What is UVC Light, and How Does It Kill Germs?

WHAT IS UV LIGHT?

Ultraviolet (UV) light is a form of light, invisible to the human eye, that exists on the electromagnetic spectrum between X-rays and visible light. We are exposed to low levels of UV light from the sun’s rays every day. UVA is the one that gives you that nice tan. UVB is the one that leaves you with a nice burn. UVC does not make it through the atmosphere and for good reason. It is filtered out by the atmosphere.

Ultraviolet Light

You’ve probably seen the visible light spectrum before; on the spectrum, visible light (violet to red) is from 380 nanometers to 780 nm. As a reference, most household lamps are between 500 and 700 nm. We use blue light in the visible spectrum from 405-470nm to kill a wide range of bacteria. Fire departments, doctors, dentist, building owners and more are using these light to keep their areas FREE from MRSA, Staph, Strep, Cdiff and more.

405nm to 470nm of blue light kills bacteria not viruses.

For UV Light it is know that 254 nanometer UVC is very anti-germicidal and kills bacteria and viruses including the Covid virus.

Why does UVC work?

It looks nice to have a nice tan but you actually are damaging your skin. At the foundation of a suntan or sunburn is skin cell damage caused by Ultraviolet-A and -B rays given off by the sun. UV rays are harmful. SPF 30, Earth’s atmosphere, and evolution have allowed us and most organisms to develop a tolerance to moderate levels of UVA and UVB. That’s the big difference. To much of either one can cause serious skin damage and skin cancer.

The sun gives off UVC, too, but it’s not strong enough to penetrate Earth’s atmosphere. So, there’s been no chance for infectious bacteria and viruses to develop a similar immunity. Hospitals use UVC to kill germs because its germicidal characteristics can be unequivocally relied upon. This has been studied for close to 100 years.

Who uses UVC?

UVC is commonly used in hospitals, air and water filters, microbiology labs, etc. They rely on high strength UVC for disinfecting because it works. It kills germs quickly and effectively. UVC rays attack and deactivate DNA and paralyze all cellular functions. Bacteria, viruses, and even antibiotic-resistant superbugs have no tolerance to UVC. UVC light deactivates the virus and it cannot survive.

UVC lights are now available in both quartz tubes and LED lights. The best anti-germicidal rating is 254nm. LED lights come in 280nm which is effective but not as much as 254nm.  Effectiveness is a function of UVC strength and exposure time. Lamps are normally positioned at short distances from the surface because it works most effectively in the lamp’s line of sight.

Is There A Good Reason To Use UVC Light?

#1 UVC light has been studied for close to 100 years. The facts are it does kill viruses up to 99% of the time. Does it kill the COVID virus the answer is probably yes. The new COVID virus is very close to a lot of the Corona Viruses that have been tested an proven to be 99% destroyed. UVC energy is environmentally friendly, chemical free and prevent these viruses from replicating in any environment.

Keep in mind that UVC light does kill viruses but you must be very careful using these lights. All of our lights have remote starts on them, timers on them and motion sensors to keep everyone safe. You must use these when NO ONE  is in the room. Period…end story. You do not want look at this light.

Typical Sterilization Rates

Hold time	15mins	30mins	60mins	90mins	120mins
Usable Area
Power
20W	5㎡/54 sq.ft.	10㎡/108 sq.ft.	20㎡/215 sq.ft.	30㎡/323 sq.ft.	40㎡/430 sq.ft.
30W	7㎡/75 sq.ft.	15㎡/162 sq.ft.	30㎡/323s q.ft.	45㎡/484 sq.ft.	60㎡/645 sq.ft.
38W	9㎡/97 sq.ft.	19㎡/204 sq.ft.	38㎡/409 sq.ft.	57㎡/613 sq.ft.	75㎡/807 sq.ft.
40W	10㎡/108 sq.ft.	20㎡/215 sq.ft.	40㎡ 430 sq.ft.	60㎡/645 sq.ft.	80㎡/860 sq.ft.
60W	15㎡/162 sq.ft.	30㎡/323 sq.ft.	60㎡/645 sq.ft.	90㎡/969 sq.ft.	120㎡/1292 sq.ft.
80W	20㎡/215 sq.ft.	40㎡/430 sq.ft.	80㎡/ 860 sq.ft.	120㎡/1292 sq.ft.	160㎡/1722 sq.ft.
100W	25㎡/269 sq.ft.	50㎡/538 sq.ft.	100㎡/1076 sq.ft.	150㎡/1615 sq.ft.	200㎡/2153 sq.ft.
120W	30㎡/323 sq.ft.	60㎡/645 sq.ft.	120㎡/1292 sq.ft.	180㎡/1937 sq.ft.	240㎡/2583 sq.ft.
150W	37㎡/ 398 sq.ft.	75㎡/807 sq.ft.	150㎡/1615 sq.ft.	225㎡/2422 sq.ft.	300㎡/3229 sq.ft.