The primary mechanism by which UV light inactivates microorganisms is through damaging their DNA and RNA, preventing them from replicating. UV light at a wavelength of around 254 nm is absorbed by the nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) within the microorganisms. This absorption causes the formation of thymine dimers or other photoproducts, which are essentially kinks or breaks in the DNA/RNA strands. This damage prevents the microorganism....
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