Dosimetric and Spectroradiometric Investigations of Glass-Filtered Solar UV† (original) (raw)
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Measurement of UVA Exposure to Solar Radiation
Photochemistry and Photobiology, 1996
Exposure to solar UVA (320-400 nm) radiation can damage DNA and lead to skin disorders. Conventional dosimetry using a single piece of polysulfone or diglycol carbonate (CR-39) cannot provide accurate measurement of the biologically effective irradiance for erythema for the UVA waveband. A package employing four dosimeters (polysulfone, nalidixic acid, 8-methoxypsoralen and phenothiazine) has been shown to be effective for use as a spectrum evaluator for evaluating the UVA source spectrum. In Brisbane, on a horizontal position, the spectrum evaluator requires about 5 min exposure in summer and about 20 min in winter. This amounts to about 10 mJ cm-2 of erythema1 UV radiation.
Dosimeter for measurement of UVA exposures
Ultraviolet Ground- and Space-based Measurements, Models, and Effects IV, 2004
A prototype UVA dosimeter that is responsive to the UVA wavelengths only has been developed for measurement of personal exposures. The chemical phenothiazine, cast in thin film form and which is responsive to both the UVA (320-400 nm) and UVB (280-320 nm) part of the spectrum was used and filtered with mylar. This combined system responded to the UVA wavelengths only and underwent a change in optical absorbance as a result of UVA exposure. The wavelength of 370 nm was employed for quantifying the change in optical absorbance of the combined mylar/phenothiazine dosimeter and a calibration curve determined for measuring the UVA exposures. UVA exposures to approximately 50 J cm -2 may be measured prior to saturation of the response.
SUNTEST: a chemical UVB radiation dosimeter
Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, 1995
A simple disposable chemical UVB radiation dosimeter with silver-mercury--oxalate suspension, SUNTEST, was developed for use by the general public. Its spectral sensitivity curve closely matches the erythemal action spectrum. SUNTEST takes account of the variables influencing the length of sunbathing. The dose of solar UV radiation can be evaluated from the darkening of the dosimeter, from white to dark brown. On the basis of the results of a 5 rain exposure, recommendations are given for safe exposure times (which do not produce sunburn) for different skin types. Regular use of this simple UVB dosimeter will contribute to the prevention of acute adverse effects of solar exposure; like any limitation of UV exposures, it may be expected to reduce also the late adverse effects, including skin malignancies.
Development and characterisation of an ultra-long exposure UV dosimeter
2014
Excessive exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is known to have detrimental effects on human health, some of which are cumulative in nature with impacts that may arise after years and decades of exposure. Therefore, it is important that the risk associated with prolonged UV exposure can be investigated; this requires long-term studies in which large-dose measurements can be accurately quantified. Chemically-based UV dosimeters have been widely used to measure personal UV exposure since 1976. Despite the development of electronic UV dosimeters, chemical dosimeters maintain their suitability in human exposure research as versatile, labour- and cost-effective UV monitors that require no power. The main limitation of existing chemical dosimeters is their short dynamic measurement range, as they are saturated after relatively short exposure times. Consequently, prolonged personal UV exposures are estimated either from measurements spanning just a few days, with high uncertainty, ...
Techniques for Solar Dosimetry in Different Environments
UV Radiation in Global Climate Change, 2010
The costs of excessive solar UV exposures are high with over 1 million nonmelanoma cases and 59,940 melanoma cases in the USA during 2007 (American Cancer Society, 2008). In 2007, there were 2,740 deaths from nonmelanoma and 8,110 deaths from melanoma in ...
