3 ms·
The air outside is constantly sterilized by UV light.
by kiba 1y ago
The air outside is constantly sterilized by UV light.
- ASalazarMX 1y agoCare to taste a spoonful of dirt in a sunny day to see how sterile it is?
- stronglikedan 1y agoI've done it, and aside from not being able to breathe well for a while while you douse your mouth and throat with a garden hose, nothing bad will come of it.
- ceejayoz 1y agoThis is a pretty common thing kids do. They're generally fine.
- ASalazarMX 1y agoAs a kid that ocassionally ate dirt, you're usually fine after it, if you ignore the worms you'll poop afterwards. My point was that it's not sterile even if it's under the sun all day, as UV rays don't penetrate deep, and dirt is a good thermal insulator. Bacteria and parasites, specially their spores/eggs, can be very hardy. It's amazing what our digestive system is capable of handling.
- ceejayoz 1y ago> My point was that it's not sterile even if it's under the sun all day, as UV rays don't penetrate deep… Then why make the point at all as a response to "The air outside is constantly sterilized by UV light"?
- ASalazarMX 1y agoBecause if sunlight really sterilized the air, which is transparent, it surely would disinfect every surface it touches. In reality, sunlight does disinfect, but life has evolved to withstand it enough to find a safe environment. BTW, hospital UV sterilizers work better because they're more intense than sunlight's UV.
- AngryData 1y agoIt certainly isn't sterile but if a spoonfull of dirt makes you sick then you should already be considered immune compromised.
- sailingparrot 1y agoAbsolutely not, most UV is blocked by the ozone layer, this is why we don't all develop skin cancer at 15. Otherwise, what would be the point of the UV-sterilization method?