Sensitivity of erythemally effective UV irradiance and daily exposure to temporal variability in total ozone

The provision of information to the public about current levels of the erythemally effective UV radiation is an important issue in health care. The quality of promoted values is therefore of special importance. The atmospheric parameter which affects the erythemally effective UV radiation under clear sky most is the total ozone content of the atmosphere. In this paper we examined the sensitivity of the erythemally effective irradiance and daily radiant exposure to the temporal variability of total ozone on time scales from 1 to 15 days. The results show that the sensitivity is highest for the first 24 h. Larger time scales do not exhibit a similar influence. Total ozone measurements of the previous day may already cause uncertainties higher than 0.5 UV index (UVI) independent of the geolocation. For comparison, a temporal persistence of 15 days may cause uncertainties of 1.2 UVI at 50°N, 1 UVI at 30°S and less than 1 UVI at the equator. The results of this study allow finding the necessary temporal resolution of total ozone values when a certain accuracy for the UVI or for the purpose of sun protection is required. The results are compared with those of two preceding studies where we quantified the influence of measurement uncertainties and spatial total ozone variability to the erythemally effective irradiance at noon and to the daily dose. We conclude that temporal variability of total ozone is the most critical issue, but also measurement uncertainties do have a noticeable influence on the erythemally effective radiation.     

Sensitivity of erythemally effective UV irradiance and daily exposure to uncertainties in measured total ozone

In this study the sensitivity of the erythemally effective radiation to uncertainties in operationally measured total ozone content of the atmosphere (TOC) was estimated. For this, daily operational TOC measurements from different instruments were applied covering the period from 1997 to 1999. Measurements were gained from space by Earth Probe Satellite, Earth Remote Sensing satellite/Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment and Operational Vertical Sounder and from the ground by Dobson and Brewer spectrophotometers for the locations of Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic, 50 degrees N), Nairobi (Kenya, 1 degrees S) and Springbok (Republic of South Africa, 30 degrees S). The values were used as input parameter to model calculations of erythemally effective irradiance and daily radiant exposure. The differences due to the use of TOC from different sources were analyzed with respect to the Ultraviolet Index (UVI). The UVI was introduced as a tool for sun protection and health care. Therefore, it is of special importance to know the restriction of accuracy. As a tool of health care, the maximum uncertainties are of interest and are described in using the 95%-percentile and the maximum differences. This study shows that differences, i.e. uncertainties (95%-percentile) are in the order of 1 UVI. Independently on the location, however, extreme differences may overstep 3 UVI. For the daily dose the 95%-percentile is around 7.5 UVI hours (UVIh) but differences higher than 20 UVIh were also found.     

Global forecast model to predict the daily dose of the solar erythemally effective UV radiation

A worldwide forecast of the erythemally effective ultraviolet (UV) radiation is presented. The forecast was established to inform the public about the expected amount of erythemally effective UV radiation for the next day. Besides the irradiance, the daily dose is forecasted to enable people to choose the appropriate sun protection tools. Following the UV Index as the measure of global erythemally effective irradiance, the daily dose is expressed in units of UV Index hours. In this study, we have validated the model and the forecast against measurements from broadband UV radiometers of the Robertson-Berger type. The measurements were made at four continents ranging from the northern polar circle (67.4 degrees N) to the Antarctic coast (61.1 degrees S). As additional quality criteria the frequency of underestimation was taken into account because the forecast is a tool of radiation protection and made to avoid overexposure. A value closer than one minimal erythemal dose for the most sensitive skin type 1 to the observed value was counted as hit and greater deviations as underestimation or overestimation. The Austrian forecast model underestimates the daily dose in 3.7% of all cases, whereas 1.7% results from the model and 2.0% from the assumed total ozone content. The hit rate could be found in the order of 40%.     

