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Invisibleandymc
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Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV * 1
    #14248821 - 04/06/11 05:44 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

So there I was, down to my last poured petri dish, and I really needed to make a transfer, but it had a little spot of bacteria in the dish.  Normally I'd discard that dish, but I was in a tight spot.

I'd previously bought a UV disinfectant wand from ThinkGeek on a whim (I had a big gift certificate to spend) but never found much use for it.

So, I dosed that bacteria with UV from the wand, and made the transfer,  circled the spot on the cover of the dish, to see if it spread.  Not only has it not spread, it no longer has that shiny, colourful look of bacteria spots on agar - it looks kind of grey and dead.

So, UV: useful for something after all?


--------------------
How I make spore prints
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My flow hood

If he asks me "Did you have a good time?" I'll say,
"Get the lights, Mr. Grim Reaper"  -odds


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InvisibleDoc_T
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: andymc]
    #14248951 - 04/06/11 06:05 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

Hmm... that's polycarbonate, right?


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Invisibleandymc
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: Doc_T]
    #14248977 - 04/06/11 06:09 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

Quote:

Doc_T said:
Hmm... that's polycarbonate, right?




:confused:


--------------------
How I make spore prints
Trade List
My flow hood

If he asks me "Did you have a good time?" I'll say,
"Get the lights, Mr. Grim Reaper"  -odds


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InvisibleDoc_T
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: andymc]
    #14248992 - 04/06/11 06:12 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

Sorry, random obscure thought.
The material of those pre-poured dished, the plastic is polycarbonate. I think.
And I wonder at the UV transmission profile of polycarbonate vs glass.
I know glass won't pass much UV, but I don't know about the plastic.


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Invisibleandymc
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: Doc_T]
    #14249015 - 04/06/11 06:15 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

I wondered if that's what you meant :lol:

I lifted the lid, in front of the flow hood, and dosed it for a few seconds.  I reckon you could do the same inside of a glove box though.

I reckon you're right though, I wouldn't automatically assume that it can pass through the dish lid effectively.


--------------------
How I make spore prints
Trade List
My flow hood

If he asks me "Did you have a good time?" I'll say,
"Get the lights, Mr. Grim Reaper"  -odds


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InvisibleDoc_T
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: andymc]
    #14249027 - 04/06/11 06:18 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

Didn't think about lifting the lid.

I still don't think anybody should be using UV, but at least this seems to be a plausible effective use. :thumbup:


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Invisibleandymc
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: Doc_T]
    #14249106 - 04/06/11 06:33 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

It'll be interesting to see what happens when the mycelium reaches that spot.

Can't post pics tonight, but I will if anything interesting happens :super:


--------------------
How I make spore prints
Trade List
My flow hood

If he asks me "Did you have a good time?" I'll say,
"Get the lights, Mr. Grim Reaper"  -odds


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Invisibleandymc
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: andymc]
    #14340264 - 04/23/11 07:48 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

Well, dey et dem:


There's some condensation on the lid making it difficult to see, but there was some other mold on the other side of the dish (not sure my flow hood is working out for me so well) so I had to open it inside a glove box.

The spot of bacteria that I dosed with the UV wand (circled) was completely overrun by the good mycelium.  So, maybe it works! :thumbup:


--------------------
How I make spore prints
Trade List
My flow hood

If he asks me "Did you have a good time?" I'll say,
"Get the lights, Mr. Grim Reaper"  -odds


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InvisibleDoc_T
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: andymc]
    #14341059 - 04/23/11 10:35 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

Outstanding!

Next: How much UV is just enough to kill bacteria? Is that amount safe for mycelium?


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You make it all possible. Doesn't it feel good?


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InvisibleM11
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: Doc_T]
    #14341116 - 04/23/11 10:47 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

I have used a UV bulb to sterilize my area prior to inoculation.  Works quite well.  Kills airborne contaminants as well.


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Of course, then there's the problem of eating vermiculite. On the bright side, it makes your poop and teeth glitter.  Just pretend it's christmas.
-RR

Those mushrooms are fine.  Your friend is a pussy.
-RR

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Invisiblesavage.renegade
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: M11]
    #14341150 - 04/23/11 10:53 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

Just dont give yourself skin cancer or shine it your eyes.


