UV News

UV News Note: These UV news items have been gleaned from the Internet and IUVA website. The UV news are partially reproduced as found. AAW takes no responsibility for their accuracy. The links to the full UV articles were active at the time of posting.

UV Articles 2005

December 28, 2005: UV waste water treatment bid approved
Journal Review, Wade Coggeshall

Crawfordsville’s Board of Works agreed with the waste water superintendent and approved the lowest bid to install an ultraviolet disinfecting system in the city’s sewage plant.

At Wednesday’s meeting, the board accepted Bowin Construction’s bid of $596,000. Installation should begin Jan. 5. City officials received five bids total.

The UV system will sterilize bacteria in the water using a powerful wavelength from light. Waste Water Director Tom Mitchell said the plant currently uses a mixture of sodium hypochlorite and sodium bisulfite to treat water. The sodium bisulfite neutralizes the leftover chlorine, which is poisonous to fish. However the chemicals still end up changing into salt once discharged from the plant.

The UV system not only will prevent salt forming in streams, but Mitchell said it will be safer for workers. The current chemical makeup is 15 percent bleach, which is enough to cause blisters if it comes in contact with skin and can eat through clothes. Mitchell said common household bleach is only 1 percent.

Even better, the UV system will cost less to operate, meaning there won’t be any rate increases for customers. Under the new process, Mitchell said it will cost about $15,000 annually to operate the plant vs. the current $52,000. He also projects the city saving money by switching to the UV system ahead of state mandate, when it might cost more to do so in the future.

The city has received proceeds from a $2 million bond sale conducted last spring to pay for the project. The UV mode is expected to be ready by April 1, when disinfecting of the water supply is required by law through October 31.

December 22, 2005: City will switch to UV disinfecting
Journal Review, Wade Coggeshall

City officials received five bids for the ultraviolet disinfecting system project at the waste water treatment plant. The bids were opened Thursday afternoon in Mayor John Zumer’s office.

The bids were: Maddox Construction, $598,900; Reynolds Construction, $671,000; Bowin Construction, $596,000; and Graves Plumbing, $602,608. Since engineering estimates for the job were set at $608,000, waste water superintendent Tom Mitchell said the bids were in line with what he expected.

The UV system will sterilize bacteria in the water using a powerful wavelength from light. Currently the waste water plant uses chlorine to disinfect water, but a new state mandate calls for changing to the UV system. Though the conversion isn’t yet required, Mitchell is moving forward to have the UV mode in place by
April 1, when disinfecting of the water supply is required by law through Oct. 31.

“I’d rather be proactive than reactive,” Mitchell said.

The city took out a $2 million bond in April to pay for the project. A motion to proceed should be made in early January.

December 19, 2005: Energy Savings and Return On Investment for UV Equipment Installations
American Air & Water, Inc. PR via Yahoo! News

Dr. Kowalski, PE, Ph.D., Penn State University, developed a strong report which shows that UV can be cost justified as a capital expenditure by the savings it provides. The UV installations provide savings in energy and maintenance costs as well as enormous benefits of a healthier indoor environment.

The report reviews the history and current literature on ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) cooling coil disinfection and summarizes the available information on laboratory and field testing of UV installations. Information on the energy savings and payback period of cooling coil irradiation are provided along with examples of the computation of typical payback periods.

December 12, 2005: Finland: Tikkurila develops UV curing method
Helsinki, R&D News

Finnish Tikkurila Coatings (Tikkurila is the paints and coatings business of the Finnish Kemira Group) has developed an ultraviolet light (UV) curing coating method for three-dimensional components. The method can be used to replace existing solvent-borne coatings in, for example, the furniture industry. The method consists of water-borne LUMINOL UV-curing coatings, a spray booth, and UVITEC, a new 3D UV-curing device.

December 8, 2005: Meridian Design Introduces The AquaStarPlus™ Portable UV-C Water Purification And Lantern Bottle
SAN JOSE, Calif. /EWORLDWIRE/

Meridian Design today announced the release of an inexpensive patent-pending water treatment system. Combining the benefit of sterilizing UV-C radiation with an ultra-light, portable one liter bottle, the unit kills pathogens without resorting to tiresome filters or nasty chemicals.

The AquaStarPlus™ UV Portable Water Purifier is a germicidal treatment solution appropriate for use in all climates and settings for campers, travelers, emergency crews or families who need to depend on having clean water.

