Are there Limitations to UVC Disinfection?

In fact, the UV-C lamp is not a magical device. It also has certain limitations. It is not that you can put it on the surface that you want to disinfect and you can disinfect it immediately. For it to work properly,UV-C radiation must reach a specific surface with sufficient intensity. The biggest pitfalls of UV-C sterilization include the inability to reach the "UV shadow" area. Ultraviolet shadow refers to the area where other objects block ultraviolet rays from entering.

To give a simple example, suppose you are trying to disinfect a smartphone with a UV-C lamp. It is possible that you will not be able to expose all sides of the smartphone at the same time. You may need to flip the phone several times to ensure that all sides are exposed to enough UV-C for adequate disinfection.

Similarly, placing the UV-C lamp in the center of the room cannot reach every corner of the room. According to a simple rule of thumb, UV-C rays behave very similarly to regular light and will not penetrate most materials. Even transparent materials (such as plastic and glass) will not allow UV-C to pass through. An easy way to see which areas the "UV shadow" of a UV lamp is is to place a conventional A-type bulb in the position of the UV-C lamp and observe which surfaces receive sufficient UV-C radiation with the naked eye.

Here to explain to everyone, the shape of the UV-C lamp is also the key to consider. The UV-C lamp of the traditional mercury lamp is made in the form of a fluorescent tube, which limits the distribution and angle of UV-C rays to some extent. Recent developments have allowed the use of LED-sized UV-C. For example, flexible UV-C LED strips can provide greater potential for innovation and versatility, and it can be installed on any surface,Picture as below：

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          Finally, we recommend considering the total "dose" when assessing UV-C safety risks. In other words, you should consider not only the instantaneous power and intensity of UV-C exposure, but also its duration, because if a low-intensity UV-C light is exposed for a long time, it may be different from a short-term exposure to a high-intensity UV-C light.