Bactericidal lamps

2021: The most common misconceptions about bactericidal lamps

On June 28, 2021, Ledvance (Ledvance) submitted the most common misconceptions about bactericidal lamps for consideration.

Bactericidal devices for decontaminating premises are gradually becoming an integral part of the interior of not only public places, but also apartments. And this is not bad, because a properly selected device will prevent the spread of pathogenic microorganisms in the air, even if someone is ill in the family. But many still fear ultraviolet due to various myths and rumors. Lyubov Matveeva, Manager of UV Products Business Development at LEDVANS JSC Plant, dispels the most common myths and explains what to expect from a bactericidal recycler.

Myth 1. Bactericidal UV device can be switched on only when there is no one in the room

This misconception is due to the fact that people confuse closed-type bactericidal recirculators with open ultraviolet irradiators and quartz lamps, which are common in medical institutions. Recirculators with an ozone-free lamp made of special uviol glass can and should be used to decontaminate air in the presence of people. They are designed for this. Their lamps are covered by a body, which, incidentally, can be both metal and made of shock-resistant glasses that do not pass ultraviolet light. In turn, open type irradiators are used only in an empty room and decontaminate both air and surfaces. Such are not intended for home use, especially if there are children in the house who can accidentally turn them on, and such devices should not work in the presence of people.

Myth 2. Ultraviolet kills everything alive. We're alive, too.

No, ultraviolet light from a closed-type recirculator does not go beyond the protective casing, so it will not harm a person, will not lead to burns or diseases, even with constant indoor work. The UV radiation in such a device only affects the microorganisms that enter the housing when the air through the inside fans enters. Moreover, if viruses, bacteria and fungi can get used to chemicals over time, they do not have protection from UV rays. But an open-type irradiator can really be dangerous, since direct UV radiation causes burns to the skin and cornea of the eyes.

Myth 3. If someone is already sick at home, it is useless to disinfect the air.

No, that's wrong. There is a list of studies, both foreign and domestic, that confirm that when using UV installations for air disinfection, the severity of ARVI symptoms and the frequency of their occurrence are significantly reduced! A recirculator, selected exactly by the volume of the room, will be able to disinfect the air in it within an hour. But it is better to keep it on constantly, especially if the house is sick. When choosing a device, we multiply the length of the room by the width and height to the ceiling, we get the volume in cubic meters. Then we look at the performance of the device - how much m3 of air it processes in an hour, this is indicated in the instruction. So, a 50 m3 room will require a recirculator with a capacity of 50 or 60 m3/hour.

Myth 4. A constantly working recirculator spoils the air, not without reason after "quartz" in medical rooms it smells of ozone, and this is poison.

As of June 2021, the bulk of bactericidal recirculators are equipped with uviol glass lamps, which do not pass any UV radiation, but only the most necessary - the spectrum "C" with a wavelength of 254 nm, which is detrimental to pathogenic microorganisms. At the same time, uviol glass does not pass short-wave rays of 185 nm, converting oxygen into toxic ozone for humans. But lamps of the old quartz glass sample can pass the entire ultraviolet spectrum, so earlier in medical rooms it smelled of ozone. After the quartz lamp, of course, in the absence of people, the room was necessarily ventilated. Therefore, when buying a recirculator, it is necessary to check the instruction and make sure that it is equipped with a uviol ozone-free lamp. And when the time comes to change the lamps in the device, and this must be done after 9000-10800 hours of work, depending on the instructions of the manufacturer, you also need to select safe lamps. Replacement is necessary because the bactericidal efficiency of the lamps decreases over time. The spent lamp should be delivered to a special receiving station for mercury-containing lamps. Such are at DEZ or recycling plants in each city.

Myth 5. The lamps in the recirculator contain mercury, what if they break up and poison the whole house?

In a closed-type recirculator, the mercury-containing uviol lamp is protected by a casing, so in order to break it, you will have to try hard. But still, for maximum safety, if there are small children or animals in the house, you need to choose a suspended recirculator model and strengthen it under the ceiling or on the wall. Mercury, or rather its vapors, contains not only ultraviolet lamps, but also fluorescent lamps of daylight. However, the amount of vapor in the mercury-containing lamp is very small - from 2.5 to 5 mg, so poisoning will not occur. For comparison, in a conventional mercury level gauge from 0.5 to 1 g, which is hundreds of times more than in a bactericidal lamp. In any case, for maximum safety, it is enough to ventilate the room for a long time.

See also

Disinfectants and air disinfectants