Preferred UVC Treatment Solutions
Instead of using UVC handheld units, attempting to treat the surface of cannabis plants with UVC, or waiting until after Powdery Mildew or Bud Mold is already present, American Ultraviolet offers several other more successful solutions designed to stop the problem before it starts. Along with the environment basics of controlling temperature, humidity, and airflow, adding UVC, properly, will absolutely help tip the scales in your favor in the battle against microbial contamination.
UVC Air Treatment
There are several ways to treat the air in your grow space and the right answer for you depends on your grow space.
If you have an air handling unit (AHU) providing conditioned air to your grow space, a bank of UVC lamps (either in one or multiple fixtures) can be installed at the cooling coil – the purpose of UVC in an AHU for a grow operation is to provide an adequate dosage of UVC to both the coil/drain pan surfaces and the air as it passes by. Mold – like Botrytis cinerea – is significantly more resistant to UVC than bacteria like E. Coli and, as such, requires a higher dosage of UVC light for treatment in moving air. A proper UVC install for Powdery Mildew control in a cannabis grow requires the UVC equipment manufacturer to provide a solution engineered for the specifics of your air handler and your grow space. American Ultraviolet's ICR series is a made-to-order UVC solution that has been used throughout the world for air treatment in critical areas.
If you don't want to place lights in your AHU, or you believe the contamination isn't coming from outside the room, you can use an Air Mover that incorporates filtration and UVC, providing the unit is adequate for the size of the grow space, and desired air changes per hour. These units typically consist of a steel enclosure with a blower that moves the air, HEPA filters, and UVC lamps sized to treat the air flow through the air mover. The CleanBox from American Ultraviolet offers a stainless-steel enclosure, rugged wheels on the larger units, 0.3-micron HEPA filters, and high output UVC lamps engineered to deliver the amount of UVC required to combat PM.
To learn more about our Horticulture/Cannabis UVC solutions, please visit our technical library where you can download and print literature.
Prolonged, direct exposure to UVC light can cause temporary skin redness and eye irritation. American Ultraviolet systems are designed with safety in mind and, when properly installed by a professional contractor, do not allow exposure to UV irradiation and allow for safe operation and maintenance.