Filters, which can be heavy and require effort to use, can clog easily and miss viruses. Chemicals like iodine and chlorine drops take hours to be effective and contribute carcinogenic and toxic-free radicals to drinking water. UV takes 90 seconds to kill bacteria, protists and even viruses with little effort and leaves no toxic compounds in the water. The simple one-button user interface activates the cleaning cycle and the ultrabright LED lantern independently.

The website provides detailed information about the science behind the AquaStarPlus along with user's guide and review links. A version for developing countries has being deployed to India and South Africa and is in the initial review phase.

December 7, 2005: District looks to bypass bid process to buy pool UV system
By Ben Moriarty, Staff Writer; Murrysville Star

Six weeks after discovering contaminants in the middle school swimming pool, Franklin Regional officials are making quick work in solving the problem.

After announcing the chloramine problem in late November, Dennis Majewski, director of district services, told the board on Monday that he was confident in choosing an ultraviolet system as a long-term solution.

Majewski investigated three possible long-term solutions to fix the problem -- replacing the chlorine system, an HVAC system for air circulation and an ultraviolet system with the pool discharge.

Of the three, it appears the district will pursue the ultraviolet system, but the HVAC flow across the pool could be increased as well.

Majewski said replacing the chlorine system with ozone or oxidizing agents is too expensive and highly experimental.

When board member Lynn Gurrentz asked if he believed the ultraviolet system would alleviate the problem, Majewski said yes. "My comfort level with the system is a 10."

Though chloramine problems are relatively new throughout the country, Majewski found more than 100 instances of successful results after an ultraviolet system was installed.

"Within two years of installation, it's basically been a cure-all for many places," he said.

Majewski received a $43,400 price for the system, and said installation and modification would cost an extra $12,000.

With the board's approval to start the bidding process, he hoped to have everything in place by March, but finance director Dan Watson said it could happen much faster.

Because the chloramines are a health issue, Watson said the district could file for a mandate waiver to bypass the bidding process and speed-up the solution.

The idea was well-received by the board, which unanimously authorized the administration to enter into a mandate waiver up to $55,000.

The problem surfaced in late October. It is caused by body contaminants such as sweat, body oil, urine and ammonia particles.

Students have experienced obnoxious odors and irritation to the skin, eyes and lungs.

Over Thanksgiving break, the pool was drained, cleaned and refilled and its lights were replaced.

December 2, 2005: Tribe using treated wastewater on golf course
AP Connecticut, Newsday.com

NORTH STONINGTON, Conn. (AP) Every flush at the Foxwoods Resort Casino is helping keep the fairways green on the Mashantucket Pequots' new Lake of Isles golf course.

The state Department of Environmental Protection recently granted the tribe a first-of-its-kind permit to use treated wastewater to irrigate the course in North Stonington. About 600,000 gallons of water a day are now used on the course.

The tribe's wastewater plant uses microbes to get rid of any organisms, then disinfects the water using ultraviolet light.

"It's called keeping it local - putting water back where it is discharged," said Gina McCarthy, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection, who toured the plant Thursday.

McCarthy says she hopes the system can be used as a model for others across the state.

McCarthy said DEP did not have to rewrite its regulations to permit the tribe to recycle its wastewater, had to make sure the water is being applied in a way that is going to protect the people at the course and in the surrounding community.

"It's a matter of getting to know your effluent," she said.

December 1, 2005: The costs and prices of water in the future will largely depend on the disinfection necessity and the applied technologies
Helmut Kaiser Consultancy, Water disinfection, treatment and purification

A new water purification technology study provides an efficient, systematic and reliable way to know trends, opportunities and risks in water disinfection industry and to evaluate present situation and further development. The water study also identifies and evaluates the growth and profit opportunities within the segments of technologies / markets and value chain. It deals with the following technology sectors:

- Drinking water, bottled water, swimming pool water
- Water and Industrial Water disinfection
- Disinfection of waste water in industry and municipality
- Application of emerging membrane technology
- Potential application of future technologies like nanotechnology or molecular technologies

The study is constructed by sectors and can be obtained either completely, or each sector separately. The markets are presented by countries/regions and by technologies/processes, as well as by applications and branches. The study provides an analysis and profiles, as well as presentation of the leading water disinfection companies and their factors of success and technology portfolio.

