Personal Dosimetry in an urban environment

Summary:
In this study we have measured the personal exposure to erythemally effective solar UV radiation in an urban environment during modern lifestyle.
Modern lifestyle is characterized by staying indoors during most of the day. Staying outdoor occupies only a small part.
For this we have taken measurements during typical outdoor activities within an urban environment:
  shopping,
  walking,
  sitting in a sidewalk cafe,
  cycling,
  spending spare time at an open air swimming pool
  sight seeing.

Aim of this study is to find out situations respectively activities where solar UV exposure may become high in a generally low exposure environment.
Beside the UV Index we have used the sun burn time for risk assessments.
Generalization of our results is done by providing ratios of personal exposure and ambient UV radiation during different activities.

Publications:

UV Exposition During Typical Lifestyle Behavior in an Urban Environment.
Alois W. Schmalwieser, Claudia Enzi, Silvia Wallisch, Franz Holawe, Bernhard Maier, Philipp Weihs
Photochemistry and Photobiology 86(3), 711-715, 2010.

UV (ultraviolet) exposure as a function of weather,occupation and 3-D environment in Vienna and environment
E. Claudia, P. Weihs, A. Schmalwieser
Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 9, 06868, 2007
SRef-ID: 1607-7962/gra/EGU2007-A-06868
Poster as presented at the EGU 2007
Abstract (Geophysical Research Abstracts)