Spectrum of ultravoilet (UV) flourescent lamps

Abstract

Ultraviolet light is the electromagnectic radiation in the range of 10 nm to 400 nm. The UV light spectrum consists of electromagnetic waves with frequencies higher than those that humans identify as the violet. These frequencies are invisible to most humans except those with aphakia (the absence of the lens of the eye). There are two sources of UV light, natural and artifical sources. The sunlight is the main source of the natural UV light. However, the artifical source could be generated by several techniques using florescence lamp, gas-discharge lamp, laser and LED. In this paper, the spectrum of the common ultraviolet light in the market such as the black light lamp, germicidal lamp, flourescent lamp, aquarium flourescent lamp and insect flourescent lamp will be discussed. The spectrums of the UV light for each lamp was detected by a special spectrometer that directly interfaced to a computer via USS connection. The lamp was placed in a 10 x 12 x 12 cm box with a small hole placement of sensor. The results show that the aquarium flourescent lamp consists of full spectrum of white light. However the germicidal lamp show the present of UVC which is harmful to micro-organisms.