Suppliers offer buyers a refund after the government says that the ultraviolet light bulbs can damage skin and eyes
People who bought ultraviolet-C lamps as a means of disinfecting their homes were yesterday urged by the government to stop using them because they could cause skin cancer.
Consumers who bought the UV-C lamps - which were promoted as a means of killing germs amid the Sars outbreak - were told to return them to suppliers for a refund.
The Department of Health said regular use of UV-C lamps could cause skin cancer, ageing of the skin and eye damage, while shorter contact could lead to skin burns and eye irritations.
'These lamps should not have been advertised for household use,' said Ho Mang-yee, principal medical and health officer at the Department of Health. The lamps are for industrial use, such as in hospitals, hotels and laboratories for disinfection purposes.
About 1,100 of the lamps have been sold in the past month, according to the government. Most of them have been returned, but 258 are still in consumers' hands.
The UV spectrum is divided into A, B and C - with the last having the shortest wavelength. Dr Ho said UV-C is the most harmful of ultraviolet lights.