Teenage school kids smiling to camera in school corridor

A suburban high school located north of Chicago has embraced the ultra-popular practice of killing germs using ultraviolet (UV) light.

Mundelein High School recently purchased five units of ultraviolet lighting systems from San Francisco-based R-Zero, reports Fox 32. The school is one of 75 nationwide that is trying out the company's product.

Ultraviolet technology isn't new. As many in healthcare know, hospitals have being using UV light to disinfect critical areas - like operating rooms - for a while. However, the technology hasn't been as accessible for other settings, such as education. Now, companies like R-Zero have been developing products that can be more easily used by more people. For example, R-Zero has packed its technology into portable units, making them easy to roll around the hallways and classrooms of schools.

Every school night, Mundelein High School's custodians continuously wheel the UV technology to the middle of classrooms. Once inside the room, the custodian pushes a button, which they know means they must leave the area within 30 seconds so that they're out before the lights begin killing germs and viruses. The school's facilities director told Fox 32 that has been no evidence of COVID-19 being transmitted at Mundelein High since the technology was purchased.

Whether or not UV tech becomes more popular in schools might depend on how much districts and private schools are willing to spend. For example, R-Zero units cost between $12,000 and $15,000 each.