UV rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation that was discovered by scientists nearly a century ago. It was discovered that UV rays can kill bacteria just like sunlight. Overexposure to UV rays can cause sunburn and skin damage. UV rays are invisible, so they are not technically light, but the term "UV" is widely used.
Electromagnetic radiation is emitted by the sun and travels as particles or waves of varying frequencies and wavelengths. This large range of wavelengths is the electromagnetic spectrum, which is divided into seven parts with decreasing wavelengths and increasing frequencies and energy. The lower frequencies are radio waves, microwaves, and infrared (IR). The medium frequencies that many people are familiar with are visible light.
UV rays are divided into several ranges: (close to the visible light range) UV-A, UV-B, UV-C, vacuum UV (close to the X-ray range). As mentioned earlier, overexposure to UV radiation can cause sunburn, which falls into the UV-B range. The UV-C range is the only one that can kill bacteria. It is found in UV water purifiers, fish tanks, and portable UV sterilizers to kill bacteria that may be on your tech products and other common household items. UV-C light is most effective on flat surfaces and cannot get into cracks or curved spaces, such as buttons and phone cases. UV-C light can break the molecular bonds of viral and bacterial DNA, affecting their ability to reproduce and ultimately killing them.
UV light has been used for disinfection and sterilization since the mid-20th century. As technology has advanced in recent decades, so too has the UV light bulb. Its lifespan has been greatly extended to thousands of hours and its size has been greatly reduced. These innovations have enabled it to be used in a variety of fields and to disinfect a wide range of items such as electronics, fresh produce, medical devices, air, water, toys and other surfaces. Advanced UV technology has also led to the creation of disinfection machines such as disinfection cabinets, which use UV light and heat to disinfect a variety of items.
