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Global Health Econ Sustain Global South: Healthier lives with UVC

3.2. Potential applications of UVC technology for cellular repair repression (Martín-Sómer et al., 2023). At the
waterborne disease prevention in the Global South 265 nm wavelength, UVC LED disinfection can effectively
Waterborne diseases, such as cholera, typhoid fever, and inactivate biofilm-bound bacteria such as Pseudomonas
diarrheal illnesses, continue to afflict populations worldwide, aeruginosa (Gora et al., 2019). UVC LEDs emitting in the
causing significant morbidity and mortality (Smith et al., 270 nm range provided effective disinfection of biofilm-
2014). In tropical regions, where inadequate sanitation bound cells (Ma et al., 2022).
and limited access to clean water prevail, these infections UVC LED technology also effectively disinfects toxic
threaten the well-being of millions (Prüss-Ustün et al., 2019). and carcinogenic contaminants often caused by synthetic
Improving access to drinking water, sanitation facilities, and dyes found in wastewater (Ahmadi & Ghanbari, 2018).
hygiene practices is critical for improving public health in Other studies have found that when combined with
lower-resourced regions, such as the Global South, where dissolved organic matter microfiltration, UVC LED is also
diarrheal diseases are major contributors to morbidity and highly effective, with a 6 – 7 log reduction in Giardia sp. and
mortality (Manetu & Karanja, 2021). Cryptosporidium sp. (Lee et al., 2023). UVC LED irradiation
Traditional water treatment methods have limitations was found to be effective at treating municipal wastewater
in effectively eliminating pathogenic microorganisms, for the disinfection of microbes, including E. coli and the
necessitating the exploration of novel approaches. Past SARS-Cov-2 virus (Yu et al., 2023). Another study found
studies have shown that point-of-use water disinfection that UVC LED effectively inactivated pathogenic bacteria
through conventional methods such as chlorination was Aeromonas salmonicida and Escherichia coli (4.5 log
effective at preventing diarrheal diseases in high-risk rural inactivation) and that avoidance of visible light spectrums
Kenyan regions and other Global South countries such as inhibited bacterial reactivation (Zhang et al., 2023).
Bolivia and Bangladesh (Arnold & Colford, 2007; Garrett et UVC LED irradiation was also effective at disinfecting
al., 2008; Sobsey et al., 2003). With evidence that point-of-use human noroviruses found in wastewater systems and has
chemical water treatment effectively reduces transmission of positive implications for protecting natural water sources
waterborne pathogens, it stands to reason that improvements from contaminated wastewater runoff (Mariita et al.,
to the disinfection process would only positively impact these 2022a). Comparable studies also found the simultaneous
communities. UVC LED technology emerges as a promising disinfection and organic microcontaminant elimination by
solution, potentially enhancing life quality, public health, and UVC-LED-Driven Advanced Oxidation Processes effective
economic outcomes (Martín-Sómer et al., 2023). and crucial for scaling tertiary wastewater treatment
UVC LED technology holds immense potential to improve (Miralles-Cuevas et al., 2021). There is also evidence that
life quality and public health outcomes by reducing the UVC LED + impeller systems effectively inactivate human
incidence of waterborne diseases. Studies have demonstrated norovirus in brine water, which is impactful for certain
the efficacy of UVC LED systems in inactivating a wide range food manufacturing industries (Yoon et al., 2022).
of waterborne pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and UVC LED technology is also effective on smaller-scale
protozoa (Beck et al., 2017; Nyangaresi et al., 2019; Shen et al., water disinfection systems, such as single-unit disinfection
2020; Song et al., 2016). In 2020, 5.8 billion people, or 74% of within personal water bottles. The purgaty One system
the global population, used a safely managed drinking water (cap+bottle) is a stainless-steel water bottle with UVC
service on-site. By incorporating UVC LED technology into LED disinfection capabilities housed within the bottle
water treatment processes, the risk of waterborne infections cap, which was found to be greater than 99% effective
can be significantly reduced, leading to improved health at the inactivation of E. coli, P. aeruginosa, V. cholerae,
outcomes and enhanced well-being for affected communities. and heterotrophic contaminants (Mariita et al., 2021).
UVC LED water purification could dramatically increase the In addition to drinking water disinfection, point-of-use
number of people, particularly those in the Global South, with UVC LED technology in showerheads effectively treats
consistent access to a safely managed drinking water service household bathing water (Cates & Torkzadeh, 2020).
in households, healthcare facilities, and schools.
3.3.2. Comparative analysis with alternative water
3.3. Effectiveness of UVC LED technology in treatment methods
waterborne disease prevention
Water purification using mercury lamps was first performed
3.3.1. Research studies and evidence supporting the in the early 20 century and saw large-scale implementation
th
efficacy of UVC LED technology in the 1950s. However, using mercury lamps for water
Studies have shown that 265 nm wavelengths have higher disinfection requires heavy energy expenditures, hazardous
germicidal effects, while 280 nm wavelengths have better materials, and bulky systems (Gora et al., 2019). In

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2024) 9 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.1984