Bactericidal effect of ultraviolet C light-emitting diodes: Optimization of efficacy toward foodborne pathogens in water

The elimination of bacterial pathogens from water using ultraviolet C light-emitting diodes (UVC-LEDs) is a critical technology in terms of hygiene and sanitation. This technology has several advantages, such as low energy consumption, no heating requirements, and high effectiveness. Although several studies have reported the bactericidal effect of UVC-LEDs, little information is available on their bactericidal effect on water reservoirs contaminated with microorganisms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to optimize the bactericidal effects of UVC-LED irradiation, particularly at a wavelength of 278 nm, against major foodborne gram-positive and gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes. The efficiency of the bactericidal effect of UVC-LED irradiation was determined based on three variables: exposure time (A, 0-60 min), stirring speed (B, 0-100 rpm), and volume of water (C, 400-1200 mL). To optimize the conditions, the operation of the designed model and results analysis were carried out using Box-Behnken design (BBD) and response surface method (RSM). The final conditions optimized for an effective bactericidal activity included a 60 min exposure time, a 100 rpm stirring speed, and 400 mL of liquid volume. Furthermore, the validation of the optimized model using the predicted values was calculated by the program, which was conducted by matching the actual values within standard deviations. The present study revealed that the optimization of a UVC-LED irradiation model is a promising approach for effectively controlling the contamination of water reservoirs by bacterial pathogens.

Passive erbium-doped fiber seed photon generator for high-power Er(3+)-doped fiber fluorescent sources with an 80-nm bandwidth

A novel structure that converts wasted backward amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) to seed photons for the amplifier stage is suggested for a high-power erbium-doped fiber (EDF) broadband source. A considerable increase in output power and bandwidth extension was achieved by placement of a segment of passive EDF in front of the amplifier stage, thus recycling backward ASE as the secondary pumping source for the passive EDF seed photon generator. Experimental results showed a dramatic increase in output ASE power of more than 10 dB for most radiation bands from 1540 to 1620 nm with the simple addition of an unpumped EDF segment to the ordinary fluorescence-source structure.