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Invisiblesavage.renegade
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: savage.renegade]
    #14341172 - 04/23/11 10:57 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

Personally i would wear special goggles. is that uv-c? Maybe the wand is safe? I would look it up though


Edited by savage.renegade (04/23/11 11:11 PM)


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InvisibleM11
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: savage.renegade]
    #14341349 - 04/23/11 11:35 PM (12 years, 9 months ago)

I wear my sunglasses ha ha.  I don't know if it helps, but they are polarized. 

I usually just run it over the surface of the table a few times and then sit it upright on the table facing upwards for about 30 minutes while I grab my syringes and such.  It really has cut down on my contamination rate.  I think it kills more contaminants than you would think, especially airborne types.


--------------------
Of course, then there's the problem of eating vermiculite. On the bright side, it makes your poop and teeth glitter.  Just pretend it's christmas.
-RR

Those mushrooms are fine.  Your friend is a pussy.
-RR

Outdoor Patch


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Invisiblesavage.renegade
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: M11]
    #14341724 - 04/24/11 01:12 AM (12 years, 9 months ago)

Quote:

M11 said:
I wear my sunglasses ha ha.  I don't know if it helps, but they are polarized. 

I usually just run it over the surface of the table a few times and then sit it upright on the table facing upwards for about 30 minutes while I grab my syringes and such.  It really has cut down on my contamination rate.  I think it kills more contaminants than you would think, especially airborne types.



I dont know if that will block it. Look it up. I know uv is bad on the eyes probably similar to flash burn from welding


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Invisiblescrantonstrangler
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: savage.renegade]
    #14341907 - 04/24/11 02:20 AM (12 years, 9 months ago)

i have a UV light with an exposure stand, syringes, tin foil squares, lids jars, and any thing else you can imagine. Big fan of uv, thanks for the new use


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Invisibleandymc
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: andymc] * 1
    #14793711 - 07/19/11 05:19 PM (12 years, 6 months ago)

Here's another one:

I had a single spore syringe from my last print of a cubensis variety.  I didn't use sterile water to create that syringe, merely purified.  Predictably (in retrospect) when I used that syringe to drop spores on agar, I got nothing but a pool of bacteria.  Damn.

So I tried again, but this time after I droppered some solution onto the agar, in front of the flow hood, I dosed it with UV for 10 seconds or so.

The spores germinated this time; when they first started, it looked a little bit strange -- isolated little pinhead-sized spots -- but now I've got a basically normal-looking plate.

So, it seems as if UV may be useful for eliminating enough bacteria from spore solution, and allowing enough spores to survive, to germinate from a contaminated spore syringe.  I might do another couple of plates from that syringe (one with UV, one without) to see whether I can replicate this.


--------------------
How I make spore prints
Trade List
My flow hood

If he asks me "Did you have a good time?" I'll say,
"Get the lights, Mr. Grim Reaper"  -odds


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InvisibleDoc_T
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: andymc]
    #14793926 - 07/19/11 05:54 PM (12 years, 6 months ago)

Good work. :thumbup:

Kids- don't try this at home, UV is dangerous stuff.
But this is a very cool line of inquiry.

Could you zap the whole syringe for a period of time, kill the bacteria that way?
I can see a whole new thing coming out of this...


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Invisibleandymc
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: Doc_T]
    #14793978 - 07/19/11 06:03 PM (12 years, 6 months ago)

Quote:

Doc_T said:
Good work. :thumbup:

Kids- don't try this at home, UV is dangerous stuff.
But this is a very cool line of inquiry.




Word.  Yeah, this is a disinfectant 'wand' thing I got from ThinkGeek, though they don't seem to carry it any more (perhaps too many customers got cancer and died :smirk:).  It shines a directed light when you pass it over a surface.  Looks like this one.

I don't think I'd use it casually; in this case, I was trying to save something that I knew had bacteria in it.

Quote:

Doc_T said:
Could you zap the whole syringe for a period of time, kill the bacteria that way?
I can see a whole new thing coming out of this...




I wouldn't guess that the UV would pass through the syringe plastic very well, but then I don't know enough about the subject to make a more educated statement.  In this case I was shining it directly on a couple of drops of spore solution, before I replaced the petri lid.


--------------------
How I make spore prints
Trade List
My flow hood

If he asks me "Did you have a good time?" I'll say,
"Get the lights, Mr. Grim Reaper"  -odds


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InvisibleDoc_T
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: andymc]
    #14794017 - 07/19/11 06:08 PM (12 years, 6 months ago)

You'd need longer exposure, for sure. Not handheld, but make a rig and use a timer.
5 minutes, ten, whatever.

