Richard Mariita, MSc., Ph.D.; Tatiana Koutchma, Ph.D.; Maksym Bazhal, Ph.D.; Olena Kushnir, Ph.D. and Ken Sturgess, UV4Good
UV4Good harnesses the power of ultraviolet germicidal (UV-C) light to deliver clean water, air and food and explore its potential for healthier environments in vulnerable communities. The power of UV light can tackle contamination by harmful microbes, viruses and chemicals; disasters; polluted air; and water insecurity using UV technology and systems and empower communities to manage them, aiming for sustainable access to clean water, potentially cleaner air and food, and ultimately, healthier lives.
UV4Good (uv4good.org) was initiated by Dr. Tatiana Koutchma (Canada), Dr. Richard Mariita (US), Dr. Maksym Bazhal (Ukraine) and Dr. Olena Kushnir (Ukraine) as a non-profit organization that brings clean drinking water to vulnerable communities through portable UV-C LED systems. UV4Good works in areas hit by crises, like the war in Ukraine and other areas with decentralized water access. The UV-light based systems are simple, effective and easy-to-use to make them ideal for providing safe drinking water in these disaster zones. The first UV-C LED-based mobile systems for water disinfection were assembled and distributed in Ukraine (Dr. Maksym Bazhal and Dr. Olena Kushnir) using Klaran LED disinfection reactors donated by Crystal IS (New York, US), with support of GoFundMe donations (https://www.gofundme.com/f/ag7rwy-clean-water-for-ukraine?cdn-cache=0) and fundraising via social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram). In addition, Dr. Richard Mariita utilized his time and expertise to help ensure the systems operated as intended. With this initial support, 46 mobile water disinfection kits were built which have filtration and UV-C LED disinfection capabilities to ensure effective disinfection of water from non-traditional sources, such as dams, lakes, rivers and other sources.
Recently, UV4Good was selected as a winner in the recent Seeding the Future Global Food System Challenge (https://www.ift.org/food-system-challenge/winners). The challenge, hosted by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), awarded grants to innovative projects that address the challenges of feeding a growing global population sustainably. The goal of the UV4Good project is to build and validate mobile set-up based on UV-C LED systems to clean water from unsafe sources by filtering, deodorizing and disinfecting with UV-C using available power sources or solar energy. Mobile UV-C LEDs kits have to be assembled locally and distributed to the civilian population in the affected areas.
As a non-profit organization, UV4Good is looking forward to increasing its activities, which include:
- Providing UV-C light-based solutions that improve access to clean water, air and food for communities in need;
- Advocating for modern, sustainable UV-C disinfection technologies around the world;
- Connecting UV-C technology providers with communities in need of safe water; and
- Educating people about the efficiency, safety and applications of UV-C light.
UV4Good continues to invest in innovation to improve the food system and ensure that everyone has access to safe water, breathes clean air and has access to clean and nutritious food. The collaborative effort is aimed to work from the ground up, establishing relationships with local communities and UV technology providers to establish sustainable sanitation solutions.