The markets for water disinfection, water purification and securing water quality with other methods is growing worldwide between 8 and 25 percent depending on the sector, branch and country. Water Disinfection is a study about water disinfection, purification and info/control automation in total including the most recent technological innovations with nanotechnologies and molecular technologies. These new technologies will change the water treatment markets in the next 10 years dramatically. The costs and prices of water in the future will largely depend on the disinfection necessity and the applied technologies.

Different water sectors face problems to keep the early water quality through conventional treatment / disinfection approaches. Meanwhile the water quality regulations are becoming more stringent, complex and costly. The concerns about the biotech pollution or terrorism challenge the capability of water disinfection as well. In this study different water disinfection/purification methods are discussed. This includes physical and chemical processes such as the usage of chlorine, UV, use of ozone, filtration and membrane processes with pathogen removal, and also thermal processes such as distillation, evaporation/condensation, and steam stripping.

A special part about nanotechnology and molecular technology is added in the study. The molecular featured processes represent the developing trend of water disinfection/purification because of their efficiency, preciseness and high performance-price ratio. A number of nanotechnologies are already utilized in membrane process and UV disinfection. More applications are to be found in more sectors in the water disinfection industries during the next years.

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22 November 2005: GB Environmental Ltd, the company behind the introduction of second generation UV disinfection celebrates a successful first year
Process & Control Today, UK

Glowing First Birthday for UV Innovations

GB Environmental Ltd, the company behind the introduction of second generation UV disinfection celebrates a successful first year in business.

A year since it first started trading, GB Environmental continues to draw upon its collective engineering experience to push the boundaries of UV disinfection technologies as far as they can go.

Continuing to bring to market new ways of using an existing technology to kill some of the most fatal waterborne micro-organisms, GB Environmental continues to find solutions to specific company problems. Where many organizations have focused on modifying customer systems to fit their product, GB Environmental is the complete opposite, providing bespoke solutions to waterborne bacterial problems, which are both practically viable and commercially sensible.

Dr Ron Mitchell, Managing Director of GB Environmental, explains why there is a market for GB Environmental’s patented second generation UV disinfection technology and what its key benefits are:

“It’s no secret that scientists have known about the germicidal waveband of UV C, which kills a range of pathogenic waterborne micro-organisms by disrupting their DNA chain, for a number of years now. However, first generation systems met with a mixed response, with maintenance and efficiency issues limiting the widespread embracing of the technology.

With the development of second generation UV equipment in the form of GB Environmental’s SafeGuard range, we’ve been able to introduce the technology to a number of companies, where we have been able to demonstrate significant cost savings.”

The introduction of GB Environmental’s SafeGuard range, has been specifically designed to eradicate the problems that first generation UV disinfection units had – namely inconsistent disinfection performance and a lack of means to keep the lamps clean. Each has a unique integral Tioxispring® cleaning system that provides continuous and efficient results.

This maintains the UV lamps in optimum functionality, requiring minimal maintenance with only the annual need for replacement. Even in the event of one lamp failing, the remaining lamps still provide the minimum dose for adequate disinfection.

The automatic cleaning and light management system ensures that the system is exactly what it purports to be – a highly reliable, low maintenance alternative.

With the latest control systems utilizing high efficiency ballasts to ensure optimum lamp performance under all conditions, the SafeGuard range is able to disinfect effluents with transmissivity as low as 40%.

Malcolm Snowball, Technical Director at GB Environmental and one of the three scientists who discovered that certain wavelengths of UV light killed cryptosporidium, commented:

“The SafeGuard range of equipment has been designed and built with flexibility in mind, which is why we have been involved with companies across a variety of sectors over the past year. The SafeGuard range can be used in a variety of applications, as a stand alone or combined with other treatment processes.

Moreover, the SafeGuard range is much more economical than first generation machines, since its spectrally-enhanced amalgam lamps provide an alternative to the use of medium pressure lamps within the disinfection process. This means that significant cost savings can be made because they require less energy to operate. “

16 November 2005: Bartlett company cleans air with UV technology
By Drew Harris, The Bartlett Express

With the recent concern about avian flu and other pandemic viruses spreading to the United States, some people are looking for ways to protect their homes and businesses.

Safe Air Solutions, a Bartlett-based company, offers systems that effectively kill 99.9% of all airborne viruses, bacteria and mold in a home or office. Safe Air specializes in ultra violet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) “kill chambers” that are installed in ventilation systems.

