UV-C LED disinfection mercury-free and chemical-free at the 265 nm germicidal peak

No. Many germicidal lamps on the market are mercury tubes operating at 253.7 nm, and several of them add ozone generation as if it were an advantage. Ozone is a respiratory irritant, and its presence means the area must be ventilated before staff can return. UV-Life devices are 265 nm LEDs, mercury-free and with no ozone generation: switch them off and the area is ready for use immediately, with no residues or gases to ventilate.

UV-C disinfection equipment is neither a food nor a food additive, so it is not registered as a food product with FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India). What FSSAI and the State Food Safety Departments check is that the food business complies with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the general hygienic and sanitary practices of Schedule 4 of the FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, which call for good hygiene practices, cleaning and sanitation programmes and food safety procedures, typically based on HACCP principles. UV-C fits in there, as one more measure within your cleaning and disinfection programme. Regarding equipment safety, IEC 62471 is the international standard for the photobiological safety of lamps and lamp systems.

UV-C light is produced naturally by the sun, but most of it does not pass through the ozone layer. Its germicidal power lies between 200 and 300 nanometres. It damages the DNA or RNA of microorganisms and prevents them from replicating.

Unlike tubes, UV-C LED is safe because it contains no mercury, and it is more efficient because it emits at the germicidal peak: 265 nm, the most effective wavelength for damaging the DNA or RNA of microorganisms.

On 4 variables: the power of the device, the exposure time, the distance to the target and the geometry of the product being disinfected. At UV-Life we advise you on the right product for your operation and your food safety objectives.

It is not a laser beam that will cause immediate harm. Prolonged exposure of skin and eyes should be avoided, just as with the sun. Our products allow directed irradiation; lighting models with a presence sensor cut the emission when they detect people, and disinfection-only devices such as the UV-C X50 bar are used without people present or installed at height.

A UV-C LED lamp contains no mercury, so it produces no hazardous waste and carries no risk of contamination if it breaks. It also emits at the 265 nm germicidal peak, whereas a tube spreads its energy across other wavelengths. LED technology also lasts more than 10,000 hours and allows directed irradiation.

It depends on the dose, which results from four variables: the power of the device, the exposure time, the distance to the surface and the geometry of the object. At close range and with adequate power, the reduction happens in seconds; larger spaces require longer cycles. At UV-Life we define the dose for each case.

People should not be exposed directly to UV-C radiation. Our devices allow irradiation directed at the area to be treated: lighting models with a presence sensor interrupt the emission when they detect people, and disinfection-only devices such as the UV-C X50 bar, which has no sensor, are used in unoccupied spaces or installed at height with the beam pointed away from people. This way disinfection takes place without exposing staff.

LED technology needs no tube replacement and no handling of mercury waste. Maintenance is limited to periodic cleaning of the emitting surface, since dust reduces effective irradiance, and replacing the device at the end of its service life, which exceeds 10,000 hours of use.