THE FACIAL DISTRIBUTION OF ERYTHEMAL ULTRAVIOLET EXPOSURE IN SOUTH-EAST QUEENSLAND

This paper presents a method for the evaluation of the distribution of the facial erythemal UV exposure and the erythemal UV exposure per un it area of the face using only eight dosimeters located on the vertex of the head, forehead, nose, chin, left and right ears and left and ri ght cheeks. An overall picture of the parts of the face receiving high UV exposures is provided. The distribution of the erythemal UV exposu re to the human face at a subtropical latitude was shown to change wit h time of year and with cloud cover. On two days with similar solar ze nith angles, the ratio of the erythemal UV exposure to the nose compar ed with that on a horizontal plane changed from 0.47 to 0.84 with incr eased cloud cover. At the same time, the total erythemal exposure per unit area of the face dropped from 122 to 56 mJ cm(-2). Although the a bsolute exposures decreased, the nose received a relatively high expos ure.