Question 1

how do you use this for uvc if you can't look at the light? is the only option to set up a camera?

Accepted Answer

I generally use uvc glasses and long-sleeved shirt to be around uvc- and only for very short periods of time at worst. However, best practice is to never be around the light while on.

The exposure card can be read right after turning off the uvc light, but you need to make haste or it will recover as that particular card is reusable. These work- and can tell you if your light is indeed uvc, or uva/b. I have confirmed that in my lab.

As with all UV lights, use safety protocols: never expose your eyes to any UV light, and never expose skin to short-wave UV light such as UVA, B, or C, nor breath air that is changed into ozone (O3) generated by wide freaquency UVC or low frequency UVC as that is toxic, and deadly to air-exchanging organisms. Always read the manufacturer's safety instructions before using.

Question 2

Can this distinguish long-spectrum UVB rays from short-spectrum UVB rays? Or are the long/short-wave labels just a generalization between UVA+B/C?

Accepted Answer

It takes some understanding of the test card surfaces to distinguish between wavelengths of UVB but if you have a long and short-wave UVB light to calibrate what you are looking for you will see a difference as you get close enough to UVC ( shortwave UVB 310nm) the letter starts to become slightly visible without with a very faint glow of pink in the main test area.

Question 3

It sounds like this detects both 254nm and 222nm, but cannot distinguish between them. Is that correct?

Accepted Answer

There will be very little difference between 254nm and 222nm for the green color.   As far as the wide-band purple.  There will be a very noticeable difference in how much energy it takes to make the letters UV remain visible in the center circle after exposure.  For 254nm that's approximately 300 microwatts and for 222nm it's approximately 3000 microwatts.

6-in-1 QUANTADOSE® Multi-Wavelength Bi-Luminescent UVA/UVB/UVC/Far-UVC Light Reusable Professional UV Test Card

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