Types and effectiveness of UV lighting

1: What is UVC light and why should you consider it for your business?

UV light as a disinfectant solution has been in the media quite a bit - so much so it seems that it is a new technology.

UVC light has been used to disinfect and keep areas clean and germ free for almost 200 years. You may not have heard of it, but its applications are commonly used in helping to disinfect air and water in different industries.

Ultraviolet light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, it occupies the space between 100 and 400 nm. It is outside of the range of the visible and is further broken down into 3 parts. UV light has a wavelength that is shorter than visible light - insects however can see UV light, helping them identify the right flowers and plants.

UV in the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Violet Visible Red

Cosmic Rays Gamma Rays

10 -13 m X-Rays Ultraviolet

10 -9 m 10 -7 m Infared Micro Waves Radio Waves

10 -1 m (λm)

Vacuum UV Short Wave UV (UV-C) Middle Wave UV (UV-B) Long Wave UV (UV-A)

100 185 200 254 280 300 315 400 (nm)

UVA and UVB reach us here on Earth (Sun cream was created to help block the harmful effects of UVA and UVB). UVC never reaches the Earth's surface thanks to the Ozone Layer. For this reason living organisms such as bacteria, germs, viruses and pathogens have no defence against UVC Light.