We have been using ultraviolet radiation as a means of disinfection for over a century. However, it has been the unfortunate events of the past year that have led to an explosion of interest in ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) systems. From mercury vapour and...
Germicidal
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Visible Light Disinfection
In summary, visible light disinfection technology may be useful in some applications, but it is by no means a panacea. When designing or specifying a disinfection system, both the lighting designer and the client will need to thoroughly understand the capabilities and limitations of the technology, and agree upon its purpose.
Defining Far-Ultraviolet
In these uncertain times, there is increasingly persuasive evidence that “far-UV” radiation is effective in inactivating the SARS-CoV-2 virus and other pathogens, but without the health risks of germicidal ultraviolet radiation. Unfortunately, this technology has some...
Ultraviolet Radiation & Viral Misinformation
Let me begin with a smorgasbord of headlines: 99.9% of Covid-19 virus dead in 30 seconds with UV LEDs, says Tel Aviv research (www.malaysianow.com) UV-emitting LED lights found to kill coronavirus (www.sciencedaily.com) Study reveals UV LED lights effectively kill a...
Ultraviolet Radiation Terminology
A word of caution: I am going to be annoyingly pedantic here, but with good reason. The lighting industry has a century-long history of introducing unfamiliar technologies using familiar terminology. We later come to regret our choice of words when it becomes...
Spherical Irradiance and Aerosols
Lighting designers will be familiar with the illuminance of a planar surface, which is measured in lumens per square meter (or foot). The irradiance of a planar surface by a germicidal radiation source is conceptually the same, except that it is measured in watts per...