canes and devices can disinfect many objects that people do not necessarily have to worry about themselves. I will immediately point out that it is not with cleaning.
Meltz claims that your car keys, wallets, cell phones and other items have not been distributed or touched by others. Even if you’re worried about the potential bacteria and viruses in those items, Meltz has suggested a much easier way to clean them: just wipe them off.
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Do you have a UV disinfectant?Most do not respond to claims and can be harmful