![]() Over the past decade, UVC lamps have also seen increasing use for disinfecting medical facilities such as hospitals and care homes.Ī comprehension exercise for age range 11–14, 14–16 to engage students with some highly topical cross-curricular science and boost their literacy skills, from the Education in Chemistry website: Types of UV devices The bug-busting powers of UVC have been known about for over a century and UVC lamps are widely utilised today in applications ranging from disinfecting surfaces in microbiology laboratories, to treating drinking water, to zapping processed foods on production lines before packaging. ‘This stops them from being able to reproduce.’ ‘The DNA and the RNA of microorganisms absorb the ultraviolet light and break down,’ explains Ron. This includes viruses, bacteria and fungi. This is because UVC radiation doesn’t just damage human DNA it also harms genetic material in all other living things on Earth. But UV, specifically UVC, does have a helpful role to play during the current pandemic: as a disinfectant tool. It is the high potential to do harm that rules out UV as a treatment for patients with Covid-19. This is fortuitous because, although UVA and UVB rays also cause damage to the DNA in both skin cells and the retinas of eyes, UVC rays are the most harmful of the trio (there is a potential exception to this rule, far-UVC, which we discuss later). UVC rays, however, are absorbed by ozone in the Earth’s upper atmosphere before they can hit our planet’s surface. This section of the spectrum is divided into three: UVA and UVB, both of which we are constantly exposed to when outside, and UVC, which we are not. UV light sits on the electromagnetic spectrum between visible light and X-rays. ![]() Use this context to engage your students in some cross-curricular scientific reading. The use of UV radiation in fighting coronaviruses is extremely topical at the moment thanks to remarks by high-profile politicians.
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