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The HEPACART Blog

Where is UV Disinfection Used?

From cleaning your phone at home to disinfection in hospitals, UV disinfection has become a popular source of clean and effective sterilization. While you may still have questions about UV disinfection in general, we want to answer the question of where UV disinfection is used.

 

UV disinfection uses ultraviolet light to kill germs, bacteria, and other pathogens that can’t be seen with the naked eye. While there are some spectrums of UV light that are superior to others, all UV essentially performs the same by penetrating and physically destroying infectious particles.

 

Because UV disinfection is disinfection by light, it can be used for a much wider variety of cleaning and sterilization than most traditional disinfection products. However, this can sometimes make UV sterilization more confusing. Just where can UV disinfection be used exactly? Here is a list of a few of the best ways UV disinfection is being used today.

 

Water Treatment

 

Since its discovery as a disinfectant in 1879, one of the first things UV disinfection was put to the test for was water treatment. UV can disinfect water for drinking, and also can be used as a part of wastewater treatment. UV disinfection works especially well for water treatment and sterilization because it doesn’t add chemicals to the water that could prove to be harmful or have side effects to those who drink it.

 

UV infection cannot completely replace wastewater treatment, as it takes place on a large scale and water needs to go through many disinfection and treatment procedures before it is sterilized enough to be useful again. However, UV can replace parts of that process, such as the chlorination stage. In many wastewater treatment plants, UV has already been adopted as a part of the process.

 

Food & Beverage

 

As UV is so effective in the disinfection of water, it should be no surprise that those disinfection powers can be used for other liquids as well. Beverage industries can use UV disinfection to clean their products just as it is used for water.

 

Because UV disinfection is disinfection with light, it can be used on a variety of surfaces, making it a popular source of sterilization in food and beverage industries to clean equipment such as conveyor belts. Other cleaning products that use chemicals can leave behind dangerous toxins that would be dangerous for food preparation and packaging. Certain spectrums of UV light don’t do any damage to plastics or people, making UV disinfection especially safe for food industries.

 

Schools

 

UV is great for cleaning surfaces, as it can disinfect much more efficiently than other forms of disinfection. Particularly in school facilities, UV light can help control the spread of infection on surfaces by providing a much more effective disinfection solution than traditional cleaning methods. For example, UV disinfection cleans a room in a matter of seconds, rather than the time needed to clean floors, desks, tables, bookshelves, and more with other disinfection solutions — plus, some UV applications can also clean the air inside of classrooms, cafeterias, gyms, etc.

 

Hospitals

 

One of the best places to take advantage of the benefits of UV disinfection is in hospitals. Due to the effective and efficient sterilization provided by UV disinfection, healthcare facilities and hospitals can use UV to slow the spread of infection and pathogens.

 

Hospital equipment can be cleaned much faster with UV light, and sensitive equipment like goggles or glassware can be cleaned with UV without the risk of leaving residue behind. Hospitals don’t need to be as concerned about human error as UV disinfection can clean equipment more efficiently than traditional sterilization methods.

 

UV disinfection can also disinfect air, and in hospitals this is especially important. Using far-UVC light, a specific band in the UV spectrum, facility managers and infection control nurses can effectively disinfect the air safely and effectively. Maintaining air quality is an essential part of hospital disinfection, and it is key is stopping the spread of pathogens and infectious particles. Installing UV lights near the ceiling can help clean air as it naturally circulates, and can provide additional protection from the spread of healthcare-associated infection. Learn about our UV-FORCE technology that uses far-UVC light to disinfect the air, destroying 99.99% of pathogens.

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Disinfection is an essential part of infection control, and it is equally essential to have the right tools to help you accomplish the task of sterilization. While other methods of disinfection and cleaning are necessary for some jobs, UV disinfection can help aid in those processes and make them much more effective. No matter your industry, UV disinfection provides a large number of ways in which to safely and efficiently clean and sterilize water, food, surfaces, equipment, and air. 

Other use cases:

  • Long-Term Care Facilities
  • Senior Living Homes
  • Urgent Care Centers
  • Dentist Offices
  • College Dorms
  • Conference/Meeting Spaces

 

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