Alois Schmalwieser - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Alois Schmalwieser

Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences

This paper summarizes the recent possibilities to use measurements of ambient UV radiation for es... more This paper summarizes the recent possibilities to use measurements of ambient UV radiation for estimations of the personal UV exposure of people.

<p>Within the scope of the VINDOBONA (VIenna horizontal aNd vertical Distribution O... more <p>Within the scope of the VINDOBONA (VIenna horizontal aNd vertical Distribution OBservations Of Nitrogen dioxide and Aerosols) project, spectral UV/vis measurements at selected viewing directions are performed with three MAX-DOAS (Multi AXis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) instruments, which are located in the northeast, northwest, and south of the city center of Vienna, Austria. The selection of viewing directions of the three instruments was chosen in a way to provide data for the retrieval of horizontal and vertical trace gas and aerosol distributions, in particular over the urban core.</p> <p>In the present work, the profile retrieval algorithm BOREAS (Bremen Optimal estimation REtrieval for Aerosols and trace gaseS) is used to retrieve aerosol and NO2 vertical profiles as well as accompanying parameters aerosol optical depth, tropospheric NO2 vertical columns (TVC NO2), and near-surface NO2 on days with cloudless conditions. The retrieval results are compared with co-located ceilometer, sun photometer, surface air quality, and TVC NO2 measurements, with the latter being obtained by applying the geometrical approximation and converting zenith-sky NO2 measurements.</p>

Photochemistry and Photobiology

Photochemistry and Photobiology

Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation follows people during their whole life. Exposure to UV radiation... more Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation follows people during their whole life. Exposure to UV radiation is vital but holds serious risks, too. The quantification of human UV exposure is a complex issue. UV exposure is directly related to incoming UV radiation as well as to a variety of factors such as the orientation of the exposed anatomical site with respect to the sun and the duration of exposure. The use of badge-sensors allows assessing the UV exposure of differently oriented body sites. Such UV devices have been available for over 40 years, and a variety of measuring campaigns have been undertaken since then. This study provides an overview of those studies which reported measurements of the personal UV exposure (PE) during outdoor activities of people not related to their occupation. This overview is given chronologically to show the progress of knowledge in this research and is given with respect to different activities. Special focus is put on the ratio of personal exposure to ambient UV radiation. This ratio, when given as a function of solar elevation, allows estimating PE at any other location or date if ambient UV radiation is known.

Photochemistry and Photobiology

Clothing is one of the main influencing factors for personal ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure... more Clothing is one of the main influencing factors for personal ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure. Despite that, little attention was put on this topic till now. In this study, the clothing habits of young females have been investigated in dependence of meteorological conditions. Observations were made from spring to autumn during daylight in the urban region of Vienna, Austria. For this, a scheme dividing the body into six different sections was developed as well as a coding scale that corresponds to the different garments and indicates the body sites that are exposed. It was found that air temperature is the dominating factor for exposure. With increasing temperature, the first area of the body to be exposed to solar UVR is, aside from face and hands, the d ecollet e, followed by nape, ankles, instep and forearms. Observations further indicate that the frequency of people's being outdoors decreases significantly at temperatures higher than 30°C. This paper provides detailed frequency distributions of uncovered body sites in dependence of temperature. These can be used together with measurements of temperature and UVR to calculate the relative exposure at any time and at many locations, and could help to explain the body distribution of UVR caused skin alterations.

Photochemical & photobiological sciences : Official journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology, Jan 29, 2017

The UV Index was established more than 20 years ago as a tool for sun protection and health care.... more The UV Index was established more than 20 years ago as a tool for sun protection and health care. Shortly after its introduction, UV Index monitoring started in several countries either by newly acquired instruments or by converting measurements from existing instruments into the UV Index. The number of stations and networks has increased over the years. Currently, 160 stations in 25 European countries deliver online values to the public via the Internet. In this paper an overview of these UV Index monitoring sites in Europe is given. The overview includes instruments as well as quality assurance and quality control procedures. Furthermore, some examples are given about how UV Index values are presented to the public. Through these efforts, 57% of the European population is supplied with high quality information, enabling them to adapt behaviour. Although health care, including skin cancer prevention, is cost-effective, a proportion of the European population still doesn't have ...

