Japanese Company Makes UV Lamp to

Kill Coronavirus
Exercise 1
Vocabulary
ultraviolet
Adjective
ˌəltrəˈvaɪəlɪt
having a wavelength shorter than that of violet light on the visible spectrum
Ultraviolet rays are harmful to the skin.
disinfect
Verb
ˌdɪsɪnˈfekt
to make something clean using chemicals
All floors need to be disinfected daily.
wavelength
Noun
ˈweɪvleŋkθ
the distance between the tops of waves of light, sound, etc. following one after another
X-rays have a shorter wavelength than ultraviolet light.
absorb
Verb
æbˈsɔːrb
to take in something, such as air or water
Plants are designed to absorb energy from sunlight.
filter
Noun
ˈfɪltər
a device that allows only certain types of substances, light, etc. to pass through it
I need to buy a new filter for the coffee machine.
sign
Noun
saɪn
a fact, event, etc. that shows that something is present, true, etc.
Red eyes are a sign of lack of sleep.
Exercise 2
Article
Japanese Company Makes UV Lamp to Kill Coronavirus
Japanese company Ushio has developed a new kind of ultraviolet (UV) lamp
that can kill the coronavirus without being as damaging to human health.
UV lamps have been used before for disinfecting places like hospitals and
trains, and to stop the spread of diseases.  However, most of them use a 254-
nanometer wavelength of light, which can damage skin and eyes and cause
things like skin cancer, so they can't be used when people are around.

But Ushio’s new Care222 lamp produces a wavelength of light that’s 222
nanometers, which can still kill bacteria and viruses, but may be much safer for
people. The lamp could be used in places like buses, trains, elevators and
offices.

New studies show that 222-nanometer wavelengths may be safe because they
are absorbed only by the outer layers of the skin and eyes and do not damage
anything underneath. A special filter, based on research from Columbia
University, is used on the Care222 that only allows the safer wavelength of
light to be released.

A study by Ushio and Kobe University found that the wavelength of light could
kill bacteria on people's skin without leaving signs of damage.  And another
study from Kobe University found that the wavelength didn't cause skin cancer
in mice.

Researchers from Hiroshima University found that 222-nanometer wavelengths

of light could reduce the number of COVID-19-causing viruses by 99.7% when
the lamp was placed 24 centimeters away from the virus and was on for 30
seconds.

When put on a ceiling, the Care222 can kill 99% of bacteria and viruses in the
air and on a 3-square-meter area on an object about 2.5 meters away.  It would
take the lamp six to seven minutes to do this.

At the moment, Ushio is only selling the lamps to medical institutions, but it's
working with Toshiba Lighting and Technology Corporation to make lamps for
other places. The companies hope to release them in January.  The Care222
costs 300,000 yen, or about $2,800.