A huge step forward in the safety of enclosed spaces has just been taken: the combination of wavelengths between 400 and 420 nm (Soret’s Band) is now officially recognized as a tool for indoor sanitation according to the new reference practice published by the Ente Italiano di Normazione (UNI). This achievement marks an important evolution in the management of microbial hygiene in indoor spaces.

We spend most of our time in indoor spaces: think about how much time we spend between schools, hospitals, offices, community spaces and even transportation.

In these environments, air quality and surface sanitation are key elements in preventing infection. Viruses, bacteria and other pathogens can easily accumulate and spread, putting people’s health at risk.

For this reason, it is increasingly important to adopt reliable, effective and safe sanitization systems.

The publication of UNI/PdR 173:2025 reference practice marks a paradigm shift: for the first time, visible light is officially recognized as one of the technologies for indoor sanitation, on par with other traditionally used chemical and physical systems.

The practice brings together prescriptions shared by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) and ACCREDIA – the Italian Accreditation Body, with input from academic experts, INAIL, ISS and the Ministry of Health.

The practice specifies in detail:

– The requirements for indoor environment sanitation management and indicators of effectiveness;

– The chemical, physical and chemical-physical systems that can be adopted for indoor sanitization;

– The qualification criteria for the Sanitation Manager and Sanitation Operator;

– The conformity assessment procedures, fundamental to the certification of sanitation systems and the professionals involved.

The new UNI/PdR 173:2025 reference practice “Sanitizing Indoor Environments” was published on February 13, 2025 and is available in the UNI catalog at these links:

Part 1: https://store.uni.com/uni-pdr-173-1-2025

Part 2: https://store.uni.com/uni-pdr-173-2-2025

The publication of this practice means that visible light-based solutions, such as BIOVITAE, can now be adopted following clear and shared regulatory standards, thereby increasing their uptake and impact on the microbiological safety of indoor environments.