People sending out syringes for contests could sterilize a group at once, if a usable dosage can be determined.
Use yours to figure out how much is enough, then figure a way to measure it. (milliwatts per square centimeter, is my guess)
They make UV meters but they are pricey fora  single use.


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You make it all possible. Doesn't it feel good?


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Invisibleandymc
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: Doc_T]
    #14799896 - 07/20/11 07:53 PM (12 years, 6 months ago)

I inoculated 4 dishes last night from that contaminated syringe; 2 without UV treatment, and 2 with.

So far, it looks like the results are holding up.  On the UV-disinfected plates, there's nothing visible except a couple of dots of clumped spores.  On the non-UV plates, it looks as if the bacteria may be making a reappearance.

I'll update with photos when things have had a bit more time to develop.


--------------------
How I make spore prints
Trade List
My flow hood

If he asks me "Did you have a good time?" I'll say,
"Get the lights, Mr. Grim Reaper"  -odds


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InvisibleDoc_T
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: andymc]
    #14800021 - 07/20/11 08:19 PM (12 years, 6 months ago)

Good stuff man! See if you can get pics of the plates at equal intervals, every 8 hours or every 12.
That will give you a more even comparison.


--------------------
You make it all possible. Doesn't it feel good?


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OfflineCheeseBurgler
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: Doc_T]
    #14800485 - 07/20/11 09:46 PM (12 years, 6 months ago)

this is my favorite thread, as of recent time. :cuddles:


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Invisiblesandman420
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: CheeseBurgler]
    #14802158 - 07/21/11 08:39 AM (12 years, 6 months ago)

you should wear welding goggles if you are going to be in the vicinity. There are some good uses for UV light for sure. Sterilizing flowhood work surfaces, foil squares, tools, empty plates that are suspected of having the package breached, even poured plates can be doubly sterilized for shits and gigs.


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- Sandbag Tek - How To Sterilize Spawn Bags - All About Static Pressure / Pressure Drop for DIY Flow Hoods - Sandman's LC Tek-

Marijuanaut escapes earth to cultivate - Grow-room is church temple of the new stoner breed


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InvisibleDoc_T
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: sandman420]
    #14804143 - 07/21/11 04:31 PM (12 years, 6 months ago)

^^^ bad advice, UV is too dangerous for casual use.
Would you sterilize your surfaces with gamma rays? Hard x-rays?
UV light is the same stuff, it's high-energy ionizing radiation.
Not as bad as that stuff I mentioned, but bad.

Using welding goggles (and gloves!) reduces the risk, but there's still not enough benefit to make it worthwhile.


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You make it all possible. Doesn't it feel good?


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Invisibleandymc
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: Doc_T]
    #14804973 - 07/21/11 07:07 PM (12 years, 6 months ago)

Here are some photos after 48 hours.

Here we have the untreated plates on the left, and the UV-treated plates on the right (can't see much from these):


The untreated plates are obviously contaminated with bacteria.  The whole area where the spore solution dropped is a shiny pool:


But here are the UV-treated ones.  At first glance they don't look great either, but you can see little dots of mycelium:


If these work out the way my other one did, the treated plates should start to take off and grow out from that initial spot.  Unfortunately I think I might have ruined one of these whilst taking photos; I touched the inoculated spot with my zoom lens :doh:


--------------------
How I make spore prints
Trade List
My flow hood

If he asks me "Did you have a good time?" I'll say,
"Get the lights, Mr. Grim Reaper"  -odds


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OfflineCheeseBurgler
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: andymc]
    #14805151 - 07/21/11 07:49 PM (12 years, 6 months ago)

yeeeeeeaaa pictures! :willynilly:


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Invisibleandymc
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: andymc]
    #14814943 - 07/23/11 07:31 PM (12 years, 6 months ago)

48 more hours.  I had a difficult time getting my camera to focus on them tonight, but you can see that the mycelium is spreading out from the dodgy spots:


The one on the right, which I smushed with my camera the other night, seems to be doing surprisingly well.  It's got a little spot of something near the edge of the dish, but I'm not too surprised, given that I keep opening them up to take pictures.  The experiment seems to be working out, in any case :cool:


--------------------
How I make spore prints
Trade List
My flow hood

If he asks me "Did you have a good time?" I'll say,
"Get the lights, Mr. Grim Reaper"  -odds


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OfflineFungi4TW
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: andymc]
    #14818953 - 07/24/11 05:51 PM (12 years, 6 months ago)

The light from a UV lamp is hardly a danger to anyone. I would (might) wear regular old clear safety glasses. Polycarbonate blocks 99.9% of all UV rays. Wearing a welding hood? Now THAT would be dangerous, as you'd be at a high risk of walking into shit/tripping.