Routine measurement of erythemally effective UV irradiance on inclined surfaces

Measurements of erythemally weighted UV radiation are usually related to a horizontal surface. The radiation is weighted with the sensitivity of the human skin, but the surface of the human body has only few horizontal surfaces. Therefore the UV radiation on inclined surfaces has to be quantified to investigate UV effects on humans. To fulfill this task three fully automatic measuring systems were built to measure the erythemally weighted UV radiation in 27 directions within 2 min. This system measures routinely during the whole day and has now been in operation for nearly three years (in total 2000 measurement days) under any kind of meteorological conditions. The measurements provide the informations needed for further investigations concerning the UV effects on humans. The calibration of the erythemally weighting radiometers was performed in a way to provide reliable UV index measurements for all directions. The results of four exemplary measurement days in summer and winter for clear sky and overcast conditions are presented.     

Simulation of ozone depletion using ambient irradiance supplemented with UV lamps

In studies of the biological effects of UV radiation, ozone depletion can be mimicked by performing the study under ambient conditions and adding radiation with UV-B lamps. We evaluated this methodology at three different locations along a latitudinal gradient: Rimouski (Canada), Ubatuba (Brazil) and Ushuaia (Argentina). Experiments of the effect of potential ozone depletion on marine ecosystems were carried out in large outdoor enclosures (mesocosms). In all locations we simulated irradiances corresponding to 60% ozone depletion, which may produce a 130-1900% increase in 305 nm irradiance at noon, depending on site and season. Supplementation with a fixed percentage of ambient irradiance provides a better simulation of irradiance increase due to ozone depletion than supplementation with a fixed irradiance value, particularly near sunrise and sunset or under cloudy skies. Calculations performed for Ushuaia showed that, on very cloudy days, supplementation by the square-wave method may produce unrealistic irradiances. Differences between the spectra of the calculated supplementing irradiance and the lamp for a given site and date will be a function of the time of day and may become more or less pronounced according to the biological weighting function of the effect under study.     

Effect of column ozone on the variability of biologically effective UV radiation at high southern latitudes

Solar irradiance measurements from Ushuaia (Argentina) and Palmer and McMurdo Stations in Antarctica covering four seasons from mid-1993 through early 1997 have been analyzed and their variations compared with column ozone changes. UV irradiances were weighted for biological effectiveness using a published biological weighting function for dose-dependent inhibition of photosynthesis by phytoplankton from the Weddell Sea. All calculations involved integrated daily UV doses and visible exposures (weighted UV and unweighted visible irradiances, respectively). The results show that daily biologically effective total UV doses underwent large short-term variations at all three sites, with day-to-day increases up to 236% at Ushuaia, 285% at Palmer and 99% at McMurdo. Parallel changes in visible exposure indicated that the total UV changes were preponderantly due to variations in cloudiness. On a 12-month basis, daily biologically effective UV doses correlated strongly with visible exposures (R > or = 0.99). Anticorrelations of total UV with ozone, on the other hand, were poor (R > -0.11). The largest daily biologically effective UV doses, and their day-to-day increases, occurred as part of the normal variability related to cloud cover and were seldom associated with significant ozone depletion. UV dose/visible exposure ratios tended to reflect ozone depletion events somewhat more consistently than UV doses alone. With the Weddell Sea phytoplankton weighting function used in this study, antarctic ozone hole events were seldom readily discernible in the biologically effective UV record. The results suggest that, where the UV sensitivity of organisms was similar to that of the Weddell Sea phytoplankton, seasonal ozone depletion had no appreciable effect on annual primary productivity during the 1993-1997 period. Additional data on the geographical and seasonal variation of biological weighting functions are desirable for more comprehensive assessments of ozone depletion effects at high southern latitudes.     

Sensitivity of biologically active UV radiation to stratospheric ozone changes: effects of action spectrum shape and wavelength ranges

Biological action spectra are commonly used to assess health and ecosystem responses to increases in spectral ultraviolet (UV) irradiances resulting from stratospheric ozone (O3) reductions. For each action spectrum, a normalized sensitivity coefficient (the radiation amplification factor [RAF]) can be calculated as the relative increase in biologically active UV irradiance for a given relative decrease in the atmospheric O3 column amount. We use a detailed radiative transfer model to calculate the dependence of RAF on the O3 column amount and the solar zenith angle (and, therefore, implicitly on latitude and season) for several commonly used action spectra. A simple analytical model is used to interpret the results in terms of the semilogarithmic slope of the action spectra in the UV-B and UV-A wavelength ranges. We also show that RAF may be overestimated substantially if the UV-A portion of an action spectrum is significant but is neglected. This is illustrated using several idealized action spectra as well as published action spectra for plant responses to UV irradiation. Generally, if the portion of an action spectrum measured longward of approximately 300 nm spans less than about two orders in magnitude in its sensitivity, significant errors in the estimated RAF may ensue, and the use of this action spectrum in O3-related studies can be compromised.     

