DNA and RNA are the building blocks of life, including microscopic organisms and pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and molds. The reason it is absolutely critical that the correct wavelength of ultraviolet is used for germicidal applications is due to the mechanism through which the pathogen becomes deactivated. Therefore, you will want to search for products such as Waveform Lighting's cleanUV ™ LED products, which specifically have a UV-C wavelength calibrated for germicidal applications. This is due to the way in which the DNA and RNA molecules react to these wavelengths, rendering the pathogens sterile and unable to reproduce. Instead, to successfully implement an ultraviolet sterilization system using LEDs, you will need to specifically look for UV LEDs that emit in the UV-C portion of the spectrum. Despite its stronger energy potential, UV-B's ability to sterilize and inactivate viruses, bacteria and molds has been shown to be quite limited. While both UV-A and UV-B are present in natural sunlight, UV-B is the primary wavelength that causes sunburn and skin cancer. UV-B radiation has a shorter wavelength than UV-A radiation, and is generally stronger than UV-A. These wavelengths, have not been shown to be effective for germicidal or sterilization applications and therefore should not be used. Although these products are certainly considered ultraviolet, their wavelengths are far too long at 360 nanometers or higher. Waveform Lighting's realUV ™ LED products, for example, emit at 365 nm and 395 nm, and are used across a variety of applications such as fluorescence, curing and blacklight artwork. Many UV LED products emit in the UV-A range, and are commonly referred to as blacklights. UV-A radiation is the weakest form of ultraviolet energy, but caution must be taken as it is nonetheless harmful under excessive exposure, especially as it is invisible. UV-A radiation is invisible until certain materials fluoresce, or "glow." Many fluorescent paints, minerals, and "blacklight" effect products are sensitive to UV-A wavelength energy. Perhaps the most common type of ultraviolet lamp you may come across is one that emits in the UV-A region of the spectrum. Ultraviolet energy is categorized by wavelength, and is broken down into the following types: The same way there are many types of visible light (630 nm = red, 530 nm = green, 460 nm = blue, etc) that depend on their wavelengths, there are many types of ultraviolet that have different characteristics depending on their wavelength. Ultraviolet wavelengths can range from 100 nm to 400 nm, which is almost as wide as the entire visible spectrum (400 nm to 800 nm). The specification we need to look at is the wavelength, measured in nanometers (nm). Just like visible light, ultraviolet is made up of a wide range of wavelengths on a spectrum, and this requires us to be more specific when we discuss different ultraviolet lights. In this article, we'll go over the various types of UV lamps as well as technologies and wavelength ranges that do and do not effectively work for UVGI (ultraviolet germicidal irradiance). Not all UV lights are effective for sterilization and disinfection purposes, however. Ultraviolet lights have shown great promise in providing effective sterilization and disinfection of surfaces.
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