title: Quality of sunglasses available in the Iranian market; a study with emphasis on sellers' license.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sunglasses should follow minimum requirements to sufficiently protect eyes. It is not known whether all items obtainable from the market are appropriately designed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare ultraviolet (UV)-protective properties of commercially available sunglasses obtained from authorized and unauthorized Iranian sellers. Settings and Study Design: An analytic-descriptive study performed in a metropolitan area (Tehran).
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a UV-visible standard spectrophotometer, the percentage transmittance was scanned between 280 and 400 nm in 348 pairs of nonprescription sunglasses (price range: 20-80 US$) obtained anonymously and randomly from authorized (permitted by the Ministry of Health, 189 pairs) and unauthorized (159 pairs) sellers in the Iranian capital city, Tehran. The Australian/New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS) and the American National Standards Institute [ANSI] standards were followed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chi-square test, independent samples t-test or Mann-Whitney U-test. Results UV-protective properties of the sunglasses obtained from authorized sellers complied with AS/NZS and ANSI guidelines in 92.6% and 95.2% of items, respectively. The corresponding rates for sunglasses obtained from unauthorized sellers were 0% and 8.2%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). The rate of defective polarizing capability of lenses was 27.4% in sunglasses obtained from authorized sellers versus 90.4% in sunglasses obtained from unauthorized sellers (P < 0.001). Neither brand nor price played significant contributions to UV protection/lens polarizing capability of sunglasses obtained from authorized sellers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sunglasses provided by unauthorized sellers are alarmingly unreliable and could be potentially hazardous for the eye. Brand and price do not guarantee optimal protection against UV radiation or polarizing performance of the lens.
authors.forename: Nooshin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bazzazi
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heydarian
authors.forename: Reihaneh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vahabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Farshchian Educational and Medical Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Siamak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akbarzadeh
authors.forename: Daniel F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Fouladi
mesh_terms: D004465:Economic Competition; D005139:Eyeglasses / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods*; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*
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