During the past decades a decrease in the total ozone content of the atmosphere (TOC) over Centra... more During the past decades a decrease in the total ozone content of the atmosphere (TOC) over Central Europe in the order of 0.6% per year could be observed. For the winter season the decrease is obviously higher than for other times of the year. Mini ozone holes (MOH) occur mostly during winter times and they are responsible for up to 30% of the observed trend for these months. Using TOC measurements made from space (Earth Probe TOMS) and from the ground (Hradec Kralove) we have investigated the impact of MOHs to the biologically effective UV radiation. For our study we introduced three different photobiological effects by applying the action spectrum of the erythema (ERY), that of the generalised plant damage (GPD) and that of DNA damage (DNAD). Two extreme MOHs occurred over Central Europe within the last 5 years, whereas TOC minima cloud be found at a level of 200DU. The first was recognised in January 1998, the second in December 1999. During these MOHs a decrease in order of 50% could be observed within a few days. The increase of the biologically effect UV radiation however was much higher. The highest increase was observed for GPD irradiance (E-GPD). During the MOH of 1998 E-GPD increases from 1.5 mWeff/m2 to 19 mWeff/m2, during the MOH of 1999 from 3 Weff/m2 to 30 mWeff/m2. For E-DNAD the ascent is less dramatically. E-DNAD was starting from approximately 0.5 mWeff/m2 and reached a level of 3.5 mWeff/m2 during MOH 1998, respectively from 0.9 mWeff/m2 to 5.4 mWeff/m2 during MOH 1999. Both MOHs caused a rise by a factor of 6 to 7. Although the lowest increase was found for the E-ERY, the corresponding increase was derived being a factor 3 to 4 for both MOHs.

Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, 2015

Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is known to be the main cause of skin cancer, the incidence of ... more Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is known to be the main cause of skin cancer, the incidence of which is rising with national differences across Europe. With this observation study we aimed to determine the impact of nationality on sun behaviour and personal UVR exposure on sun and ski holidays. 25 Danish and 20 Spanish sun-seekers were observed during a sun holiday in Spain, and 26 Danish and 27 Austrian skiers were observed during a ski holiday in Austria. The participants recorded their location and clothing in diaries. Personal time-logged UVR data were recorded as standard erythema doses (SEDs) by an electronic UVR dosimeter worn on the wrist. Danish sun-seekers were outdoors for significantly longer, received significant higher percentages of ambient UVR, and received greater accumulated UVR doses than Spanish sun-seekers. Danish skiers were also outdoors for significantly longer than Austrian skiers, but the behaviour of the Danish skiers did not result in significantly greater accumulated UVR doses. Both Danish and Spanish sun-seekers and Danish and Austrian skiers received substantial UVR doses. The behaviour's influence on the UVR doses received by the Danish participants may indicate an explanation of the higher skin cancer incidence among Scandinavians compared with other European populations.

UV-Inactivation and Photoreactivation of Vibrio cholerae and Vibriophages

Recirculation Mode Causes Unreliable Results in Biodosimetry

A variety of UV exposure measurements can be found in the literature. These measurements were mad... more A variety of UV exposure measurements can be found in the literature. These measurements were made at certain body sites and under certain solar environments. The UV exposure depends strongly on the individual behavioral pattern and is defined by the duration of irradiation, the geometry of the receiving surface (body site) in relation to the sun, the protection by clothes, the use of sunscreens, the amount of hair and shadowing. Behavioral patterns are influenced by occupational activities, spare time activities and holiday destinations. Body modelling of UVR exposure allows generalizing such measurements to any other condition and to any other location. Body modelling enables the calculation of UV exposure at any date of the past or in the future. We model the UVR exposure by using 3-d (wire frame) models of the human body.

UV Lamp Aging is Predicted by Direct Measurement of UV Transmittance

The main goal of our investigations is the quantitative measurement of the microbicidal effi cacy... more The main goal of our investigations is the quantitative measurement of the microbicidal effi cacy of UV disinfection systems. Despite progresses in calculation methodology, e.g. by computational fl uid dynamics (CFD), the delivered UV fl uence cannot be determined with suffi cient reliability. This is because a UV system represents a three-dimensional fl ow through irradiation space in which several factors act in complex combination (e.g. irradiation geometry, hydraulic behaviour, fl ow). We have developed a standardized biodosimetric method, which is based on the application of a UV-253.7 nm calibrated microorganism. The quantitative result for the disinfection capacity is expressed as Reduction Equivalent Fluence (REF) in J/m². The method has gained international acknowledgment and has been established in various standards and regulations (e.g. Austrian national standards M 5873-1 and 2, German DVWG work sheet W 294, US-EPA UV disinfection Guideline) as well as legal provisions (...

