title: Personal solar UV exposure measurements employing modified polysulphone with an extended dynamic range.
abstract: Polysulphone dosimeters using a simple to use filter have been developed and tested to provide an extended dynamic measurement range of personal solar UV exposures over an extended period (3 to 6 days). At a Southern Hemisphere subtropical site (27.6 degrees S, 151.9 degrees E), the dynamic range of the filtered polysulphone allowed measurements of erythemal exposures to approximately 100 minimum erythemal dose (MED) for a change in optical absorbance at 330 nm (deltaA330) of 0.35. In comparison, unfiltered polysulphone dosimeters were exposed to approximately 8 MED for the same deltaA330. The error associated with the use of the filtered polysulphone dosimeters is of the order of +/-15%, compared with +/-10% of the unfiltered variety. The developed filtered polysulphone dosimeter system allowed the measurement of erythemal UV exposures over 3 to 6 days at a subtropical site without the need to replace the dosimeters because of saturation. The results show that longer-term measurement programs of personal solar UV have been made more feasible with the use of these polysulphone dosimeters with an extended dynamic range compared with unfiltered polysulphone dosimeters.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Astronomy, Solar Radiation and Climate, Faculty of Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia. parisi@usq.edu.au
authors.forename: Alfio V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Parisi
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kimlin
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005373:Film Dosimetry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D012867:Skin / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013450:Sulfones / Q000737:chemistry*; D013472:Sunlight; D013997:Time Factors; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D013450:Sulfones; C017662:polysulfone P 1700