X-rays and UV Gang Up to Kill Anthrax
Engineers at Georgia Tech Research Institute have developed a faster, less-expensive method for decontaminating bioterrorist sites in the future.
They use a flat-panel
display that generates X-rays (0.01
to 10-nm wavelengths) and UV-C
light (280 to 100 nm in wavelength)
to kill anthrax spores in 3 hr with
no lingering effects.
The device can also kill spores
tucked away in places like computer
keyboards without damaging
anything. The UV attacks surface
spores while the X-rays penetrate
through material to kill spores in
cracks and crevices. The device is
said to look like a coat rack with
radiation modules facing outward
and arranged on rings at various
heights. The X-rays and UV radiation
are lethal to humans, so the
unit is turned on remotely.
Similar technology could be developed
into panels that sterilize medical equipment, purify water,
or decontaminate livestock when it
is exposed to a virus or germ.
Make Contact
Georgia Tech Research Institute,
gtri.gatech.edu