David Skelton, founder of Safe Air Solutions, said UVGI technology has been around since the 1940s and has been in use for years in hospitals, jails, government offices and large corporations. From the common cold or flu to anthrax or avian flu, airborne biological contaminants are effectively neutralized by the system.

“The UV technology destroys all airborne biological contaminants,” Skelton said. “All bacteria and viruses are destroyed within half of a second. It also filters dust and destroys mold. This creates a safe harbor in any building whether it be a home or office.”

Airborne viruses and bacteria are spread throughout a building by the ventilation system. Whenever someone sneezes or coughs in a room, those contaminants are carried throughout the building.

“It's like when you bake cookies,” Skelton said. “You bake them in the kitchen, but before too long, you can smell them in all the rooms of the house. That is because the ventilation carries the smell to each room. It carries airborne contaminants in the same way.”

While a house full of bacteria, viruses and mold is an unsettling thought, Skelton said technology exists to prevent it. The technology works using a system of ultra violet lights and filters that are placed inside a building's ventilation system. The UV light penetrates the cellular membrane of biological material and irradiates the cell. The contaminant is then unable to reproduce and cannot multiply in the human body.

Skelton said the UVGI technology is used by FedEx, the U.S. Post Office, the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center and at similar facilities across the country. Because of the threat of biological terror attacks, the federal government is also embracing the technology.

“All new federal buildings must include this technology in the building - it is a law,” Skelton said. “They use it primarily because of the bioterror threat.”

While the system effectively kills biological contaminants, Skelton said it also removes dust and volatile organic chemicals from things like paint and adhesives from carpet.

“There are things like paint, hair spray and carpet adhesives that are not biological, but people are allergic to,” Skelton said. “It keeps people from having reactions to those things as well.”

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Skelton said he has been talking with FEMA and HUD in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Florida to install his system in buildings. He is currently traveling the country to set up dealers for homes and businesses.

The cost for Safe Air systems begins at $1,800, and Skelton said his company has systems for any size home or office.

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4 October 2005: Water quality leaders to explore latest treatment methods at WQTC
Industrial Water World, October 4, 2005

DENVER, CO, Oct. 4, 2005 - More than 1,200 of the top minds in the water quality field will gather Nov. 6-10 in the Quebec City Convention Centre to examine the latest technology and practices for keeping drinking water safe at the American Water Works Association's Water Quality Technology Conference & Exposition (WQTC).

The conference includes more than 30 technical sessions and 75 exhibits showcasing innovations in water treatment, testing and protection. Attendees will include water quality specialists, water utility management, treatment plant managers, scientists, engineers, laboratory personnel and distributors.

"The quality of our drinking water is increasingly on the minds of the North American public," said American Water Works Association executive director Jack W. Hoffbuhr. "The work accomplished during Water Quality Technology Conference will help guide water professionals in their critical task of assuring safe and sustainable water supplies."

Highlights will include:

• Seven sessions on the timely topics such as early implementation issues for the new disinfection byproduct rule in the United States, taste and odor solutions, Canadian and U.S. border source water protection, pathogen-based treatment requirements, membranes for non-organic matter removal, microbial source tracking, and a review of US EPA's Total Coliform Rule White Papers
• Nine in-depth and interactive workshops covering topics such as chloramination control and monitoring, UV disinfection, source water protection, recent developments in biofilm microbiology, data mining for water quality planning and contaminant warning systems
• Three technical facility tours that include the Quebec City Water Treatment Plant, a tour of the historic water reservoir under Les Plaines d'Abraham, and a Source Water Protection tour.

For other details, see: www.awwa.org/conferences/wqtc/

American Water Works Association (www.awwa.org) is one of the most authoritative resources for knowledge, information, and advocacy to improve the quality and supply of water in North America and beyond. It's the largest organization of water professionals in the world. The association advances public health, safety and welfare by uniting the efforts of the full spectrum of the water community.

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13 Septmber 2005: Valeo and Air Quality: Putting Health and Comfort First
The Auto Channel, September 13

FRANKFURT, Germany, September 13 -- Valeo has been working on improving in-cabin air quality for many years and has recently designed seven innovative systems to enhance occupant comfort and, above all, to provide better protection from pollution. These seven new systems represent new benchmarks in this specialist field.

