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Ultraviolet Light Lamp Differences

Ultraviolet or UV light is electromagnetic radiation invisible to the human eye that can be beneficial or damaging to humans, depending on its use. Differences among UV lamps are related to their specific functions and the wavelengths they emit. UVA refers to long-wave ultraviolet radiation, while UVB means medium length and UVC refers to short-wave ultraviolet radiation. UV lamps can kill germs, tan the body and detect counterfeit money.

  1. Germicidal UV Lamps

    • Germicidal and other UV lamps contain mercury or an amalgam of it and a starter gas, often argon. However, UV lamps designed to kill germs emit UVC, rather than UVA and UVB, like other types of UV lamps, according to Wladyslaw Kowalski in the "Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation Handbook." UVC deactivates the DNA of bacteria and other pathogens, eliminating their ability to spread. These lamps come in various sizes and can be portable, working as a pocket gadget that can kill E. coli, staphylococcus, salmonella and other germs, reports the website iTech News Net.

    Tanning UV Lamps

    • Tanning lamps found in sunbeds emit UVA and some UVB, radiation that can damage the DNA in skin cells. More recently manufactured lamps produce higher UVB levels to speed the tanning process, according to the World Health Organization. Short-wavelength UVB is a well-documented carcinogenic, and there is increasing evidence that longer-wavelength UVA used in sunbeds, which penetrates deeply into the skin, can also cause cancer, reports the World Health Organization. Natural sunlight contains roughly 8 percent UVB. In older tanning lamps, the UVB produced is only 2 percent, while more recent tanning lamps can emit as much as 5 percent of UVB, "The Guardian" says.

    Counterfeit Detection UV Lamp

    • Counterfeit money can be detected under a LED UV lamp, because money notes often include some details printed with a special ink visible only under UV light. In addition, counterfeiters generally use a paper type that appears very bright under a UV lamp, which is not the case with real money. Counterfeit detection UV lamps generally emit long wavelength radiation. Under these lamps, the paper of real money appears very dull, while any ultraviolet-printed feature shows up brightly, according to the website Counterfeit Detection.

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