Biological and physical dosimeters for monitoring solar UV-B light
Journal of Radiation Research, 1990
A biological dosimetry system for measuring solar UV-B light was established using bacteriophage T1 with E. coli Bs-1 as the host cell. Also a new physical UV-B dosimeter was developed which can specifically detect the UV spectral region related to inactivation of phage T1. Phage T1 is very stable in liquid suspension and it has adequate sensitivity to measure the intensity of solar UV-B. In addition, the survival of phage T1 responded linearly to UV fluences when plotted semi-logarithmic ally. Thus T1 seemed to have characteristic features making it suitable material as a biological dosimeter for sunlight. Outdoor experiments throughout one year showed that the mean amount of solar UV light in summer was about 6 fold larger than that in winter at Isehara (139.5 degrees E, 35.5 degrees N), Japan. A novel physical dosimeter which responds faithfully to UV-B light under atmospheric conditions on the ground was developed as well. The spectral response was very close to that of biological materials. Readings of this UV-B dosimeter could be converted into the efficiency of sunlight upon biological materials. This instrument is compact; it can also be used as an erythemal dosimeter.
A Critical Assessment of Two Types of Personal UV Dosimeters
Photochemistry and Photobiology, 2011
Doses of erythemally weighted irradiances derived from polysulphone (PS) and electronic ultraviolet (EUV) dosimeters have been compared with measurements obtained using a reference spectroradiometer. PS dosimeters showed mean absolute deviations of 26% with a maximum deviation of 44%, the calibrated EUV dosimeters showed mean absolute deviations of 15% (maximum 33%) around noon during several test days in the northern hemisphere autumn. In the case of EUV dosimeters, measurements with various cutoff filters showed that part of the deviation from the CIE erythema action spectrum was due to a small, but significant sensitivity to visible radiation that varies between devices and which may be avoided by careful preselection. Usually the method of calibrating UV sensors by direct comparison to a reference instrument leads to reliable results. However, in some circumstances the quality of measurements made with simple sensors may be overestimated. In the extreme case, a simple pyranometer can be used as a UV instrument, providing acceptable results for cloudless skies, but very poor results under cloudy conditions. It is concluded that while UV dosimeters are useful for their design purpose, namely to estimate personal UV exposures, they should not be regarded as an inexpensive replacement for meteorological grade instruments.
Measurement
This paper characterised and evaluated the ability of a smartphone camera to measure ultraviolet radiation (UVR) through various types and thicknesses of glass. Image sensor responses from a smartphone with UVA transmitting filters were measurably stronger in the red colour channel than the blue, with the green colour channel responding weakly. Strong correlations of up to R 2 = 0.96 have been determined from calibration of the red and blue channel image responses against measured UVA irradiances for data obtained from both the horizontal plane and the sun-normal plane. For the validation data of the red channel and the blue channel respectively, the mean absolute error was 13.7% and 17.4% for the horizonta l plane and 3.8% to 5.6% for the sun-normal plane. This research has concluded that it is possible to determine UVA irradiances through glass, of different thicknesses, using a smartphone camera with high degree of accuracy.
UV radiation ocular exposure dosimetry
Documenta Ophthalmologica, 1995
There is currently some degree of controversy as to the magnitude of cataract and other ocular diseases related to human lifetime exposure to UV radiation (UVR). Concerns about the depletion of stratospheric ozone and the related increase in terrestrial UVR exposure have emphasized the importance of resolving this controversy. A careful study of ocular exposure to environmental sunlight demonstrates that it is not simple to determine accurately the level of solar UVR exposure of the human eye. Past attempts to measure or calculate UVR exposure of the eye have generally relied on the measurement of ambient UVR in sunlight with global monitors. Unfortunately, such attempts have seldom assessed properly the large role of ground reflection, the horizon sky contribution, the degree of lid opening and the extreme lateral component of UVR incident on the eye. A series of recent ocular dosimetry studies are described which have considered all of these factors. In addition, the value of different types of eye protection is shown to vary widely depending on the frame design. The dosimetry studies can be confirmed by a biological dosimeter--the human cornea. Because the action spectrum and threshold for human photokeratitis are well defined, the living cornea can serve as a biological dosimeter for ocular exposure.