Comparisons of estimated economic burdens due to insufficient solar ultraviolet irradiance and vitamin D and excess solar UV irradiance for the United States

Vitamin D sufficiency is required for optimal health, and solar ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiance is an important source of vitamin D. UVB and/or vitamin D have been found in observational studies to be associated with reduced risk for over a dozen forms of cancer, multiple sclerosis, osteoporotic fractures, and several other diseases. On the other hand, excess UV irradiance is associated with adverse health outcomes such as cataracts, melanoma, and nonmelanoma skin cancer. Ecologic analyses are used to estimate the fraction of cancer mortality, multiple sclerosis prevalence, and cataract formation that can be prevented or delayed. Estimates from the literature are used for other diseases attributed to excess UV irradiation, additional cancer estimates, and osteoporotic fractures. These results are used to estimate the economic burdens of insufficient UVB irradiation and vitamin D insufficiency as well as excess UV irradiation in the United States for these diseases and conditions. We estimate that 50,000-63,000 individuals in the United States and 19,000-25,000 in the UK die prematurely from cancer annually due to insufficient vitamin D. The U.S. economic burden due to vitamin D insufficiency from inadequate exposure to solar UVB irradiance, diet, and supplements was estimated at $40-56 billion in 2004, whereas the economic burden for excess UV irradiance was estimated at $6-7 billion. These results suggest that increased vitamin D through UVB irradiance, fortification of food, and supplementation could reduce the health care burden in the United States, UK, and elsewhere. Further research is required to confirm these estimates.     

Photomovement of the swarmers of the brown algae Scytosiphon lomentaria and Petalonia fascia: effect of photon irradiance, spectral composition and UV dose

Photomovement measurements were carried out with swarmers of the brown algae Scytosiphon lomentaria (Lyngb.) Link and Petalonia fascia (O. F. Müll.) as a function of irradiance direction, photon irradiance, spectral composition and ultraviolet radiation (UVR, lambda=280-400 nm) dose. Swarmers from both species showed similar photomovement patterns: negative phototaxis occurred under photon irradiances of 10-90 micromol photons m(-2) s(-1), and no movement was observed at 190 micromol photons m(-2) s(-1). The translocational velocity measured between 10 and 90 micromol m(-2) s(-1) ranged from 100 to 200 microm s(-1). The accumulation of swarmers presented a peak at 450 nm (waveband of 50 nm), and smaller peaks at 400 and 500 nm; no effect was observed at wavelengths of 550 nm and above. The decline in phototactic index (an estimator of photomovement response) of swarmers was linearly correlated with the logarithm of UVR doses. These data were correlated with levels of natural solar radiation in the field. It is hypothesized that motility of swarmers could be a critical factor in the survival of these species under a scenario of increased UVR.     

Trends in UV irradiance of tanning devices in Norway: 1983-2005

Abstract Indoor tanning increases skin cancer risk, but the importance of different parts of the UV spectrum is unclear. We assessed irradiance of tanning devices in Norway for the period 1983-2005. Since 1983, all tanning models needed approval before being sold or used. UV Type 3 limits were valid from late 1992 (<0.15 W m(-2) for CIE-weighted, i.e. erythemally weighted, short and long wave irradiances). We analyzed data from 90% of the approved tanning models (n = 446 models) and two large inspection surveys in 1998/1999 and 2003 (n = 1341 tanning devices). Mean CIE-weighted short wave irradiance of approved models increased from 0.050 W m(-2) (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.045-0.055) in 1983-1992 to 0.101 W m(-2) (95% CI 0.098-0.105) in 1993-2005, and mean long wave from 0.091 W m(-2) (95% CI 0.088-0.095) to 0.112 W m(-2) (95% CI 0.109-0.115), respectively. Inspection surveys revealed short wave irradiances much higher than that approved. In 1998-1999, only 28% (293/1034) of the devices were equipped with correct sunlamps and only 1 out of 130 inspected establishments fulfilled all requirements. In 2003, corresponding numbers were 59% (180/307) of devices and 2 out of 52 establishments. Mean short and long wave irradiances of the inspected tanning devices in 2003 were 1.5 and 3.5 times, respectively, higher than the irradiance of natural summer sun in Oslo. In conclusion, the short wave irradiance has increased in indoor tanning devices in Norway over the last 20 years. Due to the high long wave irradiance throughout this period, the percentage of short wave irradiance was much lower than for natural sun.     

