Oral cavity damage as a potential health risk from germicidal UV lamp use in occupational and emergency situations

Abstract

The increasing needs for protection from COVID-19 pandemic and biological-related risks together with the broader availability of new technologies have led to a widespread use of UV germicidal lamps in many contexts. Safety is a major concern in the use of these devices especially in emergency situations. Skin and eye are commonly recognized as target organs for exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Nevertheless, adverse effects were also observed in the oral cavity of two healthcare workers after an accidental exposure to a germicidal lamp in hospital pharmacy. An experimental on-the-field study was set up to provide a risk assessment of accidental UVR exposure in the oral cavity. An adult manikin was adapted to reproduce real exposure in different postures. The oral cavity was exposed for 30 min (half of the time the workers spent at the workstation). The accumulated radiant energy per unit area was slightly above the limit for human biologically effective radiant exposure to UVR of eyes and skin within an 8-h period according to the ICNIRP guideline (30 J/m²). A UV-C exposure > 100 J/m² was assessed in correspondence to the lips of the manikin. The high humidity presents in the oral cavity and the absence of the stratum corneum in some areas might enhance the epithelium photo-damage due to UV-C, highlighting a potential risk of adverse effects to the oral cavity from exposure to artificial sources of UV-C radiation. Specific UVR exposure limits for the oral mucosa could be developed to prevent and protect workers’ health.