Increased and long-lasting protection from external pollution

Pollutant particles, especially from the ever-increasing number of diesel-fuelled vehicles, are invisible to the naked eye but can be harmful to humans. These particles, which may be smaller than one micron in diameter, are charged through a corona electrical field and collected on an electrostatic filter.

To complement this initial protection, Valeo has now added a photo-catalysis combined filter. This is composed of a blend of active carbon and titanium dioxide and an ultraviolet light source which self-regenerates by photo-catalytic reaction. The UV lamp activates the decomposition of gas and micro-organisms via the chemical reaction between the pollutants and the titanium dioxide. The advantage of this system is that it ensures optimal protection of vehicle occupants by a very effective filtering action that is maintained throughout the long life of the filter, up to 5 years or 100,000 kilometers.

Odor-free air-conditioning

Unpleasant odors produced by some air-conditioning systems after several years of use are a major complaint among motorists. The air conditioning evaporators can trap malodorous gases and then release them suddenly when the system is activated.

To avoid this unpleasant phenomenon, Valeo has developed an evaporator covered with a layer of varnish applied directly to the aluminum. This hydrophilic, biostatic, and chromium-free anti-odor evaporator eliminates the danger of odorous gases being trapped and ensures perfect surface quality throughout the product's life.

In the air filter, located upstream of the evaporator, is a cartridge containing an antiseptic compound. This compound spreads naturally throughout the air-conditioning system and destroys the bacteria and microbes that cause the offensive smell.

A breath of fresh air in the cabin

Pollution, in the form of gas and dust, and unpleasant smells may also come from the cabin itself. The air-purification module with photo-catalytic filter (which can be mounted inside the cabin) provides an additional action to deliver clean, safe air in air-con recycling mode.

As well as eliminating unpleasant odors, Valeo's systems protect the health of all vehicle occupants

The ion generator, for example, emits positive and negative ions that catch airborne microbes and fungi and effectively neutralize them. This system, known as the Plasmacluster Ion(TM) generator is already on the Japanese market and testifies to the Group's capacity to innovate.

Superior air quality available to everyone

Valeo's BioClip(TM) anti-bacteria diffuser is a world first and is now available through Valeo's aftermarket network.

The system can be fitted to any type of vehicle since it simply clips on to the cabin air filter. It has a guaranteed minimum working life of 12 months, similar to the air filter itself.

BioClip(TM) uses a natural anti-microbial agent (a plant molecule) that is continuously diffused into the cabin to destroy the microorganisms that develop in the air-conditioning circuit and which can generate unpleasant odors and allergic reactions.

Alongside the cabin air filter, which protects against particles and external pollution (gas, dust, etc), BioClip(TM) offers an additional air purification function that spreads clean air when in either air-con normal or recycling mode.

Plasmacluster Ion is a registered trademark of Sharp Corporation.

7 Septmber 2005: Cryostate, UV Disinfection
Bioscience Technology, NJ - Sep 7, 2005

Leica CM1850 UV clinical cryostat has a cryochamber that can be disinfected with ultraviolet light, without warming or defrosting. This process is accomplished without producing condensation, toxic fumes, residues or contaminated liquid waste. When sectioning fresh tissue specimens in routine histology and clinical pathology, users can be exposed to highly infective viruses, bacteria and fungi. Additionally, these units have smooth surfaces that allow easy and safe chemical spray disinfection. A splash-proof slot cover prevents infectious materials from entering the microtome housing. Short freezing times ensure high specimen throughput. Low temperatures can be reached with the actively cooled freezing shelf with heat extractor and Peltier unit.

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10 August 2005: Sub-nanosecond UV pulses from these LEDs
News Story from: Picoquant; Edited by the Laboratorytalk Editorial Team

Four new pulsed LEDs in the ultraviolet (280, 295, 310, 340 nm) are ideal for exciting natural fluorescent molecules and proteins like tyrosine, tryptophan and NADH

PicoQuant announces the release of four additions to the range of available pulsed light sources.

The PLS 280, PLS 295, PLS 310 and PLS 340 extend the available wavelength range and open new doors for entirely new applications in bioanalysis, biochemistry, genetics, optical storage, semiconductor characterisation and quality control.

The new pulsed LEDs are ideal for exciting natural fluorescent molecules and proteins like tyrosine, tryptophan and NADH.

Furthermore these light sources can replace bulky laser systems like nitrogen lasers, excimer lasers, or inefficient flash lamps.

