UV Sterilisers|Dose Requirements for Waterborne Pathogens | Biotech Aquatica

UV-C DISINFECTION SCIENCE
Verified Pathogen Data

UV Dose Requirements for Waterborne & Aquatic Pathogens

Not all UV sterilisers are created equal. The actual UV-C dose required to inactivate a pathogen varies dramatically between organisms. This table shows verified dose rates for waterborne and aquaculture-relevant pathogens only.

UV-C Dose

mJ/cm² | μWs/cm²

UV dose = Intensity × Contact Time. Primary: mJ/cm² (millijoules). Secondary: μWs/cm² (microwatt-seconds, in brackets).

  • Dose degrades with lamp age (EOLL)
  • Fouling reduces effective transmission
  • Low UVT water requires higher intensity

Log Reduction

KILL RATE

Each “log” represents a 10× reduction in organism count:

  • 90% kill = 1 log (LD90)
  • 99% kill = 2 log (LD99)
  • 99.9% kill = 3 log (LD99.9)

Why Dose Matters

NOT WATTAGE

A “25W” rating tells you nothing about dose delivered at your flow rate. Contact time, lamp age, water clarity, and sleeve fouling all reduce effective dose.

  • We size by actual required kill rate
  • Target organism determines minimum dose
  • System parameters affect delivered dose
Reference Data

UV DOSE RATE REFERENCE TABLE

Verified UV dose requirements for waterborne and aquatic pathogens. Sorted lowest to highest by max known dose. Primary: mJ/cm². Secondary: μWs/cm² (in brackets).

