This study demonstrates that a light emitting diode (LED) which emits
monochromatic UV light at germicidal wavelength (255 nm) is highly efficient in
inactivating microorganism both suspended in water and on the dry surfaces. Disinfection
kinetics were evaluated using Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis spore, and MS2
bacteriophage. The measured kinetics were consistent with those reported in the literature or
measured in this study with conventional mercury vapor UV lamps. Factors that affected
inactivation kinetics such as organic matter content in water and roughness of surface were
characterized. Unique characteristics including small size, extremely low power consumption,
direct current compatibility, and long lifetime make this recently commercialized UVC-LED
a promising alternative to conventional UVC lamps in various disinfection applications.
