Because COVID-19 is ultraviolet and heat-sensitive, for a while, major e-commerce platforms of ultraviolet lamps have become a hot commodity. The product descriptions claim to be able to “sterilize a full 360 degrees, with no dead The product descriptions claim to be able to “sterilize a full 360 degrees” and that “UV + ozone = double sterilization”. Are UVC lamps really that amazing? Is it really that good? Should I buy one? What should I be aware of when using them? What should I be aware of when using them?
Let’s dive right in now, and you can click on the question that interest you,
1. What is ultraviolet lamps?
Ultraviolet light is a type of electromagnetic radiation, a light wave that is inherently present in sunlight but invisible to the human eye. UV light has been used for nearly a century to disinfect bacteria, as it is effective in killing bacterial spores, bacterial colonies, fungi, viruses, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Ricketts, and many other microorganisms.
According to wavelength, UVC can be divided into 3 wavelengths: UVA (wavelength 315~400 nm), UVB (wavelength 280~315 nm), and UVC (wavelength 250~280 nm). UVC germicidal lamps are usually used at a wavelength of 253.7 nm, which is generated by mercury vapor discharge, and the lamp material is quartz glass. Currently, most of the UVC germicidal lamps on the market are low-pressure mercury lamps, which are divided into ordinary lamps and low ozone lamps. In addition to emitting a large amount of 253.7 nm wavelengths of UV light, ordinary lamps also emit 184.9 nm wavelengths of ultraviolet light, which excite the oxygen in the air to produce ozone, so ordinary lamps are also called high ozone UV lamps. The low ozone version has a special substance added to the lamp to prevent the release of the 184.9 nm wavelength of UV light and produces very little ozone. This produces very little ozone, hence the name ozone-free lamp.
2. How to buy UVC germicidal lamps?
With the development of technology, the lamp process has been greatly improved and a variety of new UVC disinfects have emerged. According to the different shapes, UVC germicidal lamps can be divided into straight tube type, U type, H type lamps; according to the shooting, the method can also be divided into fixed, mobile, indirect types.
Fixed irradiation is most commonly used in medical institutions, where straight tube lamps (30W or more) are hung from walls or ceilings and are mostly used to disinfect indoor air and surfaces under unoccupied conditions. UV disinfection boxes, on the other hand, mainly use straight tube lamps of less than 20W and are mainly used to disinfect small items with flat surfaces.
Most commercially available domestic UV lamps are U-tubes, which are used to disinfect the air and everyday objects in the home and are mobile.
Indirect irradiation, mainly in circulating UV air disinfects, where the lamp is housed in the disinfection or and
It is used for disinfecting the air in indoor premises under occupied conditions and is based on the principle of continuously circulating the air passing through the disinfection or The principle is to circulate the air through the disinfection or for the purpose of air purification and The principle is to continuously circulate the air through the disinfection or for the purpose of purifying and disinfecting the air.
3. Ultraviolet lamps are very delicate to used
- Using UVC lamps, the power supply voltage should be stable at 220V, below this value, the radiation intensity will gradually weaken. The best germicidal effect of UVC is achieved when the relative humidity of the environment is 40%~60%, but the germicidal performance is weakened when it is lower or higher. At the same time, dust particles in the air will also absorb UVC, the more dust, the lower the disinfection effectiveness.
- In addition to ensuring sufficient exposure time, the closer the disinfected item is to the lamp, the better the disinfection effect. In the case of a 30W straight tube UV lamp, for example, a standard irradiation distance of 1 m is usually chosen for laboratory tests of surface disinfection performance. In other words, the best exposure distance for practical applications is no more than 1 meter.
- UV light only penetrates well through quartz glass, but poorly or impermeably through other objects such as ordinary glass. Stains such as blood, secretions, and excretions on the surface of the object to be irradiated will affect the penetration of UV light. Therefore, they should be cleaned prior to irradiation to ensure disinfection. Valuable books, clothing, etc. should not be disinfected with UV lamps as they may become discolored.
- 253.7 nm UV light is extremely harmful to the eyes and skin. Long-term exposure can cause photo-ophthalmia and photosensitive dermatitis, which can lead to photophobia and itchy skin, or even blindness or skin ulceration. The 222 nm UV lamp causes minimal damage to people and can achieve the same disinfection effect, but is more expensive than the 253.7 nm UV lamp.
- To avoid safety hazards, it is not recommended to use 253.7 nm UV lamps for air disinfection in the home, especially if you have young children, but to open windows more often. If you do need to buy one, we recommend using a 222 nm UV lamp, which is relatively safe.
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