How to Use UV to Sanitize Water

Ultraviolet light is part of the invisible light spectrum emitted by the sun. It is the UV spectrum, rather than the visible portion of the spectrum, which causes burns to the skin and damage to the eyes. The most common waves of the UV spectrum are UVA, UVB and UVC, which are defined by their lengths. The specific wavelength responsible for sunburn is UVB. UVC is the most antimicrobial of the spectrum, and has a sterilization effect. Modern technology has been able to engineer a UVC lamp which permits you to create an "artificial sun" indoors. The UVC lamps are being increasingly used alongside reverse-osmosis water filtration units as a powerful and deadly adjunct in killing disease-causing microbes.

Things You'll Need

• UV-C lamp
• Bottle or other container filled with water
• UV-C rated eye protection goggles

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Instructions

• 1

  Purchase a high-output UV-C sterilization wand. These wands can purify a container of water, but some models are also used to sterilize food canning equipment and microbe-rich locations in homes and hospitals such as restrooms. A leading UVC light wand manufacturer is Verilux.

• 2

  Purchase eye protection goggles rated to protect against the ultraviolet spectrum and, specifically, UVC. Wear the goggles every time you use your UVC light wand.

• 3

  Turn on and hold the lamp parallel to the water container and hold it in that position to kill microbes. Hygienitech.com has information about kinds of microbes and the energy required to kill them (see Reference 1).

• 4

  Keep the purified and sterilized water sealed in the container to maintain keep it sterile until ready to use.

• 5

  For UVC treatment of a large volume of water, visit your nearest reverse-osmosis water treatment specialist to discuss how you can add a UVC system to your home water supply.