What is ultraviolet light?
Ultraviolet light has shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies than visible light. UV light in
invisible to human eyes, however some insects such as bumblebees can see them. Ultraviolet
light has wavelengths of 400 nanometres on the visible light side, and about 10 nm on the X-ray
side. We get exposed to UV light that is produced by the sun. UV light is divided into UV-A, UV-
B, and UV-C. UV-C is the most harmful type of radiation, at 280 nanometres to 100 nanometres,
which has the shortest wavelength. It is almost completely absorbed by the atmosphere. UV-B
rays can cause sunburn. If exposed to UV-B, it can increase the risk of DNA and cellular
damage to organisms. 95% of UV-B is absorbed by the ozone layer. UV-B has wavelengths
from 315 to 280 nm. UV-A is also called black light and has wavelengths from 400 nm to 315
nm. 99% of the ultraviolet light that reaches earth’s surface is UV-A.
Negatives of UV
If the ozone layer becomes thin, more UV-B radiation reaches earth’s surface and can have
hazardous effects on organisms. Some studies have shown that when UV-B light goes under
the ocean's surface, it may be lethal to plankton up to 30 m in clear water. UV light can only
penetrate human skin. It can cause reddening of the skin (sunburn), pigmentation (suntan), and
ageing. The three basic skin cancers, basal and squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma, have
been linked to long term exposure to ultraviolet light.
Positives
UV light stimulates the production of vitamin D, and may be used as a therapeutic agent for
diseases like psoriasis. At wavelengths of 260-280 nm, it has bactericidal properties, and can be
used as a research and sterilization tool.
Britannica
Ultraviolet light disinfection
UV light is very effective at inactivating bacteria in water, as no known bacteria or virus is
resilient to UV light. Cryptosporidium and Giardia, which cannot be killed with other water
treatments such as chlorine, can be inactivated by UV light.
Depending on the type of bacteria, it can take a different amount of time to kill it. Some bacteria
are more resistant to UV, so they require longer exposure to UV.
How it works
UV light penetrates the cell walls of pathogens, which permanently alters the DNA of that
microorganism. Because of this, they will be unable to replicate. They are still alive, but because
they cannot multiply, they cannot cause disease.
Why it is better than chemical disinfection
Chemical disinfection is achieved by adding chemicals like chlorine, chloramines, chlorine
dioxide or ozone to the water. Then the chemical dose is kept at a good level for a long time to
achieve disinfection. They work well with bacteria and viruses, but do not work as wel with
protozoa like Cryptosporidium and Giardia. They can also cause disinfection by-products, which
have regulatory limits.
Advantages of UV light disinfection
Lower carbon footprint compared to other disinfection methods
Low maintenance, administration, and operating costs
No dangerous chemicals (there is no residual chemicals, handling, or storage)
No by-products are added in the process
Water properties are not changed, such as the pH or temperature
Instant treatment
Disadvantages
Most UV reactors contain mercury lamps, so if the UV lamp breaks, there is a mercury hazard.
However, even if the mercury lamp were to be submerged in the water, the mercury in the water
will be below the maximum contaminant levels.
Discovery of ultraviolet light
In 1801, Johann Ritter conducted an experiment to investigate if there was energy beyond the
violet end of the visible light spectrum. Photographic paper turns black more quickly in blue light
than red light, so he exposed the paper to light beyond violet. The paper turned black, which
proved the existence of ultraviolet light.
In many places, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, there are more deaths attributed to unsafe
water sources. The main cause of the deaths are pathogens (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) in the
water. Some of these pathogens can be harmful to humans. Up to 2 billion people still do not
have access to safely managed drinking water, which is considered to be available, nearby, and
free from faecal or chemical contamination. Drinking or using contaminated water can lead to
sickness, and in the worst case, death. To ensure a lower amount of people getting sick due to
contaminated water, the water needs to be decontaminated.
One of the cost-effective and sustainable ways to disinfect water is the use of ultraviolet (UV)
light. UV light has shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies than visible light. UV light in
invisible to human eyes, however some insects such as bumblebees can see them. Ultraviolet
light has wavelengths of 400 nanometres on the visible light side, and about 10 nm on the X-ray
side, with frequencies of 7.5 × 1014 Hz to 3 × 1016 Hz. Ultraviolet light does not have enough
energy to be a type of ionizing radiation. UV light is divided into UV-A, UV-B, UV-C, and vacuum
UV or V-UV. UV-A is also called black light and has wavelengths from 400 nm to 315 nm. 99%
of the ultraviolet light that reaches earth’s surface is UV-A. UV-B rays can cause sunburn. If
exposed to UV-B, it can increase the risk of DNA and cellular damage to organisms. 95% of UV-
B is absorbed by the ozone layer. UV-B has wavelengths from 315 to 280 nm. UV-C is the most
harmful type of radiation, at 280 nanometres to 100 nanometres, which has the shortest
wavelength. It is almost completely absorbed by the atmosphere. UV-B rays can cause
sunburn. If exposed to UV-B, it can increase the risk of DNA and cellular damage to organisms.
95% of UV-B is absorbed by the ozone layer. UV-B has wavelengths from 315 to 280 nm.
Vacuum UV has wavelengths of 200 nm to 100 nm. Vacuum UV is absorbed by almost
everything, including liquid water and oxygen. This is why it is called vacuum UV, as it can only
be transmitted in a vacuum.
UV light is very effective at inactivating bacteria in water, as no known bacteria or virus is
resilient to UV light. Cryptosporidium and Giardia, which cannot be killed with other water
treatments such as chlorine, can be inactivated by UV light.
Depending on the type of bacteria, it can take a different amount of time to kill it. Some bacteria
are more resistant to UV, so they require longer exposure to UV.
Water is treated when it flows through a UV reactor. It is usually applied after the water is
filtered, as murky water can lower the effectiveness of the UV light. The clearer the water is, the
better the UV light can reach the pathogens. Unlike chemical disinfection, there is no residual
disinfection capacity with UV, so chlorine or chloramines are often used after UV disinfection.
This is because some types of pathogens can heal the damage from UV light. Adding some
chemicals will ensure that there are no reactivated pathogens. There are two ways pathogens
can be inactivated using UV light, however one is preferred as it requires a lower UV dose. One
of the ways is when a microorganism absorbs UV light at a high dose, it can disrupt the outer
cell membranes, and the cell will die from the leakage of the protoplasm. However, at a low UV
dose, DNA or RNA will absorb the UV light, rendering it incapable of reproducing. Therefore,
nearly all disinfection is a result of UV absorption from DNA or RNA. Of the four nucleotides in
DNA (adenine, cytosine, thymine, and guanine), thymine goes through a reaction when
absorbing UV light. If there are adjacent thymine bases, they will chemically bond. These are
called thymine dimers, and if a high number of these are formed, it will disrupt the structure of
the DNA enough so that it cannot replicate. Approximately 100 thymine dimers are needed to
inactivate the entire DNA chain. Cytosine also forms dimers, but they form much less than
thymine.
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