Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics www.atmos-chem-phys.net 1680-7316 1680-7324 8 10 2008 10.5194/acp-8-2759-2008 http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/8/2759/2008/ http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/8/2759/2008/acp-8-2759-2008.html http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/8/2759/2008/acp-8-2759-2008.pdf 2759 2762 2008-05-23 Utilising polyphenylene oxide for high exposure solar UVA dosimetry D. J. Turnbull turnbull@usq.edu.au P. W. Schouten Faculty of Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, 4350, Australia A personal UV dosimeter that can quantitatively assess high exposure solar UVA exposures has been developed. The chemical polyphenylene oxide has been previously reported on its ability to measure high UVB exposures. This current research has found that polyphenylene oxide, cast in thin film form, is responsive to both the UVA and UVB parts of the solar spectrum. Further to this, the UVB wavelengths were filtered out with the use of mylar. This combined system responded to the UVA wavelengths only and underwent a change in optical absorbance as a result of UVA exposure. Preliminary results indicate that this UVA dosimeter saturates steadily when exposed to sunlight and can measure exposures of more than 20 MJ/m² of solar UVA radiation with an uncertainty level of no more than ±5%. Agar, N. S., Halliday, G. M., Barnetson, R. S., Ananthaswamy, H. N., Wheeler, M., and Jones, A. M.: The basal layer in human squamous tumors harbors more UVA than UVB fingerprint mutations: a role for UVA in human skin carcinogenesis, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 101, 4954–4959, 2004. AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) & Australasian Association of Cancer Registries (AACR): Cancer in Australia 2001, Cancer Series Number 28, Canberra, AIHW, 2004. AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare): Health system expenditures on cancer and other neoplasms in Australia, 2000–01, Health and Welfare Expenditure Series Number 22, Canberra, AIHW, 2005. Berre, B. and Lala, D.: Investigation on photochemical dosimeters for ultraviolet radiation, Sol. Ener., 42, 405–416, 1989. Davis, A., Deane, G. W. H., Gordon, D., Howell, G. V., and Ledbury, K. J.: A world-wide program for the continuous monitoring of solar UV radiation using poly (phenylene oxide) film, and consideration of the results, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 20, 1165–1174, 1976. Davis, A., Diffey, B. L., and Tate, B. K.: A personal dosimeter for biologically effective solar UV-B radiation, Photochem. Photobiol., 34, 283–286, 1981. Garland, C. F., Garland, F. C., and Gorham, E. D.: Epidemiologic evidence for different roles of ultraviolet A and B radiation in melanoma mortality rates, Ann. Epidemiol., 13, 395–404, 2003. Glanz, K. and Mayer, J. A.: Reducing ultraviolet radiation exposure to prevent skin cancer, Am. J. Prev. Med., 29, 131–142, 2005. Kricker, A. and Armstrong, B.: International trends in skin cancer, Can. Forum, 20, 192–194, 1996. Lester, R. A., Parisi, A. V., Kimlin, M. G., and Sabburg, J.: Optical properties of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) film and its potential for a long term solar ultraviolet dosimeter, Phys. Med. Biol., 48, 3685–3698, 2003. Moan, J., Dahlback, A., and Setlow, R. B.: Epidemiological support for an hypothesis for melanoma induction indicating a role for UVA radiation, Photochem. Photobiol., 70, 243–247, 1999. NCCI (National Cancer Control Initiative): The 2002 national non-melanoma skin cancer survey, A report by the NCCI Non-melanoma Skin Cancer Working Group, edited by: Staples, M. P., Melbourne, NCCI, 2003. NCI (National Cancer Institute): http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/commoncancers, accessed 15 December 2006. Parisi, A. V., Kimlin, M. G., Turnbull, D. J., and Macaranas, J.: Potential of phenothiazine as a thin film dosimeter for UV-A exposures, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 4, 907–910, 2005. Schouten, P. W., Parisi, A. V., and Turnbull, D. J.: Evaluation of a high exposure solar UV dosimeter for underwater use, Photochem. Photobiol., 83, 1–7, 2007. Schouten, P. W., Parisi, A. V., and Turnbull, D. J.: Field calibrations of a long term UV dosimeter for aquatic UVB exposures, J. Photochem. Photobiol. B Biol., doi:10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2008.02.004, in press, 2008.