Seriously, that little ass lamp is nothing compared to spending a day in the sun, or your GF going to a tanning bed.

On top of it all, most of the vitamin D in your body came from being exposed to UV rays. During the winter something like 90% of all Americans have a vitamin D deficiency. This is why there is a flu "season", why you are more prone to getting sick in the winter.


--------------------
Yes ma'am, that IS a screwdriver in my pocket!


Edited by Fungi4TW (07/24/11 05:52 PM)


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Invisibleandymc
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: Fungi4TW]
    #14824373 - 07/25/11 08:01 PM (12 years, 6 months ago)

Alright, last one.  48 more hours.

I think it's safe to say these guys are home free


It's not very scientific, but I think I'm satisfied that UV disinfection can salvage a bacteria-infected spore syringe, at least on agar.  My experiment ended up 6-for-6 with this syringe: 3 contaminated dishes without UV, and 3 clean dishes with.


--------------------
How I make spore prints
Trade List
My flow hood

If he asks me "Did you have a good time?" I'll say,
"Get the lights, Mr. Grim Reaper"  -odds


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Invisiblemushroomfever
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: andymc]
    #18109367 - 04/14/13 06:05 PM (10 years, 9 months ago)

This thread is worth a bump for sure.


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Invisiblefastfred
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: mushroomfever]
    #18110866 - 04/14/13 11:12 PM (10 years, 9 months ago)

Funny to see there is still fearmongering going on over UV.  It can give you a nasty burn, especially your eyeballs.  It's much more of a red painful burn than sunburn, so don't even think about using it to tan.  But any plastic lense glasses will protect your eyes, and you can use any normal method to protect your skin.  Limit exposure, limit exposed skin, and/or wear sunscreen.  If you take even the most basic and simple of precautions you should have no problem.  One good burn will teach you the lesson anyways.


Here is my quick guide on getting your UV going...

Google "t8 uv germicidal lamp".  Click on shopping, that should give you any number of sites.  I suggest the one that is the cheapest source, around $6.88.  You want one that is G15T8.  This should work in a F15T8 light fixture.

Go to your local MegaMart or hardware store.  Buy an 18" fluorescent light fixture for one 15W bulb. Under-Cabinet types will usually have a switch on the cord or fixture and be cheaper.  Strip light type will be a little more and probably not have a switch, but they will be metal (withstands/reflects UV better).  They are about $8 and $14, respectively.  Make sure to take any plastic cover or diffuser off.

Now you've got a 15W, 18" germicidal lamp for just under $15.00!

Remember you're not trying to replace all your good sterile technique, such as swabbing down surfaces with disinfectant.  But "LYSOL Professional Brand III Disinfectant" is $9.99 at my local MegaMart, and you can certainly reduce your disinfectant consumption significantly by letting UV do the work.


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InvisibleKhii Khwaay
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: fastfred]
    #18111145 - 04/15/13 12:39 AM (10 years, 9 months ago)

Fucking very cool. 5 for you.

Are you the gentleman that wrote my favourite agar recipe?


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Offlinejjhitman
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: Khii Khwaay]
    #18111252 - 04/15/13 01:19 AM (10 years, 9 months ago)

:popcorn:


--------------------
Put water in a cup, it becomes the cup.  Put water in a tea pot, it becomes the tea pot.  Water can crash or water can flow.  Be water my friend. 



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Offlineveda_sticks
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: jjhitman]
    #18111468 - 04/15/13 03:42 AM (10 years, 9 months ago)

Ive heard of UV-C ligth being used to sterise or at least clean stuff I think water.

But bear in mind that those UV lights dont specifically affect just bacteria or molds or stuff you just want to kill. It affects everything. Mushroom mycelium and spores i guess.

Quote:

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) is a disinfection method that uses ultraviolet (UV) light at sufficiently short wavelength to kill microorganisms.[1] It is used in a variety of applications, such as food, air and water purification. UVGI utilises short-wavelength ultraviolet radiation (UV-C) that is harmful to microorganisms. It is effective in destroying the nucleic acids in these organisms so that their DNA is disrupted by the UV radiation, leaving them unable to perform vital cellular functions.




