Is the UV light in SteriPEN dangerous?
Used as directed, SteriPEN will not cause UV exposure to the user, so it is completely safe to use. UV-C will not pass through most materials. Drinking containers made from glass, ceramic, metal, and nearly all plastics block UV-C transmission. As a result, when SteriPEN’s lamp is immersed in virtually any drinking vessel, the UV-C is well contained. Note that SteriPEN’s water sensors prevent it from operating unless the lamp is completely immersed. While very few materials are transparent to UV-C, there are a small number of uncommon materials that are. These include optical grade quartz (the SteriPEN lamp material) and a few fluoropolymers in the Teflon family – both unlikely materials to be used for drinking containers. Note that SteriPEN’s lamp emits a number of wavelengths, some of which are in the visible range. The visible blue light given off by SteriPEN is just that, visible blue light – not ultra violet – and it is not dangerous to look at. In fact while the visible light has