The pulsed LEDs feature an average output power up to 2uW (depending on wavelength) and a pulse width down to 500ps.

The UV-LEDs can be supplied in two versions, either optimised for high repetition rates up to 40MHz or optimised for maximum output power, but limited to a maximum repetition rate of 10MHz.
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29 July 2005: Astralux, Inc. Announces New Contract to Develop a Portable UV/X-Ray Biodecontamination Unit Designed to Eradicate a Variety of Biological Agents Used in Bioterrorism Attacks
Yahoo Finance

Astralux Inc., a pioneer in compound semiconductor research and development, today announced that it has been awarded a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II award from the United States Air Force. With this award, work will continue toward the project's objective to develop a portable UV/X-Ray Biodecontamination system suitable for biodecontamination of a variety of biological agents which could be used in bioterrorism attacks.

The malicious distribution of Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) through the U.S. Postal Service subsequent to the attacks on the World Trade Center in the fall of 2001 demonstrated the vulnerability of the United States to biological threats. These events showed the need for improved decontamination methods for buildings and assets exposed to various biological agents, because the current methods rely on the application of a chlorine- or formaldehyde-based liquid and are toxic, corrosive, and harmful to papers, books, and sensitive equipment such as landing gear, brake assemblies, and aircraft interiors.

The combination of a high-intensity ultraviolet emitter and an X-ray radiation source within a single package would offer a clean, non-toxic, and non-corrosive alternative for the surface and subsurface multi-biological warfare agent decontamination of buildings and equipment. Astralux, Inc. is developing an electron-beam pumped semiconductor UV source technology, which when combined with an X-ray source, will result in a UV/X-ray biodecontamination unit that does not suffer from the shortcomings mentioned above. This UV/X-ray biodecontamination system will prove useful in a wide range of settings requiring disinfection. These applications include mail disinfection, air and water purification, and medical sterilization.

"The threat of biological attacks on government facilities and acts of bioterrorism against civilian targets is still very real," commented Dr. Rande Treece, President and Chief Executive Officer. "This UV/X-ray technology represents an innovative approach towards biodecontamination and holds significant potential for a wide range of uses towards neutralizing this deadly threat. Astralux is proud to be helping to defend our country and excited to develop technology in the Homeland Security market."
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27 July 2005: Packaging Manufacturer Saves Money Treating Cooling Tower Water with UV
Process And Control Today

Danish packaging manufacturer Styropack A/S has made significant savings since installing a Berson UV disinfection system to treat water in its open cooling tower. The cooling water is used for compressors, production equipment and a steam boiler.

Before switching to UV the company had been experiencing problems with the water cooling system. Firstly, the lamellae* of the cooling towers were becoming fouled with organic material and bacteria and needed thoroughly cleaning every six months - a time consuming and costly process. The reduced efficiency of the cooling tower lamellae also meant the tower's ventilators were often operating at maximum power, resulting in increased power costs. In addition, there was increased consumption of make-up water in the plant.

Styropack A/S initially tried to solve the problem of the lamella fouling by using a costly biocide. Correct dosing was difficult to calculate, however, resulting in periodic overdosing.

The company then decided to carry out a trial with a UV disinfection system, which had an immediate beneficial effect. Following consultation with HOH A/S, Berson's Danish distributor, a bersonInLine(r) system with a bersonMultiWave(r), medium pressure UV lamp was installed. The bersonMultiWave(r) lamp destroys microorganisms' DNA, RNA and enzymes, ensuring permanent, irreversible inactivation. A UV sensor monitors the activity of the UV lamp, altering the UV dose accordingly. In addition, an automatic wiper keeps the quartz sleeve surrounding the UV lamp clean. The only regular maintenance necessary is changing the UV lamp once a year, a simple process which is carried out by on-site staff in a few minutes.

Since the UV system was installed, just over a year ago, the cooling tower only needs servicing annually as part of routine maintenance procedures. The tower's ventilators now also run at the minimum level and there is no need for biocide dosing. Costs have therefore been dramatically reduced and the water in the open cooling basin is now so clear you can see the bottom.

Based in the Netherlands, Berson UV-techniek is a world leader in UV technology for a wide range of applications, including process, waste, drinking and swimming pool water treatment, dechlorination, ozone removal and TOC reduction. The company has over 30 years' experience in the design, development, manufacture and distribution of UV systems worldwide.

