Researchers at NIT-K (National Institute of Technology - Karnataka) have developed a technique named ‘ZERO-COV’ to disinfect personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, surgical masks, vegetables, packaged food items, currency notes and other day-to-day items without damaging to them.

Developed by Arun M Isloor, professor and Head of the Department of Chemistry at NIT-K, along with research scholar Syed Ibrahim, ZERO-COV is a disinfection chamber that helps control surface contamination by bacteria and viruses, including coronavirus.

By placing items such as vegetables and currency notes in the disinfection chamber for 15 minutes, one can ensure destruction or inactivation of bacteria and viruses by 99.9 per cent, said an NIT-K press statement.

Quoting Isloor, it said the technology used is UV-C (ultra violet C type) radiation. It can destroy the nucleic acids of any germs present on the surfaces. UV technology is well proven and accepted by the scientific community and the WHO has recommended it for surface disinfection, he said. This is commonly used as a disinfectant in hospitals, laboratories and water treatment plants, he added.

Isloor said the chamber must be closed completely soon after being switched on, as direct UV-C radiation can have harmful effects on the human body. He used an old unused refrigerator as a chamber and used three UV-C lamps, each of which consumes 11 Watts.

A small chamber with a single UV lamp would cost around ₹500. This chamber, built using any unused object made of metal or plastic, can be placed at the entrance of the house or office. The technology does not require any toxic agents or chemicals, and is also portable.

Isloor said he and his research group have been making use of the lockdown period in research that will help in controlling the spread of the virus.