the annual ultraviolet (UV) exposure. One of the most popular outdoor activities, both in adults ... more the annual ultraviolet (UV) exposure. One of the most popular outdoor activities, both in adults and children is tennis. In our field study we measured UV exposure during a training match between two adults and - for the first time - the UV exposure of children playing tennis. The players/parents of the players gave their consent to wear/that their children wear two electronic UV dosimeters (X 2000-10, Gigahertz Optics, Germany; UVA and UVB/C sensor, temperature, 1 min measuring interval), one on the forehead fixed to a shielded headband, the other fixed to the calf by an elastic band with Velcro fastening. We calibrated the dosimeters prior to the field test. The training match between the adult test persons A (43 years) and B (51 years) took place on June 30th from 1:00 to 2:36 PM, the two adolescents C and D, both 17 years of age, played on August 23rd between 1:45 and 14:52 PM on an almost north-south directed tennis court in Vienna. The players were observed by two members of t...

Zeitschrift für Medizinische Physik, 1997

Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, 2012

Environmental Toxicology, 2012

ABSTRACT Since the energy of an electromagnetic photon increases with decreasing wavelength, the ... more ABSTRACT Since the energy of an electromagnetic photon increases with decreasing wavelength, the biological effectiveness – defined as the capacity of radiation to produce a specific biological effect – also increases with decreasing wavelength. The largest biological effects are therefore generated in the shortest wavelength range (280–400 nm) of the incident solar radiation spectrum, which is referred to as ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Living organisms (i.e., living systems such as animals, plants, and microorganisms) are influenced by solar radiation and especially also by UV radiation. Three important aspects have to be taken into account in an investigation regarding the UV impact on living organisms: First, the damage potential of UV has to be studied; second, the faculty of living organisms to protect themselves and to adapt has to be examined; and third, the environment and its impact on the UV radiation field has to be taken into account.

Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences

This paper summarizes the recent possibilities to use measurements of ambient UV radiation for es... more This paper summarizes the recent possibilities to use measurements of ambient UV radiation for estimations of the personal UV exposure of people.

<p>Within the scope of the VINDOBONA (VIenna horizontal aNd vertical Distribution O... more <p>Within the scope of the VINDOBONA (VIenna horizontal aNd vertical Distribution OBservations Of Nitrogen dioxide and Aerosols) project, spectral UV/vis measurements at selected viewing directions are performed with three MAX-DOAS (Multi AXis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) instruments, which are located in the northeast, northwest, and south of the city center of Vienna, Austria. The selection of viewing directions of the three instruments was chosen in a way to provide data for the retrieval of horizontal and vertical trace gas and aerosol distributions, in particular over the urban core.</p> <p>In the present work, the profile retrieval algorithm BOREAS (Bremen Optimal estimation REtrieval for Aerosols and trace gaseS) is used to retrieve aerosol and NO2 vertical profiles as well as accompanying parameters aerosol optical depth, tropospheric NO2 vertical columns (TVC NO2), and near-surface NO2 on days with cloudless conditions. The retrieval results are compared with co-located ceilometer, sun photometer, surface air quality, and TVC NO2 measurements, with the latter being obtained by applying the geometrical approximation and converting zenith-sky NO2 measurements.</p>

Photochemistry and Photobiology

Photochemistry and Photobiology

Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation follows people during their whole life. Exposure to UV radiation... more Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation follows people during their whole life. Exposure to UV radiation is vital but holds serious risks, too. The quantification of human UV exposure is a complex issue. UV exposure is directly related to incoming UV radiation as well as to a variety of factors such as the orientation of the exposed anatomical site with respect to the sun and the duration of exposure. The use of badge-sensors allows assessing the UV exposure of differently oriented body sites. Such UV devices have been available for over 40 years, and a variety of measuring campaigns have been undertaken since then. This study provides an overview of those studies which reported measurements of the personal UV exposure (PE) during outdoor activities of people not related to their occupation. This overview is given chronologically to show the progress of knowledge in this research and is given with respect to different activities. Special focus is put on the ratio of personal exposure to ambient UV radiation. This ratio, when given as a function of solar elevation, allows estimating PE at any other location or date if ambient UV radiation is known.

