Greetings and well wishes to all of you in our audience. I hope that you are staying as healthy and positive as you can under the duress of the current coronavirus situation.
Some recently received comments and questions would indicate that some level of the audience is reading the blog and looking for technical or purchasing guidance, particularly when it comes to a recent perspective I offered on the LED market and commercial potential for the ultraviolet (UV) disinfection and sanitization application. Respectfully, though, I have to tread lightly because I am not an scientist, engineer, or technician by trade or education, nor am I a consultant in the field of LED and SSL technology. Anything that I have come to consider as sound information is courtesy of subject-matter experts and authoritative organizations in the industry and the excellent education I have received via communication with other colleagues and peers. I attempt to present an informed viewpoint as clearly as possible while maintaining a more informal, reflective tone; that is not intended as advice nor is it the last word on any subject (unless, of, course it’s actually featured as the Last Word column in LEDs Magazine. Just kidding).
I want to encourage all members of the audience to expand their knowledge and seek practical information that helps them to understand topics in LED and lighting technology. We collect plenty of such resources on our site in order to help you access them. Sometimes those come in the form of an industry announcement or a press release. We recently received two such communications that I think are relevant, quality technical sources that highlight important aspects to understand about UV radiation, technology, and disinfection, so I’ve linked them below.
IUVA releases a fact sheet on COVID-19 and UV-C-band disinfection – The International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA) has offered a coherent explanation of the germicidal activity of UV-C and its fact sheet summarizes devices, applications, and methods. What’s even more valuable is the extensive list of included references. You can download the full fact sheet from the IUVA communication posted on our website.
CIE offers two technical reports on UV disinfection/germicidal usage – The illumination education and standards organization is providing the opportunity to download two detailed technical publications for free for the next three months. One is titled “Ultraviolet Air Disinfection (CIE 155:2003),” which covers the principles of UV light applied as a germicide, germicidal properties of UV systems for disinfection, relevant metrics, and other parameters and definitions. The other is “UV-C Carcinogenesis Risks from Germicidal Lamps” and focuses strictly on the findings of scientific studies performed to determine and quantify the potential risks UV-C-based disinfection to humans. You can access those downloads from the CIE announcement posted on our website.
These resources are not specific to LEDs but to UV disinfection science and technology and are not intended to promote any commercial product.
Carrie Meadows | Editor-in-Chief, LEDs Magazine
Carrie Meadows has more than 20 years of experience in the publishing and media industry. She worked with the PennWell Technology Group for more than 17 years, having been part of the editorial staff at Solid State Technology, Microlithography World, Lightwave, Portable Design, CleanRooms, Laser Focus World, and Vision Systems Design before the group was acquired by current parent company Endeavor Business Media.
Meadows has received finalist recognition for LEDs Magazine in the FOLIO Eddie Awards, and has volunteered as a judge on several B2B editorial awards committees. She received a BA in English literature from Saint Anselm College, and earned thesis honors in the college's Geisel Library. Without the patience to sit down and write a book of her own, she has gladly undertaken the role of editor for the writings of friends and family.
Meadows enjoys living in the beautiful but sometimes unpredictable four seasons of the New England region, volunteering with an animal shelter, reading (of course), and walking with friends and extended "dog family" in her spare time.
