Fake UV disinfection lamp from eBay.

Selling a fake sterilising light would be bad enough at any other time, but doing it during a global pandemic when people might try using it to sterilise things like face masks is just unscrupulous. This appears to be a cheap near-UV disco light commonly sold on eBay in various colour options. Of the three bands of UV, UVC is considered the germicidal one and there is little evidence to suggest that UVA or near UV (violet!) is effective against bacteria or viruses. Real UVC LEDs are available, but due to the extreme nature of UVC they have a special construction based on metal and presumably quartz glass to protect the LED chip while allowing the UVC to shine through. The wavelength tends to be on the transition from UVB to UVC and because LEDs without phosphor tend to be a very specific single wavelength there are often visible LEDs used in the circuit so you are aware that the UVC LED is active, as otherwise it will be emitting light outwith the visible spectrum. The real thing is very expensive, so it's unlikely you're going to get 12 of them in a disco light housing for £16. If the same UVC LED chips were used in traditional plastic and resin housings they would be damaged quickly by the ability of UVC light to break chemical bonds. The quoted wavelength is a UVC peak associated with real mercury vapour tubes and not one that is easily achievable with LED technology. The efficiency and lifespan of LED based UVC sources is also much lower than an equivalent mercury vapour type tube. (The clear fluorescent style tubes.) I've contacted the seller who indignantly announced that it was UV because it's purple. I'm inclined to think that this light is not germicidal at all. If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.