20 July 2005: JH Partners Invests in VIOlight
Yahoo Finance

Innovative Toothbrush Sanitizer Fills Niche in Oral Health Market

SAN FRANCISCO, PRNewswire/ -- Today JH Partners LLC, a private equity firm based in San Francisco, announced it has invested in VIOlight, Inc. maker of the VIOlight Toothbrush Sanitizer & Storage System, a revolutionary consumer product utilizing an ultraviolet (UV) bulb to eliminate germs and bacteria in toothbrushes.

"VIOlight's innovative and differentiated product is well positioned to capitalize on the growing market for oral health products," said Pat Collins of JH Partners…

…Mr. Pinsky founded the company to fill an important unmet need in the oral hygiene market. Toothbrushes harbor millions of microorganisms that translate into harmful bacteria that cannot simply be rinsed away with water. The VIOlight product not only eliminates up to 99.9 percent of toothbrush germs in ten minutes, but it also uses UV light rather than heat or steam which is much safer, and easy to use. In addition, VIOlight is compact and carries a sleek, versatile design by Philippe Starck…

18 July 2005: World's biggest UV water treatment plant coming
by Len Maniace, Westchester Journal News, Westchester, NY

Work is scheduled to begin by September on the world's largest ultraviolet water treatment plant, a nearly $600 million facility designed to sterilize two pesky parasites that have roots in a disease outbreak that sickened 400,000 people in Milwaukee a dozen years ago.

To be built on the Grasslands reservation next to the county jail in Mount Pleasant, the UV plant can treat up to 2.4 billion gallons of water a day from New York City's two largest reservoir systems, the Catskill and the Delaware, which are the source of most water used by Westchester and New York City.

The plant will mean at least another $2.3 million annually in tax revenue for the town of Mount Pleasant, the Pocantico Hills schools and Westchester County.

The massive project stems from a campaign against two single-cell organisms — Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Though these parasites may have little or no effect on healthy people, they can cause severe diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms, which can kill individuals with impaired immune systems.

The presence of these two organisms led to a brief water alert two weeks ago in New York City after a torrential rain washed soil and some parasites into the Kensico Reservoir. That alert called for the elderly, the very young and others with weakened immune systems to boil tap water or drink bottled water…

… Construction of the UV plant will be a massive project not expected to be complete until 2010. The two-story UV plant will be a large building, 410 feet by 200 feet. One floor will be underground and the other above ground level, varying in height from 30 to 50 feet.

13 July 2005: Work Begins On Singapore's Latest Water Recycling Plant
Yahoo News

SINGAPORE, Asia Pulse - Work has commenced on Singapore's latest NEWater, or water recycling, facility, with Keppel Integrated Engineering (KIE) laying the foundation stone at the Ulu Pandan site on Tuesday.

KIE, the environment technology and engineering arm of Keppel Corporation (SGX:K02), was awarded the 20-year Design-Build-Own-Operate (DBOO) contract by the Public Utilities Board (PUB)…

…According to PUB, NEWater is the high grade water produced after treated used water has been further purified using a 3-step process involving advanced membrane technologies like Microfiltration, Reverse Osmosis, and the final disinfection of the product water using ultraviolet light…

Full text: Work Begins On Singapore's Latest Water Recycling Plant

15 July 2005: Not all air-cleaning devices are appropriate for home use

Not all air-cleaning devices are appropriate for home use – some can be harmful to human health. The ARB recommends that ozone generators, "air purifiers" that intentionally produce ozone, not be used in the home. Ozone is a gas that can cause health problems, including eye and respiratory tract irritation and breathing difficulty. For more information on ozone generators including a list of ozone generators sold as air purifiers, please visit our new web page.

For additional information, please contact Jim Behrmann. Tel: 916-445-0753

18 June 2005: Water works submits filtration plant plans
by Liz Sadler, The Journal News, West Nyack, NY

The bureaucratic wheels have begun turning on a $37 million water filtration plant the state has ordered a water utility company to build.

The contentious issue involves the quality of drinking water along much of the Long Island Sound shore, plus the possibility of a 40 percent hike in water bills.
...

The water works, meanwhile, has maintained that it is willing to build an ultraviolet treatment plant, a less expensive alternative that would deactivate certain harmful organisms.

12 June 2005: Device Traps, Disables Harmful Bacteria
Science Daily

A team of engineers from Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Colorado at Boulder has removed bioaerosols — airborne biological particulate matter — from the air of a hospital therapy pool using a new generation of hybrid filters.

