Solar UV exposure in construction workers in Valencia, Spain

• Published in: Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology Vol. 23; no. 5; pp. 525 - 530
• Main Authors: Serrano, María-Antonia, Cañada, Javier, Moreno, Juan Carlos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.09.2013; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 692/499; 692/699/67/1813; 692/700/478/174; 704/172; Biological effects; Construction industry; Construction workers; Dosimeters; Environmental risk; Epidemiology; Erythema; Exposure limits; Health aspects; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Melanoma; Nuclear radiation; Occupational Exposure; original-article; Response functions; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Skin - radiation effects; Skin cancer; Spain; Sunlight; Ultraviolet radiation; Spain; Eastern Europe; Spain, Valencia; UV radiation; personal exposure; UV erythemal radiation; VioSpor; exposure ratio
• ISSN: 1559-0631; 1559-064X
• DOI: 10.1038/jes.2012.58

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) has long been recognized as the most important environmental risk factor for melanoma and skin cancer. Outdoor workers are among the groups most at risk from exposure to solar UVR in their daily activities. Sensitive spore-film filter-type personal dosimeters (VioSpor) were used to measure the biologically effective UVR received by construction workers in the course of their daily work. The study took place in Valencia, Spain, in July 2010 and involved a group of eight workers for a period of 5 days. The median UV exposure was 6.11 standard erythema dose (SED) per day, with 1 SED defined as effective 100 J/m 2 when weighted with the Commission Internationale de L’Eeclairage erythemal response function. These workers were found to receive a median of 13.9% of total daily ambient ultraviolet erythemal radiation (UVER). Comparison with the occupational UVR exposure limit showed that the subjects had received UVER exposure in excess of occupational guidelines, indicating that protective measures against this risk are highly advisable.