Discovery of ultraviolet light
Ultraviolet radiation is very significant in the tanning individual who are interested in making their skin look like leather as well as for vampires killing, yet it cannot be seen or else felt. The question is then, how did people discover existence the existence of ultraviolet light? Although light is comprehensively abundant when it comes from its primary source the sun, and it is tough to get hold of it because it travels at very high speed than anything else globally. Since light is subsequently insubstantial, for many years, individuals managed only to collect a few frequencies without knowing how much was being missed. In earlier 1800s, an astronomer from Germany by the name Fredrich W. Herschel did an experiment using a glass prism. He passed sunlight through the glass prism. His observation was an increase in temperature as he moves towards the spectrum’s red end. Since he was interested to discover more as a scientist, he measured beyond the red end of the spectrum. He named this ‘ultra-red’. One year later, John W. Ritter, who was a Polish-born physicist after hearing about the ultra-red discovery by Fredrich, he developed more interest in knowing if there existed light beyond it. When he was at Jena University, Ritter performed an experiment by using silver chloride. Silver chloride does tarnish and change into black when exposed to sunlight (Hirayama, (2016).
He utilized this light-sensitive material in his experiment by passing various colors through a glass prism. The experiment showed him that there was more response toward the blue spectrum. Additional observation was a strong reaction with silver chloride and past spectrum’s red end he observed a violet light and he named it ‘chemical rays.' Thus, the red discolored a bit; the orange discolored the more while both the violet as well as the blue end of the light caused blackening of the silver chloride remarkably. When Ritter tried the experiment once more, but this time with the silver chloride striped out past the point at which violet light fell. There was much darkening of the silver chloride under the visible light when compared to the initial experiment. This was a discovery of a different kind of light. This type of light have been around, but nobody could see it. Afterward, this light was termed ultraviolet radiation. It can be said that science do explain things which have been in existence and already known. For example, science can help in locating new planets or even a new horizon (Hirayama, (2016). Additionally, it will be appropriate for science to shows people new dimensions towards the universe which we have known already. It is also amazing that plants, as well as animals, have the ability to sense ultraviolet light even through human cannot do likewise. In conclusion, these two scientists, that is Herschel as well as Ritter, jointly came up with a way to show fellow human that the universe was a prodigious deal larger than anything the person can see or else sense.
Development of ultraviolet light
Ultraviolet radiation or else radiation stays as a crucial tool in fighting pathogenic microorganisms because of it direct mutagenic action on the DNA as well as being ecologically friendly when being utilized in killing disease-causing organisms. Unfortunately, the naturally available UV light from the sun is frequently blocked by substances available in the atmosphere. Hence, there is need to develop another source for UV to help in maximizing its utilization in various fields. Therefore, any material which can passively produce the small amount of UV without using electricity. This will increase the rate of UV application in different sectors. The most promising ways of developing UV light is the conversion of infrared light to ultraviolet light. This process can be made possible by using photoluminescence spectroscopy system. The PLS system comprises of the following components; UV excitation, a sample holder in addition to a light recognition assembly that helps in gaining emission spectra from the photoluminescence (Jansen et al., 2014). Therefore by using this system, phosphor materials which successively absorb low energy photons and, as a result, emits the lesser amount of higher energy thus producing UV light in the process. However, more research is needed to innovate other materials that are capable of emitting more UV light.
Applications of ultraviolet light
Medical application
Ultraviolet radiation has been used in the medical fields for some years since its discovery. The following are some of UV uses;
UV Light Therapy
This has been used for some years to aid in treating several skin diseases, conditions as well as disorders. Even though excess exposure to UV rays is dangerous and it is recommended that human beings to protect their skin as well as eyes by using appropriate sunglasses and sunblock, a moderate amount of UV light can be approved for different treatments (Jansen et al., 2014). For examples, skin eczema, neonatal jaundice that is a yellowish skin discoloration, perseverance itching in addition to vitiligo, a secondary loss of skin pigment as a result of white skin patches.
Sterilization and disinfection
UVB aid in inactivating some of the bacteria in our clothes when we hang wash them. Thus providing protection against different kinds of infections. Due to its ability to inactivate both bacteria as well as viruses, UV is utilized in the sterilizing variety of medical equipment. On the other hand, germicide UV can directly disable DNA strands present in bacteria and viruses thus making them to be inert.
Pest control in the healthcare centers
UV is also applied to manufacturing pest as well as insect regulator devices used is various sectors, more so the health care centers. Insects are highly attracted to fluorescent light, and they are easily trapped on contacting such devices physically.
