Mean exposure fractions of human body solar UV exposure patterns for application in different ambient climates

Abstract

In this research, the erythemally effective UV measured using miniaturized polysulphone dosimeters to over 1250 individual body sites and collected over a four year period is presented relative to the total exposed skin surface area (SSA) of a life-size manikin model. A new term is also introduced, the Mean Exposure Fraction (MEF). The MEF is used to weight modeled or measured horizontal plane UV exposures to the total unprotected SSA of an individual and is defined as the ratio of exposure per unit area received by the unprotected skin surfaces of the body relative to the exposure received on a horizontal plane. The MEF has been calculated for a range of solar zenith angles (SZA) to provide a sunburning energy data set weighted to the actual SSA of a typically clothed individual. For this research the MEF was determined as 0.15, 0.26 and 0.41 in the SZA ranges 0o-30o, 30o-50o and 50o-80o providing information that can be used in a variety of different ambient, latitudinal and seasonal climates where total human body UV exposure information is not available.