What happens to bacteria under UV light?
UV light is used in many applications that you might have come across in the beauty industry, medical science, police investigations and fitness gyms. However, at UV Water Filter UK we are concerned about how UV can kill bacteria in water.
What is UV light?
Ultraviolet light takes its name from the Latin word “ultra” meaning beyond, and “violet” which represents the colour of the highest frequency. Therefore, UV is beyond the highest frequency we can see.
UV is a form of electromagnetic radiation, that is emitted from the sun, but we have been able to create a man-made source (of UV A, UV B and UV C) for use on tanning beds, setting nail polish, in forensic science to detect bodily fluids or to sterilise surfaces in operating theatres etc. And of course, more importantly for us we utilise UV ’C’ for disinfecting water.
How can UV light be used to kill bacteria in water?
UV light is an effective disinfection process that kills off 99.9% of bacteria in water. The UV light rays penetrate (and target) the DNA of the bacteria, effectively altering it. The altered DNA of the bacteria means that it can’t reproduce, it deactivates it, but technically the dead bacteria is still present in the water, however, it is now no longer harmful if consumed.
The greatest advantage of using UV in water is that it doesn’t use any harmful chemicals, therefore the taste of the water is not altered, you don’t need to be handling corrosive chemicals to disinfect your water and it is better for the wider environment.
Where is UV Water Treatment used?
UV water treatment is used in the domestic and commercial environment to disinfect water. Domestic dwellings that need to have a UV unit tend to be properties that are not on mains fed water supply so they need to be able to treat the water before it enters the home. In commercial use it has many applications across industry sectors like manufacturing, agriculture, aquaculture, food production, medical and health and fitness etc.
In general, anywhere that clean bacteria free water is needed then a UV system can be used.
UV Water Filter offer a full range of UV units along with maintenance and spare parts. We have a knowledgeable team that are always on hand to answer any UV related questions you might have. Do feel free to contact us with any queries or look at our How to videos and FAQs for further help.
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