Photochemistry and Photobiology

Clothing is one of the main influencing factors for personal ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure... more Clothing is one of the main influencing factors for personal ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure. Despite that, little attention was put on this topic till now. In this study, the clothing habits of young females have been investigated in dependence of meteorological conditions. Observations were made from spring to autumn during daylight in the urban region of Vienna, Austria. For this, a scheme dividing the body into six different sections was developed as well as a coding scale that corresponds to the different garments and indicates the body sites that are exposed. It was found that air temperature is the dominating factor for exposure. With increasing temperature, the first area of the body to be exposed to solar UVR is, aside from face and hands, the d ecollet e, followed by nape, ankles, instep and forearms. Observations further indicate that the frequency of people's being outdoors decreases significantly at temperatures higher than 30°C. This paper provides detailed frequency distributions of uncovered body sites in dependence of temperature. These can be used together with measurements of temperature and UVR to calculate the relative exposure at any time and at many locations, and could help to explain the body distribution of UVR caused skin alterations.

Photochemical & photobiological sciences : Official journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology, Jan 29, 2017

The UV Index was established more than 20 years ago as a tool for sun protection and health care.... more The UV Index was established more than 20 years ago as a tool for sun protection and health care. Shortly after its introduction, UV Index monitoring started in several countries either by newly acquired instruments or by converting measurements from existing instruments into the UV Index. The number of stations and networks has increased over the years. Currently, 160 stations in 25 European countries deliver online values to the public via the Internet. In this paper an overview of these UV Index monitoring sites in Europe is given. The overview includes instruments as well as quality assurance and quality control procedures. Furthermore, some examples are given about how UV Index values are presented to the public. Through these efforts, 57% of the European population is supplied with high quality information, enabling them to adapt behaviour. Although health care, including skin cancer prevention, is cost-effective, a proportion of the European population still doesn't have ...

During the past decades a decrease in the total ozone content of the atmosphere (TOC) over Centra... more During the past decades a decrease in the total ozone content of the atmosphere (TOC) over Central Europe in the order of 0.6% per year could be observed. For the winter season the decrease is obviously higher than for other times of the year. Mini ozone holes (MOH) occur mostly during winter times and they are responsible for up to 30% of the observed trend for these months. Using TOC measurements made from space (Earth Probe TOMS) and from the ground (Hradec Kralove) we have investigated the impact of MOHs to the biologically effective UV radiation. For our study we introduced three different photobiological effects by applying the action spectrum of the erythema (ERY), that of the generalised plant damage (GPD) and that of DNA damage (DNAD). Two extreme MOHs occurred over Central Europe within the last 5 years, whereas TOC minima cloud be found at a level of 200DU. The first was recognised in January 1998, the second in December 1999. During these MOHs a decrease in order of 50% could be observed within a few days. The increase of the biologically effect UV radiation however was much higher. The highest increase was observed for GPD irradiance (E-GPD). During the MOH of 1998 E-GPD increases from 1.5 mWeff/m2 to 19 mWeff/m2, during the MOH of 1999 from 3 Weff/m2 to 30 mWeff/m2. For E-DNAD the ascent is less dramatically. E-DNAD was starting from approximately 0.5 mWeff/m2 and reached a level of 3.5 mWeff/m2 during MOH 1998, respectively from 0.9 mWeff/m2 to 5.4 mWeff/m2 during MOH 1999. Both MOHs caused a rise by a factor of 6 to 7. Although the lowest increase was found for the E-ERY, the corresponding increase was derived being a factor 3 to 4 for both MOHs.

Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, 2015

Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is known to be the main cause of skin cancer, the incidence of ... more Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is known to be the main cause of skin cancer, the incidence of which is rising with national differences across Europe. With this observation study we aimed to determine the impact of nationality on sun behaviour and personal UVR exposure on sun and ski holidays. 25 Danish and 20 Spanish sun-seekers were observed during a sun holiday in Spain, and 26 Danish and 27 Austrian skiers were observed during a ski holiday in Austria. The participants recorded their location and clothing in diaries. Personal time-logged UVR data were recorded as standard erythema doses (SEDs) by an electronic UVR dosimeter worn on the wrist. Danish sun-seekers were outdoors for significantly longer, received significant higher percentages of ambient UVR, and received greater accumulated UVR doses than Spanish sun-seekers. Danish skiers were also outdoors for significantly longer than Austrian skiers, but the behaviour of the Danish skiers did not result in significantly greater accumulated UVR doses. Both Danish and Spanish sun-seekers and Danish and Austrian skiers received substantial UVR doses. The behaviour's influence on the UVR doses received by the Danish participants may indicate an explanation of the higher skin cancer incidence among Scandinavians compared with other European populations.

UV-Inactivation and Photoreactivation of Vibrio cholerae and Vibriophages

Recirculation Mode Causes Unreliable Results in Biodosimetry

A variety of UV exposure measurements can be found in the literature. These measurements were mad... more A variety of UV exposure measurements can be found in the literature. These measurements were made at certain body sites and under certain solar environments. The UV exposure depends strongly on the individual behavioral pattern and is defined by the duration of irradiation, the geometry of the receiving surface (body site) in relation to the sun, the protection by clothes, the use of sunscreens, the amount of hair and shadowing. Behavioral patterns are influenced by occupational activities, spare time activities and holiday destinations. Body modelling of UVR exposure allows generalizing such measurements to any other condition and to any other location. Body modelling enables the calculation of UV exposure at any date of the past or in the future. We model the UVR exposure by using 3-d (wire frame) models of the human body.

UV Lamp Aging is Predicted by Direct Measurement of UV Transmittance

The main goal of our investigations is the quantitative measurement of the microbicidal effi cacy... more The main goal of our investigations is the quantitative measurement of the microbicidal effi cacy of UV disinfection systems. Despite progresses in calculation methodology, e.g. by computational fl uid dynamics (CFD), the delivered UV fl uence cannot be determined with suffi cient reliability. This is because a UV system represents a three-dimensional fl ow through irradiation space in which several factors act in complex combination (e.g. irradiation geometry, hydraulic behaviour, fl ow). We have developed a standardized biodosimetric method, which is based on the application of a UV-253.7 nm calibrated microorganism. The quantitative result for the disinfection capacity is expressed as Reduction Equivalent Fluence (REF) in J/m². The method has gained international acknowledgment and has been established in various standards and regulations (e.g. Austrian national standards M 5873-1 and 2, German DVWG work sheet W 294, US-EPA UV disinfection Guideline) as well as legal provisions (...

the annual ultraviolet (UV) exposure. One of the most popular outdoor activities, both in adults ... more the annual ultraviolet (UV) exposure. One of the most popular outdoor activities, both in adults and children is tennis. In our field study we measured UV exposure during a training match between two adults and - for the first time - the UV exposure of children playing tennis. The players/parents of the players gave their consent to wear/that their children wear two electronic UV dosimeters (X 2000-10, Gigahertz Optics, Germany; UVA and UVB/C sensor, temperature, 1 min measuring interval), one on the forehead fixed to a shielded headband, the other fixed to the calf by an elastic band with Velcro fastening. We calibrated the dosimeters prior to the field test. The training match between the adult test persons A (43 years) and B (51 years) took place on June 30th from 1:00 to 2:36 PM, the two adolescents C and D, both 17 years of age, played on August 23rd between 1:45 and 14:52 PM on an almost north-south directed tennis court in Vienna. The players were observed by two members of t...

Zeitschrift für Medizinische Physik, 1997

Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, 2012

Environmental Toxicology, 2012

ABSTRACT Since the energy of an electromagnetic photon increases with decreasing wavelength, the ... more ABSTRACT Since the energy of an electromagnetic photon increases with decreasing wavelength, the biological effectiveness – defined as the capacity of radiation to produce a specific biological effect – also increases with decreasing wavelength. The largest biological effects are therefore generated in the shortest wavelength range (280–400 nm) of the incident solar radiation spectrum, which is referred to as ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Living organisms (i.e., living systems such as animals, plants, and microorganisms) are influenced by solar radiation and especially also by UV radiation. Three important aspects have to be taken into account in an investigation regarding the UV impact on living organisms: First, the damage potential of UV has to be studied; second, the faculty of living organisms to protect themselves and to adapt has to be examined; and third, the environment and its impact on the UV radiation field has to be taken into account.