What is Germicidal UV?
Germicidal UV or germicidal irradiation is a method used to kill bacteria and viruses that can cause disease. Specifically, it is used to kill microorganisms by destroying their DNA. With that, they become inactive and are unable to function and multiply and cause disease. It can be used in water, food, and air.
History of Germicidal UV
Germicidal UV used in the form of lamps is something that has been used since the 1800s. It was used to kill microorganisms that would affect the quality of the indoor air. Most of the problems were different types of bacteria, viruses, yeast. In 1860 Niels Finsen was the first person who used the UV lamp to treat disease. Follow the link to find out more https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1903/finsen/biographical/.
After that, these lamps have started to become popular each day. They have been used in most of the countries in the world. The first way that it was used was in hospitals. After that, they were used in kitchens, bakeries, meat processor storage. After that, it became very popular with its use to clear out the bad quality air.
The benefits
Many people like to incorporate UV light into their HVAC systems. They do this primarily because of their ability to catch even the tiniest microorganism that flows in the air and kills it. A lot of people have respiratory problems that can be very harmful to them. Having this UV lamp can help better the air quality.
Even though they are installed next to the HVAC system, they operate separately. These lamps work 24/7, which means that they will take care of it at any time that there might be something in the air.
The fact that they operate 24/7 can help improve the work of the HVAC. They clear the air, which means that the HVAC would only allow good quality air to flow in any room. With that, the work that the HVAC needs to do is less, and with that, the life expectancy can be prolonged. By maintaining this, you’ll be able to save more money, and you still get good quality air.
UV lamps are of good use when it comes to preventing or helping ease the effects of certain diseases. Even with diseases that we might have been dealing with for a very long time or even newer diseases that are pretty unknown to us. Check this page out to find out more about these UV lights.
Safety tips
UV light can be very dangerous for humans, especially their skin. It is something that has to be used carefully in order to not get skin cancer or get burnt. Another thing that can happen if you look at it which is not recommended is you can get blind or have some severe eye problems.
Even though we use UV light to purify our air in order to have fewer breathing problems, it is known that UV lights can produce ozone. This can be very dangerous if being inhaled. That’s why when a UV lamp is made, it has a limit of ozone which that same lamp can produce, which is 0.05 ppm. This is the safe level.
Also, it is known that these lamps can cause radiation which is on a very low level. But, sometimes, it can cause the aging of different materials such as plastic, rubber, insulation. So it is recommended when using UV, these materials should be protected with aluminum or metal tape.
Where can you use it?
This technology can be used in facilities bigger than just our home. Many can benefit from it. Facilities such as hospitals can probably have the most usage from them. This is a place where many air-born diseases flow around, and many people, instead of getting help, can actually get worse from it. Cleaning all the rooms has not been enough, but these UV lamps have proven to better everything by disinfecting.
Another facility may be a school, hotel, gyms, places where people work with raw food. All of these are prone to creating bacteria and viruses, so using these lamps can be very beneficial.
A very important factor is that you have to find the right company to provide what you’re looking for. Whether they have good quality products, what they’re used for, if you can benefit from them. We know that germicidal UV can be very beneficial to us, and hopefully, we get the most out of it.
This is a technology that has been in the progress of improving ever since it has been discovered. Every year there is something new coming out about it, and we find out more benefits. Still, like every other product, this one needs to be used carefully. Otherwise, there will be some unwanted consequences.