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.

60+
Pathogens Documented
mJ/cm²
Primary Dose Unit
μWs/cm²
Alternative Dose Unit
100%
Verified Data
✓ Peer-Reviewed Data
✓ Verified Dose Rates
✓ Industry-Standard Units
✓ Human & Fish Pathogens
Understanding UV-C dose requirements is critical for sizing any UV sterilisation system. The dose a pathogen receives depends on UV intensity, contact time, water clarity, and lamp age. This reference table provides verified minimum dose rates for inactivation of common waterborne and aquaculture pathogens — so you can match your system to the organisms that matter most.
Understanding UV Dose

HOW TO READ THE DATA

Each row in the reference table represents a verified UV-C dose requirement. Here's how to interpret the columns.

🔬

UV-C Dose

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

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

Log Reduction

Each "log" represents a 10× reduction in organism count. The columns show dose required for each kill rate.

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

Why Dose Matters

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 — — — 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 (CHAB) — — 20
(20,000) 		— 20
(20,000)
OMV — — — 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 — — — 30
(30,000) 		30
(30,000)
IHNV (RTTO) — — — 30
(30,000) 		30
(30,000)
Yersinia ruckeri — — — 30
(30,000) 		30
(30,000)
Vibrio anguillarum — — — 30
(30,000) 		30
(30,000)
VHS — — — 32
(32,000) 		32
(32,000)
Trichodina sp. — — 35
(35,000) 		— 35
(35,000)
Saprolegnia (Zoospores) — — 39.6
(39,600) 		— 39.6
(39,600)
Myxobolus cerebralis — — — 40
(40,000) 		40
(40,000)
BKD — — — 60
(60,000) 		60
(60,000)
AGD 66
(66,000) 		— — — 66
(66,000)
CSV — — — 100
(100,000) 		100
(100,000)
Ichthyophthirius tomites — — — 100
(100,000) 		100
(100,000)
AHNV — — — 105
(105,000) 		105
(105,000)
Amyloodinium ocellatum — — — 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 — — — 170
(170,000) 		170
(170,000)
Cryptocaryon irritans — — — 280
(280,000) 		280
(280,000)
Costia necatrix — — 318
(318,000) 		— 318
(318,000)
IPNV 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.

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