About UV Purifiers
If you take a look back at the history of UV light you will see that it was used to disinfect water, surfaces, and the air. They use germicidal ultraviolet wavelength and they expose living organisms such as bacteria, viruses to it. If they have enough energy then wavelength will disrupt the DNA in pathogenic microorganisms and then they would not be able to reproduce. The UV light will also prevent bacteria to spread disease in the drinking water.
The energy that's delivered by a UV purifier is measured in mJ/cm2 and that's called UV dosage. The bigger the dosage is the more energy will be delivered to treat water that's contaminated. This energy will inactivate almost all of the microorganisms that are present in the water.
UV disinfection will remove living organisms but it will not remove particles from water, remove bad taste and odors or add any chemicals.
UV disinfection treats water for the following things:
CryptosporidiumGiardiaDysentery bacilliSalmonellaMycobacterium tuberculosisStreptococcusE. coliHepatitis BCholeraAlgaeFungiSome viruses
Inside a UV water purifier, there is a chamber that encases the whole system. In order to deactivate living organisms, there has to be a glass quartz sleeve that will hold the UV lamp, and that UV lamp will need to emit a germicidal wavelength of radiation, and that way the organisms are deactivated. That quartz glass sleeve has to be transparent to the UV wavelength and that will allow the UV light to penetrate the glass and also to disinfect the water. Another task of the quartz sleeve is also to protects the UV lamp from the water and electricity because they don't go well together. These UV lamps run on mercury vapor and it's loaded into a UV lamp in the form of little beads.
UV water treatment is safe because it doesn't use any chemicals that are harmful and it doesn't alter the composition of water. But UV-C light is as dangerous for humans as it is for microscopic living organisms but if you don't touch or look at that UV bulb when it's on then you're not in any danger.
Alternative to UV would be chlorine treatment but the UV is much safer. UV will treat water for protozoa while chlorine is unable to remove it. UV is much easier to use and safer as well because it doesn't use chemical disinfectants.
UV purifiers are very effective and quick. They are able to deactivate 99.99% of all living organisms in the water. A great thing about UV purifiers is that they are designed to constantly keep water safe to use. UV purifier is not a filter and there is no water or debris left behind to clean. Every single drop of water that goes into the UV system is purified.
To sum it up
A UV water purifier will disinfect water without using chemicals. It will not add taste or odors to the water. It's pretty easy to maintain and it doesn't waste any water in the process. It will protect your water during natural disasters.