An R-Zero Arc machine disinfects a room with ultraviolet light at Kesterson Elementary School in Henderson Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021. The system uses UV-C light to disinfect rooms.
Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021 | 6:20 p.m.
An entire classroom can now be scrubbed of the virus that causes COVID-19 through the disinfecting power of ultraviolet light.
The Clark County School District has purchased and is currently rolling out 372 R-Zero-brand Arc devices, which emit UV light to break down pathogens in the air and on surfaces without the use of chemicals. That’s a device for every school, augmenting the daily cleaning janitors do by hand.
“This is the same technology that’s used in hospitals,” said R-Zero CEO Grant Morgan. “It’s kind of the gold standard.”
The slim, wheeled tower stands about 6 feet tall, and when switched on and its light bulbs are glowing blue, resembles a large bug zapper. It can efficiently disinfect a 1,000-square-foot room in seven minutes. In a smaller classroom, like the counselor’s room at Lorna Kesterson Elementary, it can get the job done even faster.
During a demo at the Henderson school, CCSD facilities chief Jeff Wagner said the devices won’t come to every classroom every day, but should hit every room once a week. They will also be used promptly if there’s an outbreak, and more often in places like bathrooms and health offices.
“Those are high-load areas,” he said.
Morgan said his company leases the devices for about $17 a day, or sells them for about $28,000 each.
CCSD got theirs at a discount of about $20,000 each, or a total of about $7.4 million, using federal pandemic funds set aside for schools, a district spokesman said.
Wagner said the devices are a long-term investment that will come in handy after the pandemic, and won’t replace old-fashioned daily cleaning by janitors and other staff. Humans will still use cleansers, wipes and foggers for dust, dirt, blood, vomit and other bad stuff.
But those use chemicals, and the disinfectant towers don’t, which made them an attractive addition, he said.
Rather than chemistry, UV disinfectant towers rely on physics.
Ultraviolet light is divided into three categories based on the length of its waves. Sunscreen protects skin from UV-A and UV-B light — UV-A contributes to signs of aging, like wrinkles and spots. UV-B is the main cause of sunburns.
The R-Zero devices emit UV-C light, which has the shortest wavelengths and thus the most energy; it has the most radiation, which makes it potentially most dangerous when directly exposed to eyes and skin — but good for disinfection, since it breaks down bacteria and other germs.
Although the ozone blocks the sun’s UV-C from hitting the ground, artificial sources of UV-C can bring it indoors for beneficial uses.
“UVC radiation is a known disinfectant for air, water and nonporous surfaces,” the U.S. Food & Drug Administration says. “UVC radiation has effectively been used for decades to reduce the spread of bacteria, such as tuberculosis. For this reason, UVC lamps are often called ‘germicidal’ lamps.”
Morgan said devices like R-Zero’s are showing up in hotels, restaurants, corporate offices — all places people are returning to more often after over a year of lockdowns and caution, with a heightened awareness of the cleanliness of tighter indoor spaces. And they’re becoming common in schools — R-Zero is partnering with more than 100 school districts nationwide, he said.
CCSD is the company’s largest customer in Nevada, although a pool hall in downtown Las Vegas also has a system, Morgan said.
He said safety features include a 30-second delay when switching it on to let the operator safely leave the room, and sensors that automatically turn the device off if someone gets too close.
Morgan said tests show the device is effective against human coronaviruses — which can include the common cold — plus norovirus, also known as the “stomach bug”; bacteria like the MRSA superbug and E.coli; and mold and fungus.
