Throughout the years, several experts have progressed in innovating UV's applications with a myriad of opportunities.

The idea of UV for disinfection is not new, yet it has garnered attention as of late. The pandemic, as well as the monetary penalties linked to contamination and readmissions, are the major reasons for people to look for safe and effective solutions for disinfecting high-touch surfaces.

Along with the varied UV light benefits, the route also led the way to many myths associated with UV lamps. Many customers who buy UV-C germicidal lamps can’t differentiate between myths and facts of ultraviolet radiation. In this article, we will bust some UV light myths that have been carried through all the years.

UV light is too expensive for a Biocide's substitute

Biocide disinfection is a traditional method that’s expensive and can be hazardous to employees. Using UV light for disinfection is a chemical-free, low-cost alternative to biocides or disposal.

Biocides can be dangerous for people and nature. It is hard to maintain a strategic distance from staff being uncovered, regardless of whether extractors and air filtration are installed.

As the smell of metalworking liquid fluid can be recognized when you enter the premises, contact is made through inhaling and direct contact with the liquid, with the danger of contracting diseases and medical issues in the short and long term. Also, UV light is more affordable than biocides, if you consider the total cost.

UVC lamps are hazardous to human health

UVC radiation alludes to wavelengths shorter than 280 nm that does not reach the earth's surface as our atmosphere absorbs it. These wavelengths are tapped into UVC LEDs or mercury lights. The light intensity from artificial UV light sources like UVC LEDs drops as 1 over distance squared, and once it disperses beyond the scattering length, it falls exponentially. This implies,

• The further away from the UVC source is a human, the lesser portion he is exposed to.

The absorption rate of UVC radiation by human skin is short, so UVC radiation cannot reach the living cells in the skin; almost everything is absorbed by the dead cell layers.

Distant-UVC light has a restricted range and can't tear a layer in the eye or enter through the external dead-cell layer of human skin, so UVC light is not a health hazard. As bacteria and viruses are smaller than human cells, their DNA is reachable for far-UVC light to kill them.

UVC lamps require frequent maintenance

UVC lamps' maintenance depends on your usage.

If you use UV disinfection lamps at your home or office every day to disinfect the air, it the bulb be replaced every 12 months. Most of the UVC bulbs lose half of their germicidal effectiveness by the end of the first year. A one-year scheduled replacement of UVC bulbs at places of excessive usage prevents risks for people with respiratory issues or other acute sensitivities.

However, UVC lamps' lifespan can be extended to two years if they're used for keeping the HVAC components clean of mold and other bio-growth. UVC bulbs should be disposed of before 3 years of usage.

Glass doesn't protect you from UV

UV-C can't pass through typical glass, and doesn't bounce much like typical light. At first glance this can be surprising because the blue light we see from germicidal lamps is bright and visible.

We have to remember that we can't see the germicidal disinfecting light, it's below the visible spectrum of light.

UV-C light only bounces on a few materials, such as aluminum. Most surfaces will absorb the light completely, even glass.

You'll see the blue light pass through the glass but the UV-C is stuck behind, making it safe to look at a UV-C lamp from behind the glass.

UV-C energy is blue

UV-C Wavelength has no color, thus the blue color visible in UV-C lamps doesn't come from them. The argon gas present in UV-C lamps produces the blue hue.

When a UV-C lamp is switched on, the passage of electric current excites the mercury in it to generate a photon of 253.7 nm, that's invisible to the human eye. Moreover, the light emitted by these artificial sources is just a fraction of the sun's blue light. The major concern here is the amount of time spent by people who use UV-C or HEV devices in proximity.

UV-C improves your HVAC/R system’s efficiency

Cooling coils and HVAC/R surfaces lose efficiency and minimize heat removal when mold, biofilm, and other natural mixes aggregate on them. The low efficiency in heat transfer pushes operators to repay with energy-intense requirements.

New HVAC/R systems with inbuilt UV-C do not allow such buildup due to continuous 24/7/365 bombardment of UV-C energy. UV-C degenerates the organic matter that has amassed in retrofit applications and later stops it from returning.

To eliminate the build-up that can't be obtained by either chemical treatment or mechanical (pressure washing), UV-C energy penetrates deep into the coil. At the end of the day, UV-C enhances airflow and yields heat-transfer levels to the "as-manufactured" limit; this means less energy is expected to give the important measure of cooling and airflow requested by the structure. UV-C introduced in more developed systems can decrease system energy usage by up to 25 percent.

UV-C kills virtually everything

Ultraviolet (UV) light has been the go-to for reducing bacterial contamination for a long time. However, it does not kill every microorganism present in the air. UV light sources vitiate after some time and the attraction of dust and debris acts as a shield to impede its efficiency.

This can become problematic and even inadequate in some circumstances. One such constraint is intensified in the air purification system that functions at the higher fan speeds for ACH performance.– the time that microbes will be exposed to the UV light – which is crucial for their effective destruction.

UV light also yields ozone gas as a by-product, which can develop in unventilated rooms and can harm human health and cause respiratory issues. UV light sources also need to be replaced immediately once degraded, adding to the costs.

All of the above statements about UV light are incorrect. Being a cost-effective, reliable, and easy-to-use source for disinfection, UV light is useful in both domestic and commercial environments. UV light can be harmful to you and the surroundings, but proper disposal methods can eradicate such risks.

If you have any queries or concerns regarding UV-C light, disinfection products like lamps and wands, wavelength, safety, and other general UV light questions, contact our team today. We’ll help you know the best UV light products for your residential and commercial setting.