Organism 90% (1 Log)
mJ/cm² | μWs/cm² 		99% (2 Log)
mJ/cm² | μWs/cm² 		99.9% (3 Log)
mJ/cm² | μWs/cm² 		Log Unknown
mJ/cm² | μWs/cm² 		Max Dose
mJ/cm² | μWs/cm²
WATERBORNE HUMAN PATHOGENS
Legionella longbeachae — — — 2.9
(2,900) 		2.9
(2,900)
Legionella micdadai — — — 3.1
(3,100) 		3.1
(3,100)
Shigella flexneri – Dysentery 1.7
(1,700) 		3.4
(3,400) 		— — 3.4
(3,400)
Shigella paradysenteriae 1.68
(1,680) 		3.4
(3,400) 		— — 3.4
(3,400)
Legionella bozemanii — — — 3.5
(3,500) 		3.5
(3,500)
Legionella pneumophila (Legionnaires' disease) — — — 3.8
(3,800) 		3.8
(3,800)
Ebertelia typhosa 2.14
(2,140) 		4.1
(4,100) 		— — 4.1
(4,100)
Shigella dysenteriae – Dysentery 2.2
(2,200) 		4.2
(4,200) 		— — 4.2
(4,200)
Campylobacter jejuni — — — 4.6
(4,600) 		4.6
(4,600)
Legionella gormanii — — — 4.9
(4,900) 		4.9
(4,900)
Legionella dumoffi — — — 5.5
(5,500) 		5.5
(5,500)
Leptospira interrogans — — — 6
(6,000) 		6
(6,000)
Leptospiracanicola – Infectious Jaundice 3.15
(3,150) 		6
(6,000) 		— — 6
(6,000)
Bacillus paratyphusus 3.2
(3,200) 		6.1
(6,100) 		— — 6.1
(6,100)
Salmonella paratyphi – Enteric fever 3.2
(3,200) 		6.1
(6,100) 		— — 6.1
(6,100)
Vibrio comma – Cholera 3.375
(3,375) 		6.5
(6,500) 		— — 6.5
(6,500)
Bacteriophage – E. Coli 2.6
(2,600) 		6.6
(6,600) 		— — 6.6
(6,600)
Escherichia coli 3
(3,000) 		6.6
(6,600) 		— — 6.6
(6,600)
Salmonella typhosa – Typhoid fever 2.15
(2,150) 		4.1
(4,100) 		7
(7,000) 		— 7
(7,000)
Shigella sonnei — — — 7
(7,000) 		7
(7,000)
Salmonella enteritidis 4
(4,000) 		7.6
(7,600) 		— — 7.6
(7,600)
Cryptosporidium parvum — — — 7.9
(7,900) 		7.9
(7,900)
Hepatitis virus — — — 8
(8,000) 		8
(8,000)
Infectious Hepatitis 5.8
(5,800) 		8
(8,000) 		— — 8
(8,000)
Enterococcus faecalis — — — 10
(10,000) 		10
(10,000)
Giardia lamblia (beaver fever) — — — 10
(10,000) 		10
(10,000)
Pseudomonas aeruginosa 5.5
(5,500) 		10.5
(10,500) 		— — 10.5
(10,500)
Pseudomonas fluorescens 3.5
(3,500) 		6.6
(6,600) 		11
(11,000) 		— 11
(11,000)
Salmonella typhimurium 8
(8,000) 		15.2
(15,200) 		— — 15.2
(15,200)
Cryptosporidium sp. (diarrhoeal disease) 2.5
(2,500) 		5.8
(5,800) 		12
(12,000) 		— 22
(22,000)
Chlorella vulgaris (green water algae) 13
(13,000) 		22
(22,000) 		— — 22
(22,000)
Giardia Cysts 2.1
(2,100) 		5.2
(5,200) 		11
(11,000) 		— 22
(22,000)
Rotavirus — — — 24
(24,000) 		24
(24,000)
Nematode Eggs 45
(45,000) 		92
(92,000) 		— — 92
(92,000)
AQUACULTURE & FISH PATHOGENS
Aeromonas salmonicida — — 3.62
(3,620) 		— 3.62
(3,620)
KHV – Koi Herpes Virus — — 4
(4,000) 		— 4
(4,000)
ISA (Infectious Salmon Anaemia) — — — 8
(8,000) 		8
(8,000)
Lactococcus lactis — — — 8.8
(8,800) 		8.8
(8,800)
Saprolegnia hyphae — — — 10
(10,000) 		10
(10,000)
CCV (Channel Catfish Virus) — — — 20
(20,000) 		20
(20,000)
IHNV (Infectious Haematopoietic Necrosis / CHAB) — — 20
(20,000) 		— 20
(20,000)
OMV (Oncorhynchus masou virus) — — — 20
(20,000) 		20
(20,000)
Streptococcus sp. (seawater) — — — 20
(20,000) 		20
(20,000)
Ceratomyxa shasta — — 30
(30,000) 		— 30
(30,000)
Perkinsus marinus (dermo disease) — — — 30
(30,000) 		30
(30,000)
IHNV (Infectious Haematopoietic Necrosis / RTTO) — — — 30
(30,000) 		30
(30,000)
Yersinia ruckeri — — — 30
(30,000) 		30
(30,000)
Vibrio anguillarum — — — 30
(30,000) 		30
(30,000)
VHS (Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia) — — — 32
(32,000) 		32
(32,000)
Trichodina sp. — — 35
(35,000) 		— 35
(35,000)
Saprolegnia (Zoospores) – Fin Rot — — 39.6
(39,600) 		— 39.6
(39,600)
Myxobolus cerebralis (TAMs – Whirling Disease) — — — 40
(40,000) 		40
(40,000)
BKD (Bacterial Kidney Disease) — — — 60
(60,000) 		60
(60,000)
AGD – Amoebic Gill Disease (Paramoebae perurans) 66
(66,000) 		— — — 66
(66,000)
CSV (Chum Salmon Virus) — — — 100
(100,000) 		100
(100,000)
Ichthyophthirius tomites (Freshwater White Spot) — — — 100
(100,000) 		100
(100,000)
AHNV (Atlantic Halibut Nodavirus) — — — 105
(105,000) 		105
(105,000)
Amyloodinium ocellatum (Marine Velvet) — — — 105
(105,000) 		105
(105,000)
Oodinium — — — 105
(105,000) 		105
(105,000)
Brooklynella — — 126
(126,000) 		— 126
(126,000)
Flavobacterium psychrophilum — — — 126
(126,000) 		126
(126,000)
Vibrio sp. (oyster) — — — 155
(155,000) 		155
(155,000)
Trichodina nigra — — — 159
(159,000) 		159
(159,000)
Saprolegnia diclina (zoospores) — — — 170
(170,000) 		170
(170,000)
Cryptocaryon irritans (Marine White Spot) — — — 280
(280,000) 		280
(280,000)
Costia necatrix — — 318
(318,000) 		— 318
(318,000)
IPNV (Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus) 150
(150,000) 		— 336.7
(336,700) 		— 336.7
(336,700)
Why this matters: A unit rated at “25W” tells you nothing about the actual UV-C dose delivered at your flow rate. Contact time, lamp age, water clarity, and sleeve fouling all reduce effective dose. We size sterilisers based on your actual required kill rate and system parameters — not marketing wattage.

NEED HELP SIZING YOUR UV SYSTEM?

Contact our technical team for custom calculations based on your system flow, target pathogens, and water quality parameters.