Specialty and Architectural Lighting — Ultraviolet Light

One unpleasant discovery that many homeowners and aquarium hobbyists make is that their ponds or aquariums can quickly become a haven to aggressive algae and harmful pathogens that kill fish and plants. Cloudy water, sick marine life, and an overall unhealthy look and feel to the water are the result. But growth of algae is a common, natural occurrence, resulting from feeding, filtration of biological materials, and fish/plant activities in the water. Also, light exposure...

Over the last 6-8 months, the use of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation to combat pathogens, specifically COVID-19, has skyrocketed in popularity. Many homeowners, businesses, schools, and government institutions have purchased UV disinfection devices for air, surface, and water sanitation. But while COVID-19 has been an unintentional pandemic, the risk for bioterrorism using a transmissible pathogen has existed for decades. There are hundreds of bacteria, viruses, mold, and fungi that cause adverse reactions in humans and animals....

Although no known pathogen is immune to ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, Signify and Boston University have shown that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can be successfully inactivated with UVC light. They have also given estimates of UVC doses to reduce 99% and 99.9999% of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Schools are attempting to figure out how to reopen to the public in the fall. From daycare and kindergartens, to junior and high schools, to colleges and universities, students and parents are going to expect a higher level of cleanliness. Unfortunately, pandemics do not end in a matter of months, and the COVID-19 coronavirus may not going away anytime soon. Schools will implement new practices, procedures, and technology to combat the virus. One of these...

Businesses, institutions, and consumers have grown in awareness of the health benefits of ultraviolet germicidal (UV-C) light, but UV can also reduce damage caused by fire and smoke. Most UV bulbs and fixtures installed to combat COVID-19 and other pathogens emit little or no ozone. They do not generate enough ozone to reach limits harmful to human health or damage materials. However, UV devices that emit both germicidal light and generate ozone are available from...

One of the questions we've heard recently is, "Why are lead times for ultraviolet germicidal bulbs and ballasts so long?" In the midst of a global pandemic, it seems like UVC bulbs and germicidal ballasts have just disappeared, and lead times for fixtures can range from 3-20 weeks. In this article, we'll try to explain some of the reasons for this. Huge Increase in Demand When the pandemic hit, there were waves of buyers of...

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been a proliferation of ultraviolet UVC products. While there are many good companies out there using high-quality products and effective designs, there has also been a flood of low-quality junk and even completely fake UVC devices. As of this writing, there are few official standards for UVC germicidal lighting products, either bulbs or fixtures. Many companies have been manufacturing specialty ultraviolet lamps, ballasts, and luminaires for decades. However, it...

Over the last few months, matching UV bulbs to ballasts has become increasingly difficult. While specialized ultraviolet ballasts have been bought up, equipment manufacturers have become more creative in finding compatible fluorescent ballasts for the UVC bulbs. But will these always work? And how can you find a compatible ballast?

When UV-C fixtures or handheld devices are used to sanitize surfaces and objects, it may be useful to determine the UV dose applied and comparing that to tables of dose requirements for deactivating microorganisms. Measure UV Intensity To get accurate dose data you need to start with a UV-C detector. The detector needs to display an intensity reading measured in microwatts per square centimeter (μW/cm² ). The Zenith detector is one example of a UV-C...

Should you buy that cheap UVC LED bulb on Amazon or eBay? It's a 500W equivalent and screws into your table lamp. Great deal, right? Unfortunately, it's starting to come out that these bulbs are fake. Instead of outputting UVC light, many are likely UVA blacklights, and manufacturers are exploiting coronavirus fears to sell fakes to consumers and medical professionals.

Large naval vessels are compact environments where microbes can thrive, circulating through the ventilation system. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVC) lighting systems can reduce incidence of harmful bacteria and viruses, and mitigate the risk of respiratory and airborne illnesses spreading throughout a navy vessel, cruise ship, yacht, or smaller boat.

Sometime in the future, whether it be a month, six months, or another year, offices and commercial buildings will reopen to employees and the public. One big change, though, is that both workers and visitors will expect a higher level of cleanliness for any building they walk into. Ultraviolet UVC lighting has been in use in commercial buildings for decades, but concern is growing over reducing airborne pathogens. Building owners, managers, and maintenance departments can...

One of the concerns about reopening the economy is that, if large gatherings are allowed again, the COVID-19 strain of coronavirus may spread rapidly. This is a legitimate concern as historical outbreaks of serious or deadly diseases have occurred in places of large assembly where one person exposed an entire population. But with the greater awareness of sanitizing air and surfaces, UVC lighting systems can provide some protection and mitigate the risks of allowing public...

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, hospitals and medical professionals have begun using ultraviolet germicidal UVC light more than ever before. Learn about the options the medical industry has for disinfecting air, stopping the spread of germs, and disinfecting patient rooms with ultraviolet light.

One small positive of the coronavirus outbreak and response is the increasing awareness of people of the effects of ultraviolet UVC germicidal light on viruses, bacteria, mold, and fungi. This article examines the harmful microorganisms commonly found in homes, as well as UVC solutions for sanitizing air and surfaces.