Evaluation of exposure to ultraviolet radiation in the work environment
Korniewicz, H.; Karpowicz, J.
Medycyna Pracy 47(4): 353-364
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0465-5893 PMID: 8847982 Document Number: 469212
The article presents correction factors, by which the indications of meters which conform to the Polish Standard PN-79/F-06590 (10), for example, the Polish Sonopan UV-01 meter, should be multiplied in order to obtain values suitable for the evaluation of conjunctival (eye) and erythemal (skin) exposure according to criteria laid down in the Decree of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy (13). The values of the correction factors for 7 types of typical UV sources, with spectral characteristics conforming to Polish Standards PN-79/T-06590 (10) and PN-91/E-04042/02 (12), are in the range from 0.087 to 0.792. These factors should be applied since relative characteristics of the biological spectral effectiveness for the above-mentioned meter and for the western inspiration (11,14,15) of the Decree of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy (13) are not the same, specially for UV-A. It the factors are not applied, the evaluation of exposure to ultraviolet radiation may increase by ten times, and the health hazard of ultraviolet radiation may be unnecessarily overestimated. The magnitude of correction factors indicates the need for their official approval during the soonest verification of the legal regulations mentioned above.