Sampling variability and uncertainty in total diet studies

Here, the uncertainty budget for a total diet study (TDS) was clarified by separating the total measurement uncertainty into the uncertainty arising from the compositional heterogeneity of food items between cities (referred to as inter-city variance), the heterogeneity of food items within cities (intra-city variance), and the chemical analysis of the food samples (analytical variance) at one study design. TDS samples were collected from 14 cities in Japan. Duplicate samples collected in each city were prepared from food items purchased from different shops, and the cadmium concentrations were measured individually to obtain the intra-city variance. These results were used to show the importance of sampling design in TDSs, by evaluating a sampling method known as a multi-stage design, in which multiple samples are collected from several cities. Such schemes have been applied to TDSs, but the uncertainty involved has not been assessed. An intra-city correlation was observed between the cadmium concentrations in samples from the same city, demonstrating that the effective sample size was not simply the number of cities and shops sampled. The TDS results showed a high intra-city variance, which was greater than the inter-city variance for all of the food groups studied, and particularly for the bean and potato groups. By combining the sampling and analytical uncertainties obtained, the sampling uncertainty across different primary sampling unit sizes and secondary sampling unit sizes was obtained. As suggested by the analysis of potatoes and beans, grouping food samples from different shops in the same city can improve the representativeness of the results.     

紫外/臭氧法在脱除沸石有机模板剂中的应用

选取LTA, FAU, BETA, MFI和MEL型沸石, 研究紫外/臭氧法在沸石有机模板剂脱除中的应用, 并与传统高温焙烧法比较, 考察两种方法对有机模板剂的脱除能力. 采用XRD, FT-IR, BET等方法对脱除模板剂前后的沸石样品进行表征, 结果表明紫外/臭氧法是一种低温有效除去沸石模板剂的方法. Beta, silicalite-1和silicalite-2沸石在紫外光照后相应的模板剂四乙基氢氧化铵、四丙基氢氧化铵和四丁基氢氧化铵已彻底脱除, A和Y型沸石中分别有27.5和6.2 wt%的四甲基氢氧化铵模板剂残留, 这主要是受其特殊β笼结构的限制而引起的.     

The formation of ozone and UV radiation from high-power pulsed electric discharges

High-power electric discharges with pulse energies of from 0.15 J to 4 kJ were studied. The yields of UV photons and ozone were found to be approximately equal, which led us to conclude that discharge conditions under which UV radiation and ozone fully destroyed each other were possible. If ozone formation was suppressed, as when a negative volume charge was created in the spark gap region, the flux of UV photons reached 3 × 10²³ photons/(cm² s).     

Excessive irradiance and antioxidant responses of an Antarctic marine diatom exposed to iron limitation and to dynamic irradiance

The synergistic effects of iron limitation and irradiance dynamics on growth, photosynthesis, antioxidant activity and excessive PAR (400-700 nm) and UV (280-400 nm) sensitivity were investigated for the Antarctic marine diatom Chaetoceros brevis. Iron-limited and iron-replete cultures were exposed to identical daily irradiance levels, supplied as dynamic (20-1350 micromol m(-2) s(-1)) and constant (260 micromol m(-2) s(-1)) irradiance. After acclimation, growth, maximal quantum yield of PSII (F(v)/F(m)), pigment composition, and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR) were determined. Then, excessive irradiance sensitivity was assessed by monitoring pigment composition, F(v)/F(m) and viability loss during a single excessive PAR and UV treatment. Iron limitation reduced growth rates, F(v)/F(m) dynamics, and cellular pigments pools. Cellular pigment concentrations were higher under dynamic irradiance than under constant irradiance but this difference was less pronounced under iron limitation compared to iron-replete conditions. SOD and APX activities increased during dynamic irradiance under iron limitation, suggesting increased radical formation around PSII. Despite these physiological differences, no effects on growth were observed between constant and dynamic irradiance cultivation in iron-limited and iron-replete cells. The applied culturing conditions did not affect glutathione reductase activity in C. brevis. F(v)/F(m) and xanthophyll de-epoxidation dynamics during excessive irradiance were not different for iron-limited and replete cells and viability loss was not found during excessive irradiance. This study revealed photoacclimation differences between iron-limited and iron-replete C. brevis cultures that did not affect growth rates and excessive irradiance sensitivity after acclimation to constant and dynamic irradiance.     