Quote:

Effectiveness

The effectiveness of germicidal UV in such an environment depends on a number of factors: the length of time a micro-organism is exposed to UV, power fluctuations of the UV source that impact the EM wavelength, the presence of particles that can protect the micro-organisms from UV, and a micro-organism’s ability to withstand UV during its exposure.

In many systems redundancy in exposing micro-organisms to UV is achieved by circulating the air or water repeatedly. This ensures multiple passes so that the UV is effective against the highest number of micro-organisms and will irradiate resistant micro-organisms more than once to break them down.

The effectiveness of this form of sterilization is also dependent on line-of-sight exposure of the micro-organisms to the UV light. Environments where design creates obstacles that block the UV light are not as effective. In such an environment the effectiveness is then reliant on the placement of the UVGI system so that line-of-sight is optimum for sterilization.

Sterilization is often misquoted as being achievable. While it is theoretically possible in a controlled environment, it is very difficult to prove and the term 'disinfection' is used by companies offering this service as to avoid legal reprimand. Specialist companies will often advertise a certain log reduction i.e. 99.9999% effective, instead of sterilization. This takes into consideration a phenomenon known as light and dark repair (photoreactivation and excision (BER) respectively) in which the DNA in the bacterium will fix itself after being damaged by UV light.[5]

A separate problem that will affect UVGI is dust or other film coating the bulb, which can lower UV output. Therefore bulbs require annual replacement and scheduled cleaning to ensure effectiveness. The lifetime of germicidal UV bulbs varies depending on design. Also the material that the bulb is made of can absorb some of the germicidal rays.

Lamp cooling under airflow can also lower UV output, thus care should be taken to shield lamps from direct airflow via parabolic reflector. Or add additional lamps to compensate for the cooling effect.

Increases in effectiveness and UV intensity can be achieved by using reflection. Aluminium has the highest reflectivity rate versus other metals and is recommended when using UV.




Quote:

Inactivation of microorganisms

The degree of inactivation by ultraviolet radiation is directly related to the UV dose applied to the water. The dosage, a product of UV light intensity and exposure time, is usually measured in microjoules per square centimeter, or alternatively as microwatt seconds per square centimeter (µW·s/cm2). Dosages for a 90% kill of most bacteria and virus range from 2,000 to 8,000 µW·s/cm2. Dosage for larger parasites such as Cryptosporidium require a lower dose for inactivation. As a result, the US EPA has accepted UV disinfection as a method for drinking water plants to obtain Cryptosporidium, Giardia or virus inactivation credits. For example, for one-decimal-logarithm reduction of Cryptosporidium, a minimum dose of 2,500 µW·s/cm2 is required based on the US EPA UV Guidance Manual published in 2006.[6]:1-7




Advantages
For more details on this topic, see Disinfectant.

UV water treatment devices can be used for well water and surface water disinfection. UV treatment compares favorably with other water disinfection systems in terms of cost, labor and the need for technically trained personnel for operation: deep tube wells fitted with hand pumps, while perhaps the simplest to operate, require expensive drilling rigs, are immobile sources, and often produce hard water that is found distasteful. Chlorine disinfection treats larger organisms and offers residual disinfection, but these systems are expensive because they need a special operator training and a steady supply of a potentially hazardous material. Finally, boiling water over a biomass cook stove is the most reliable treatment method but it demands labor, and imposes a high economic cost. UV treatment is rapid and, in terms of primary energy use, approximately 20,000 times more efficient than boiling.[discuss]
Drawbacks

UV disinfection is most effective for treating a high clarity purified reverse osmosis distilled water. Suspended particles are a problem because microorganisms buried within particles are shielded from the UV light and pass through the unit unaffected. However, UV systems can be coupled with a pre-filter to remove those larger organisms that would otherwise pass through the UV system unaffected. The pre-filter also clarifies the water to improve light transmittance and therefore UV dose throughout the entire water column. Another key factor of UV water treatment is the flow rate: if the flow is too high, water will pass through without enough UV exposure. If the flow is too low, heat may build up and damage the UV lamp.[7]


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Invisiblewildernessjunkie
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: veda_sticks]
    #18111530 - 04/15/13 04:41 AM (10 years, 9 months ago)

Using these lights, how much exposure time is required to sterilize? Anyone have an educated guess on the time that would be necessary to sterilize air, surfaces, or exposed agar?