Communication application of UV light
As the advancement in UV devices increases at a higher rate, a unique collaboration mechanism between the atmosphere constituents and the UV radiation is attracting communication industry. Currently, UV technology is turning out to be the tremendous alternative of wireless communication. The current, as well as faster innovation of devices such as UV light emitter diodes, detectors as well solar blind UV filter, have enhanced utilization of UV radiation to build unrestricted optical communication systems for the future requirements. For an optical communication link to be developed, the system depends on optical radiation that has a varying wavelength from infrared to ultraviolet wavelength so as to send information either on an unguided or else guided media. For instance, an optical fiber is utilized in transmitting information in the form of optical radiation from a set transmitter to a receiver (Khan et al., 2011).
Additionally, the remote control which uses infrared to send information through infrared emission can also utilize UV radiation to perform a similar duty. Integration of the communication system through the use of UV light has improved the efficiency of wireless communication process throughout the world. The reason being cost effectiveness of the optical communication process and also low power consumption when compared to radio wave communication systems. Hence, it is true to conclude that for the future communication process to be efficient as well as effective, UV radiation must be adopted fully into this sector because it has a lot of potentials to improve wireless communication industry (Khan et al., 2011).
UV Forensic light application
This involves crime scene investigation process. FLS is a crime scene investigator as well as lab technique tool used to improve photography, observation in addition to evidence collection in a crime scene. The evidence may include, body fluid, fingerprints, bite mark, hair and fibers, wound patterns, gunshot residue, footprints, as well as questioned documents. The procedure is efficient as compared to the conventional methods because of its high rate of sensitivity. Additionally, it increases the amount of evident in a given case. FLS consists of UV, visible as well as infrared light components. It thus utilizes wavelengths to filter down these lights into a singular color band, hence improving evidence visualization through light interaction techniques such as, absorption or darkening of proof, fluorescence or glowing of the evidence and oblique or else revealing small evidence particle (Wright & Golden, 2010). By using forensic light source technology, the latent print is detected easily with a higher sensitivity when compared to the traditional method which uses black powder lifting and dusting. This process is preferred due the following benefits, it is user-friendly, availability of several color bands, and FLS is more powerful in addition to room for system upgrading.
Water treatment application
UV water purification has been considered to be the most efficient technique of disinfecting bacteria which might be present in the water. UV rays do penetrate through the water and attack the DNA of the disease-causing microorganism thus eliminating the capability of the bacteria to reproduce. The process is extremely simple, efficient as well as environmentally friendly. Research has shown that UV light can destroy about 99.99% of the dangerous microorganism without an addition of chemical or make water tasteless (Wright & Golden, 2010). Another process of water purification such as reverse osmosis as well as carbon block filtration has to accompany UV water purification. The following are the advantages of UV water purification, there is no addition of chemical in the water, the process is very efficient, and maintenance of the purification system is cheap.
Conclusion
In conclusion, since the discovery of ultraviolet light by Herschel as well as Ritter, the have been a change in the lives of human being. Several usage of UV light is being innovated every day. Additionally, development of another source of ultraviolet radiation has been the current interest of both scientists as well as physicians across the globe. Due to increase in the application of UV radiation is the different field such as communication sector, medical field, security or else forensic sectors, the need for more UV sources should be innovated. Even though UV has numerous applications, it severs limitation is that it can easily cause skin cancer if an individual is exposed to it for a longer period.
References
Hirayama, H. (2016). Growth Techniques of AlN/AlGaN and Development of High-Efficiency Deep-Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes. In III-Nitride Ultraviolet Emitters (pp. 75-113). Springer International Publishing.
Jansen, J. G., Temviriyanukul, P., Wit, N., Delbos, F., Reynaud, C. A., Jacobs, H., & de Wind, N. (2014). Redundancy of mammalian Y family DNA polymerases in cellular responses to genomic DNA lesions induced by ultraviolet light. Nucleic acids research, 42(17), 11071-11082.
Khan, Y. A., Kashiwabuchi, R. T., Martins, S. A., Castro-Combs, J. M., Kalyani, S., Stanley, P., & Behrens, A. (2011). Riboflavin and ultraviolet light a therapy as an adjuvant treatment for medically refractive Acanthamoeba keratitis: report of 3 cases. Ophthalmology, 118(2), 324-331.
Wright, F. D., & Golden, G. S. (2010). The use of full spectrum digital photography for evidence collection and preservation in cases involving forensic odontology. Forensic science international, 201(1), 59-67.
