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About UVB Lights

Ultraviolet, or UV, light is a type of electromagnetic radiation caused by the sun's rays. Though not as penetrative as UVA, UVB light is the most powerful type of ultraviolet light and the most dangerous to humans because it causes sunburns and potentially fatal sun cancer. UVB light has been harnessed for use in tanning beds, the treatment of skin conditions and contemporary appliances such as counterfeit bank note detectors.

  1. History

    • The discovery of UV light began with German Astronomer Freidrich William Herscel who discovered infrared light in 1800 while experimenting with passing light through glass to create various colors. He noted that the temperatures got warmer towards the red end of the spectrum and through experimentation eventually discovered an invisible light that recorded an even higher temperature just beyond the color red. The following year UV light was discovered by Polish physicist Johann Wilhelm Ritter who wanted to see whether anything existed at the other end of the light spectrum. He placed silver chloride underneath a piece of glass and passed light through it, noting that an extreme chemical reaction with silver chloride occurred just beyond the violet end of the color spectrum.

    Use

    • Since the first artificial UBV light bulb was developed by German inventors, S. Kuch and T. Retschinsky in 1906 UVB light has been used somewhat controversially in tanning beds. Also, UVB lights can be used for a host of other appliances including water filtration systems, counterfeit note detectors and mosquito killers.

    Positive Effects

    • In 1892 scientist Marshall Ward demonstrated that ultraviolet light that had the potential to kill bacteria. As a result, artificial UVB light has been used since the 1920s to treat unresponsive or particularly severe cases of guttate and psoriasis. According to the UK Psoriasis Association "UV light helps to power chemical reactions that affect the function of skin cells. In psoriasis, this means that the skin cells do not multiply so rapidly, and behave more like normal skin."

    Negative Effects

    • Extended exposure to UVB rays can be extremely harmful to the skin. UVB light is responsible for sunburn and the destruction of skin cells that can lead to damaging of the immune system and cancer. According to the American Skin Cancer Foundation, skin cancer is the main cause of nonmelanoma skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which affect over one million Americans each year. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization have named UV as a human carcinogen.

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