Applying UV-C Disinfection for STEM Education: Case of UV-C Disinfector for Banknotes

The UV-C disinfector for banknotes is a prototype applying UV-C radiation, being developed for the STEM education. The disinfector structure was made of an opaque material to protect the body and the eyes from UV-C radiation. The disinfector is 20.50 x 23 x 14 centimeters with a capacity to disinfect up to 20 or 30 banknotes at a time. Arduino Nano microcontroller was used to feed banknotes and control the disinfector operation. The result from the test of the UV-C disinfector confirms the accuracy in feeding banknotes, 96.70%. The average disinfector duration of each banknote is less than 50 seconds (average speed of 3 mm/s). The result from the test and the effectiveness evaluation of virus disinfection at the Virology Laboratory of the Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University stated that the developed disinfector can neutralize 99.99% of virus. In conclusion, the developed UV-C disinfector can effectively and safely disinfect the banknotes. In addition, it is a prototype of UV-C disinfector for STEM Education.