Good info !!!
Are UVC LEDs strong enough?
EasySt wrote:
“
“I’m actually thinking about converting a closet for this.
Just step in for 20 seconds and your virus free.
Not a really good idea. Enough UV to do that for you
effectively, all over, in 20 seconds, would be really harsh
on your skin, your skin’s DNA, and your eyes. Not just
talking sunburn here.
https://www.consumerlab.com/answers/does-uv-light-kill-coronavirus/uv-light-covid/
I actually own a UV-C meter that I’ve used to test a number
of UV-C sterilization wands, Lamps, boxes, LEDs and
protective eye wear, etc.
It turns out that I have devices that would take between
as little as 2 seconds (per side) to effectively sterilize
a mask, to as much as 10 minutes.
I also have others that would take much longer.
One of the slickest looking rechargeable pocket UVC LED wands
turned out to only emit about 40 micro-watts of 253.7
nanometer UVC, at about 1/2” distance. Since we would
like about 40 mili-watt seconds cumulative UV-C irradiation
to do a 99.9+% job on the germs, I’d need to hold that
device over every half inch of both sides of that mask
for 25 seconds per half inch.
Now, you CAN get good UVC germ killer lamps to add into
heating or air conditioning systems, and you can also
get stand alone air filters that use UVC and even UVC
activated catalytic filters to do a job on germs in your
airspace. Consider HEPA 13 (HyperHEPA) hospital grade
filtration if you plan to capture something as small as
a virus and not just frazzle it with some UV.
Clothes, groceries, and stuff can also be sterilized
ozone, with proper precautions. (If you’re pulling out
all the stops to protect an at risk person, for instance.)
~Easy”
“Good info !!!”
“Are UVC LEDs strong enough?”
That depends. UV-C LEDs come in various sizes and powers.
The advantage of the LEDs is that they are very efficient, and can
maintain their power for tens of thousands of hours of operation without
weakening or failing.
Normal gas based UVC lamps weaken after as little as 4000 hours or less and need to be replaced.
It will be hard to tell if the LEDs in a particular device are strong enough
if the manufacturer doesn’t care to tell you the irradiance specs.
(Unless you buy a $250 UVC meter, like I did.)
~Easy