Photobiological Dosimetry of Environmental Ultraviolet Radiation

Abstract

The physics and photochemistry underlying light absorption and UV-induced alteration of macromolecules are understood well enough to establish clearly the basic dosimetric quantities which govern the biological effects of an irradiation. However, practical considerations, stemming both from the characteristics of the biological systems themselves (including their often inconvenient optical properties), and the lack of control over many parameters in natural situations, may prevent an investigator from dealing with environmental ultraviolet radiation in simple, direct terms. Questions about what quantities one ought to be trying to measure, and their relation to the process under investigation, can be answered only by experience, coordinated with deliberate inquiry. These answers will determine the measuring devices and dosage units appropriate for describing the biological effects of solar UV-B.