The bioaerosols identified in the unnamed Midwestern hospital pool had sickened nine lifeguards who had become ill with hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a lung condition that mimics pneumonia symptoms. This forced the pool to shut down. It is now reopened.

Lars T. Angenent, Ph.D., Washington University assistant professor of chemical engineering, and the Colorado engineers mounted three high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) ultraviolet (UV) air filters on the ceiling of the pool room. They compared concentrations of total bacteria, culturable bacteria and airborne endotoxin — a poison present in gram-negative bacterial cell walls that can cause severe inflammatory responses — with and without the air filters operating under similar conditions. They compared the performance of the filters twice, one year apart, and found that the filters reduced concentrations of culturable bacteria by 69 and 80 percent during monitoring periods executed in respective years. The filters reduced concentrations of total bacteria by 12 and 76 percent, respectively, over the same span. But the filters did not affect airborne endotoxin concentrations.

"This specific filter has a blower that takes a high volume of air and puts it through a filter that screens bacteria and even smaller particles," said Angenent, a member of Washington University's Environmental Engineering Science Program. " And after the filter there is UV light; if something passes through the filter, the UV zaps it. It's a combination approach that appears very effective. The bacterium that had been causing illness was Mycobacterium avium, which can make immunocompromised people ill, and since a lot of elderly use therapy pools, that's a concern. However, since using the filters, no one has gotten sick."…

13 May 2005: Catalytic Reaction Zaps Bacteria – Hospitals could benefit from a tube that vaporizes microbes
by Marl Peplow, news@nature.com

A mottled glass tube bathed in ultraviolet light may prove a great help to hospitals by keeping dangerous bacteria out of their air. Scientists have developed a simple, reusable device that can knock out more than 99% of microbes in air conditioners. The device relies on titanium dioxide, a compound used in white pigments and found in common household products such as toothpaste. When exposed to ultraviolet light, bacteria landing on a surface of titanium dioxide are converted to a vapour of carbon dioxide and water, along with harmless organics…

…The team tested its device using Escherichia coli, which commonly cause food poisoning. Each cubic meter of contaminated air flowing into the reactor contained about 15,000 clumps of bacteria capable of forming a colony; the outlet air contained no viable colony-forming units, report the researchers in the journal Chemical Communications1…

…Keller says the system should also work against Legionella pneumophila, which causes Legionnaires' disease and is about the same size as E. coli. This microbe is particularly good at breeding in the pools of water that can form inside air-conditioning ducts. "Legionella can be a problem wherever you have warm, recirculating water," says Colin Mathieson, an engineer who deals with disinfection equipment at Wedeco UV Systems, based in Sudbury, UK…

1. Keller V., Keller N., Ledoux M. J. & Lett M. C. Chem. Comm., doi:10.1039/b503638k (2005).

3 May 2005: Biological Evaluation of Ultraviolet Light Systems

Under contract to Battelle, the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) has established a Technology Testing and Evaluation Program (TTEP) to test UV lights in ultraviolet air treatment systems. The TTEP was established by EPA’s National Homeland Security Research Center as an outgrowth of EPA’s successful and internationally recognized Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program.

The mission of TTEP is to identify and test technologies to protect against biological contaminants in buildings and other public spaces. The Research Triangle Institute (RTI) will verify the inactivation efficiency of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) ultraviolet light (UV) systems for culturable bioaerosol challenges.

31 March 2005: Self-sustaining DSA with UV LED sterilizes water

The self-sustaining Dynamic Sterilizing Apparatus (DSA) uses Ultraviolet Light Emitting Diodes (UV LED) to irradiate water-borne pathogens.

2005 not only marked a new year, but a breakthrough in technology as well. An Ohio team has been in the process of conducting flow-through water purification benchmark testing, since February of this year, with the use of UV LED and their patent pending self-sustaining technology.

The smaller LED devices have more advantages over the mercury vapor lamps such as durability, life expectancy, and use of less heat and power. The self-sustaining technology will eliminate the need for any outside energy force to operate the device.

OHT, LLC, an Ohio startup company, has designed and developed a novel prototype that will allow the flow of water to be treated by the 16 MEmocvd™ AIGaN/GaN LED chips, emitting at 270 nm range, made by the South Carolina based firm Sensor Electronic Technology (SET)...