Ultraviolet (UV) light has been used for many years to kill germs at water purification facilities. Now, researchers at Radium, a company belonging to Siemens' Osram subsidiary, have refined the UV principle for home and leisure applications. Their new product, called Puritec, is currently being launched on the market. Puritec is a mobile device that purifies drinking water by using UV radiation to kill bacteria. A special lamp produces high-energy UVC rays that kill germs naturally in water, as the research magazine Pictures of the Future reports. The short-wave light penetrates the bacteria cells' nuclei and destroys their genetic substance.
With its compact dimensions, the Puritec germ-killer unit is perfect for use when on the move — for example, in mobile homes. The system operates with either 230 or 12 volts, so it can be powered by a car lighter. It's also easy to use: The UVC lamp is simply lowered into a tank of water and switched on. The device is installed with the help of a special assembly board, which fits into standard container openings, and it can be used in conjunction with water tanks and canisters of various sizes. It also comes with a safety switch that causes the lamp to turn off automatically when removed from the tank or container, which ensures no one is exposed to UVC radiation.
Using UVC radiation to kill germs in drinking water offers several advantages. First, the procedure is very environmentally friendly: It doesn’t require any chemicals, such as chlorine, for the purification process, and the water treated with UVC light retains its natural taste and smell. What’s more, it takes only about 15 minutes to purify a 20-liter canister of water, and water quality remains unaffected even during longer periods of exposure. In other words, there is absolutely no risk of an "overdose." The UVC radiation also disinfects the inside of the container or tank, a feature confirmed by independent experts. Radium is currently working on a system with lamps that emit even shorter-wave UV light, and which therefore can also be used to destroy pollutants such as pesticides. (IN 2005.05.3)
