Design and construction of an ultraviolet germicidal irradiation device for the inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus in kitchen utensils.

Ultraviolet UV-C radiation has been used as a germicidal method for more than 100 years due to its effectiveness in the control of microorganisms. In some regions of Colombia, there are health problems because of the use of untreated water, which can contaminate food and kitchen utensils, putting human health at risk. The main purpose of this study was to design and construct a low-cost ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) device for the inactivation of the bacterial strain Staphylococcus aureus in kitchen utensils. The UVGI device is a chamber built in acrylic, consisting of an 8-watt ultraviolet lamp with a peak emission wavelength of 253.7 nm. The simulation of the ultraviolet lamp control was carried out through Proteus 8, and the control system was implemented using the Arduino UNO R3 ATmega328P. It was found that the optimal radiation doses were 34.44, 311.8 and 603.6 J/cm² to effectively inactivate the studied bacterium for more than 18 h. The constructed UVGI device is a viable solution to a public health problem that exists in some rural areas of Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]