Humans are surrounded by ultraviolet light everywhere. Although it is not visible through our naked eye, yet it exists – be it indoors or outdoors. Do you know the lamp in your office also emits some sort of UV light?
If you have ever read about electromagnetic or ultraviolet radiation, somewhere on the internet or in books, you might have a perception that UV rays are bad for humans. Isn’t it? But, just like every other thing in this world, UV rays or UV light too has some advantages and some disadvantages.
Experts believe that ultraviolet light is very useful in different spectrums of life, and here in this post, we are going to discuss exactly the same.
Uses of UV light
Commercial, industrial, healthcare, life science, everyday life and what not; UV light has recorded a number of applications in vast number of fields.
- Fluorescent Inspection
When exposed to UV light, different materials react in different ways. Some substances change the UV light into visible light by absorbing the energy of the UV light, and this process is known as fluorescence. For example, a highlighter pen has a fluorescent ink, which glows in the dark. UV beams emit a black light, which can be used to inspect breaks, splits or defects in any surface.
- Crime Scene Inspection
A popular use of UV light is in the forensic department. The crime investigators and forensic lab professionals use UV flashlight to look for bodily fluid, like blood and fingerprints, to investigate the case. When exposed to UV sources, it becomes easy to check the blood samples and other evidences.
- Tanning
UV light is widely used for tanning. It creates a similar impact of sunlight on the skin, and is very common for indoor tanning. Most of the people prefer indoor tanning through UV light than outdoor tanner. This is because outdoor tanning often results in sunburn. Also, one has to stay under the sun for a longer duration to be tanned. However, with UV light, one can get tanned in just 20 minutes.
- Skin Treatment
In addition to tanning, UV light also helps in skin treatment. It is found to be effective in the treatment of psoriasis, smallpox lesions, and vitiligo. Growth of skin cancer can also be prevented using UV light. This is why most of the spas and medical clinics offer UV light therapy.
- Pest Control
UV light is also used for pest control in the food and agriculture industry. Using a UV longwave lamp, the inspectors highlight a specific area to determine the presence of rodents. Under UV light, the hair and urine of the rodents glow blue-white. Thus, they can be easily identified if they are mixed with food grains or present on the sacks of food.
- Detection of Counterfeit Currency
You might have definitely heard about the counterfeit currency or fake currency circulating in the market. But, with UV light, counterfeit currency can have an end as different denominations of US currency glow with different colors. Hence, it is an easy way to judge which currency is genuine and which is counterfeit.
Aren’t these applications amazing? Use them in your daily life or professional life, UV light sources are sure to provide you with some real benefits. Just avoid using large doses of UV light.
Author Bio:
Hemant Kumar is a project manager at Tridindia with more than nine years of commendable experience in writing about LMS, translation, and IT. His unmatched talent and passion for digital marketing gave him the opportunity to work as a multi-tasking project manager at TridIndia’s sister company, LinkBuildingCorp. Today, he contributes to the world by imparting knowledge on SEO, link building and internet marketing etc., that helps business owners grow their online business.
