The history of UV-C disinfection

UV-C light in the form of germicidal lamps has been used since the late 1800s to kill the types of micro-organisms that typically cause indoor air quality (IAQ) problems – bacteria, mould, yeast and viruses.

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Niels Ryberg Finsen (1860-1904) was the first to employ UV rays in treating disease. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1903. He invented the Finsen curative lamp, which was used successfully through the 1950s. Read more

UV-C was used to disinfect the municipal water supply of Marseille, France, in 1908.

Westinghouse developed the first commercial UV-C germicidal lamps during the 1930s. They were used primarily in hospitals.

After World War II, UV-C was used for sterilizing air in hospitals, kitchens, meat storage and processing plants, bakeries, breweries, dairies, beverage production, pharmaceutical plants and animal labs – anywhere microbiological contamination is a concern.

During the 1950s UV-C was incorporated into air handling equipment. It became a major component in the control and eradication of tuberculosis (TB).

During the 1960s, concern about microbes decreased with the introduction and increasing availability of new drugs and sterilizing cleaners.

Here at UVO3, our team of UV disinfection and water treatment specialists use the latest technology to provide UV disinfection solutions to a range of different industries. But where did it all begin for ultra violet light as a disinfection tool? Take a look at our brief history of UV disinfection:

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UV light has long been an accepted method of water treatment and sterilisation. Discovered in 1801, though it wasn’t until nearly a century later when Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) was being used as a disinfection solution.

Physician and scientist, Niels Ryberg Finsen, can be thanked for a pivotal time for use of light for disinfection. Famous for his invention of modern phototherapy, Finsen was the first to use UV rays to treat bacterial infections and diseases. Finsen knew that sunlight could destroy bacteria and developed a successful UV treatment for skin tuberculosis, which won him the Nobel Prize for Medicine a year before his death in 1904.

The first, full-scale, UV disinfection system for water treatment was used in Marseille, France in 1910. Six years later, the first US application of UV water disinfection was used in Kentucky.

UV lamps first became commercially available in 1930 and following the end of the Second World War in 1945, germicidal UV lamps became more and more commonly used to disinfect air. Today, UV air disinfection units are often employed in busy factories, hospitals and other enclosed venues. If you’re looking for a passive way of treating potential airborne contaminants, take a look at our UV air disinfection services.

By 1985, there were approximately 1,500 UV treatment plants in Europe. Having continued to grow and grow in popularity, 15 years later, over 6,000 plants were operating in Europe.

Over the years, UV disinfection specialists have continued to advance UV technology’s applications and opportunities, including process water treatment, effluent water treatment, Legionella prevention and more.

At UVO3 we can provide expert UV disinfection products to both a commercial and industrial audience. From UV water treatment systems in the home, to large scale advanced oxidation UV water treatment, designed for use on effluent water treatment plants. At UVO3 we can cover all of your UV disinfection needs, contact us today and discover how we can help you!

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