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Invisiblefastfred
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: wildernessjunkie]
    #18112186 - 04/15/13 10:33 AM (10 years, 9 months ago)

Quote:

Are you the gentleman that wrote my favourite agar recipe?




Quite possibly, although I can't take credit for much more than a bang up cut-n-paste job.

Quote:

Using these lights, how much exposure time is required to sterilize? Anyone have an educated guess on the time that would be necessary to sterilize air, surfaces, or exposed agar?




That's the tough part.  It usually has to be determined experimentally.

There's just too many factors to consider.  The power of your light is a big factor, and that can vary by the quality of the ballast and also over the life of the bulb.  An 18" 15W bulb will also have a different concentration of UV than an 8" 15W bulb, and so forth.

Distance from the contam and the type of the contam also matters.  Most organisms are used to dealing with some amount of UV from the sun.  Some are tricky and have pigments or form protective films.

UV works best to sterilize clean surfaces.  A surface you wipe down will accumulate a fine layer of contams, and UV can quickly burn these up. 

UV won't burn through a bunch of grime and anything shaded from the light will not get sterilized.  Generally all plastics and most glass will stop UV rays also.

The best setup is for a sterile room, hood, or transfer station.  You simply turn the UV on when you leave and off when you come back.  That way you always start with a sterile area and clean air.  UV can only really sterilize still air where the contams drift slowly through the UV light and get burned up.

Normally the UV will work in a couple minutes at close range.  UV is very effective at what it does, but because of it's limitations you still need to practice good sterile technique.  It will give you better results if your technique is weak or you have a high contam load or poor facilities.

Restaurants, hospitals, etc. often use UV to help keep the air clean.  They use UV tubes shining against a wall with a shield to protect the room.  Normal convection and the heat from the tube(s) will keep air slowly moving up through the UV "kill zone".  This is a great way to reduce the contam load in your air.

I'll probably put together a guide at some point, but heed the warnings now!  UV will give you a nasty burn, and it will NOT feel like a nice day in the sun, nor will you get a tan from it.  Tanning beds use UVA and UVB rays, NOT germicidal UVC!  UVC is the "bad" rays that do the most damage to any DNA in their path.

Burning your eyeballs with UVC does NOT feel good!  A buddy told me (didn't listen to my adamant warnings) that his eyes felt like sandpaper for almost a week.  UV is implicated in cataracts and skin cancer, so use protection!

But, just use common sense and you'll be fine.  Never look directly at UV light, and always wear eye protection.  Any kind of plastic lense glasses or safety glasses will work just fine for protection.  You should never need to have even a moment of bare eye exposed to UV.

Your skin is a lot tougher, but still should be protected.  A couple minutes of normal strength UV on your skin per day will cause no effect.  However, it is very easy to forget about the UV and end up working for awhile and getting exposed.  A half hour can often burn you, and an hour can give you a nasty burn.  I've only ever been lightly burned, but it's something I'll not repeat.  I thought I was not getting much exposure, but even 15-20 minutes at close range is too much.

So you should never work under UV light.  It's too easy to forget and work too long, or underestimate your exposure level.  Working under UV is not that useful and isn't using UV in the optimum way.  If you do want to use UV while you work, that's fine.  Just make sure to wear gloves and a long sleeved lab coat.  Make sure to check if any skin is exposed.  If it is then cover it up or put on some high SPF sunscreen.

One last note... UV is destructive to just about everything.  It will fade paint, crack vinyl, and make plastics brittle over time.  Don't be surprised if all your plastic starts to crumble after a few months of leaving the UV on when you're not around.  If that's a problem for you then get electrical twist timer so you can kick the UV on for an hour or two before you want to work.


-FF


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Invisibleandymc
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Re: Perhaps, a legitimate mycology use for UV [Re: mushroomfever]
    #18113671 - 04/15/13 03:50 PM (10 years, 9 months ago)

Quote:

mushroomfever said:
This thread is worth a bump for sure.



Thanks!

Quote:

wildernessjunkie said:
Using these lights, how much exposure time is required to sterilize? Anyone have an educated guess on the time that would be necessary to sterilize air, surfaces, or exposed agar?



Just using my little wand, powerered by AAA batteries, 10-15 seconds of UV per spot on the agar seems to do the trick (each spot was 2-3 drops of spore solution).

Thanks also for the additional info fellas.


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