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ENHANCEMENT OF MUTAGENESIS AND HUMAN SKIN CANCER RATES RESULTING FROM INCREASED FLUENCES OF SOLAR ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
Author(s) -
Kubitschek H. E.,
Baker K. S.,
Peak M. J.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-1097.1986.tb05627.x
Subject(s) - skin cancer , radiation , sunlight , ozone , ultraviolet , human skin , ultraviolet radiation , zenith , solar zenith angle , albedo (alchemy) , penetration (warfare) , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , physics , optics , chemistry , biology , cancer , meteorology , genetics , mathematics , radiochemistry , art , operations research , performance art , art history
— We present a new method for calculating the effects of reduction of atmospheric ozone upon induction of nonmelanoma skin cancer. These estimates are based upon several recent experimental improvements: a model for the atmospheric penetration of UV‐B; measurements of the transmission of this radiation by human epidermis; a precise action spectrum for genetic effects (mutation) in Escherichia coli , which was corrected for finite slit width. The calculated radiation amplification factor or percent increase in exposure per one percent decrease in atmospheric ozone is constant at 1.7 for solar zenith angles = 70° and decreases only with larger values of this angle. Thus the estimated increase applies to all heavily populated areas. of the globe. The value is robust: it is almost the same when the albedo is reduced from 0.2 to 0.1 or when the epidermal transmission is assumed to be about fourfold greater.