Radon survey in office room and effective dose estimation for staff

This study aims to: (1) Acquire the radon level in closed office rooms, providing radon exposure data for preliminary health risk assessment of office-working population. (2) Pre-analyze the relationship between radon concentration and indoor temperature, relative humidity. (3) Estimate seasonal, annual and total radon effective dose for ordinary office-working population. The results show that the 24-h or 8-h average radon concentrations in closed office rooms were about 32.0 Bq/m³ and 29.5 Bq/m³ during detection period, and the estimated effective doses in office rooms calculated by using 24-h and 8-h average radon concentrations were all far below that in residential environment.

     

The daily radon dose in body organs caused by drinking milk and water

Milk is considered as the richest nutrition, being used by people. When drinking milk or water the radon gas will transfer from air to them rapidly. Since milk is majorly composed of water, probably radon existence in livestock consumable water could be the main cause of its presence in milk. Different portion of milk changed by radon gamma ray and consumption of radon included water or milk has its effects on the human body. For investigation the effect of radon in water or milk on human organs, this study has been done in two phases with MCNPX software. In the first phase, the dose rate of absorbed gamma ray by different portion of milk which is indoctrinated by 1 Bq/m³ of radon during a day is calculated. Moreover, the effects shown by milk and its components in radon gamma spectrum, which is demonstrator of milk absorption spectrum, are also surveyed. In the second phase as well, according to the human body phantom, the absorbed gamma dose caused by daily consumption of indoctrinated water or milk with 1 Bq/m³ radon is calculated. The production rate of free radicals in milk and its different components are derived according to escape data of MCNPX code.     

Controlling effective interactions and spatial dispersion of nanoparticles in multiblock copolymer melts

The microscopic Polymer Reference Interaction Site Model theory is employed to study, for the first time, the effective interactions, spatial organization, and miscibility of dilute spherical nanoparticles in non‐microphase separating, chemically heterogeneous, compositionally symmetric AB multiblock copolymer melts of varying monomer sequence or architecture. The dependence of nanoparticle wettability on copolymer sequence and chemistry results in interparticle potentials‐of‐mean force that are qualitatively different from homopolymers. An important prediction is the ability to improve nanoparticle dispersion via judicious choice of block length and monomer adsorption‐strengths which control both local surface segregation and chain connectivity induced packing constraints and frustration. The degree of dispersion also depends strongly on nanoparticle diameter relative to the block contour length. Small particles in copolymers with longer block lengths experience a more homopolymer‐like environment which renders them relatively insensitive to copolymer chemical heterogeneity and hinders dispersion. Larger particles (sufficiently larger than the monomer diameter) in copolymers of relatively short block lengths provide better dispersion than either a homopolymer or random copolymer. The theory also predicts a novel widening of the miscibility window for large particles upon increasing the overall molecular weight of copolymers composed of relatively long blocks. The influence of a positive chi‐parameter in the pure copolymer melt is briefly studied. Quantitative application to fullerenes in specific copolymers of experimental interest is performed, and miscibility predictions are made. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 1098–1111     

紫外分光光度法测定川芎中内酯的总量

建立中药川芎中总内酯的测定方法. 采用紫外分光光度法, 以瑟丹酸内酯为对照品, 在一定条件下吸光度和瑟丹酸内酯的浓度呈良好的线性关系. 该方法可作为川芎中总内酯的半定量质量控制方法.