THE WHOLE HUMAN BODY DISTRIBUTION OF SOLAR ERYTHEMAL ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION

M.G. Kimlin‡†, A.V. Parisi, J.C.F. Wong

Centre for Astronomy and Atmospheric Research, Faculty of Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, TOOWOOMBA 4350 AUSTRALIA.

Centre for Medical and Health Physics, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, BRISBANE 4001 AUSTRALIA.

Abstract

The paper presents a method for estimation of the erythemal ultraviolet (UV) exposure per unit area to four body zones, namely, the face, trunk, legs and arms employing only 23 polysulphone dosimeters. From these, the whole body exposure per unit area and the distribution of the body erythemal UV exposure were estimated. The overall picture of the body sites receiving high UV exposure was provided. On a day in winter at a sub-tropical site, the erythemal UV exposures per unit area over a ten hour period in a day ranged from 63 to 112 mJ cm-2 for the leg and arm zones respectively. Similarly, for a one hour period at approximately solar noon, the erythemal exposures per unit area ranged from 25 to 45 mJ cm-2. The exposures per unit area to the whole body were 34 and 90 mJ cm-2 for the one hour and ten hour exposures respectively.