THE SUITABILITY OF A DYED PLASTIC FILM FOR BIOLOGICALLY EFFECTIVE UVBRADIATION MEASUREMENT

A thin dyed plastic film (thickness, 0.08 mm) was developed and found to be suitable for use as a personal dosimeter for biologically effect ive solar UVB and UVC radiation. The dosimeter film was fabricated by casting an aqueous solution of poly(vinyl alcohol) and a mixture of co lourless hexahydroxyethyl pararosaniline cyanide dye (HPR-CN) and sand olan yellow N-3GL dye (Acid Yellow 75). This flexible plastic film und ergoes a colour change from yellow to blue on UV irradiation. The radi ation-induced colour was analysed spectrophotometrically at the maximu m of the absorption band peaking at 602 nm. The absorption spectra, do se response, dose rate effect, spectral sensitivity and post-irradiati on stability of the film dosimeter are discussed. The maximum sensitiv ity of this new film lies between 280 and 315 nm, in the erythemal reg ion, where most acute and chronic effects of sunlight exposure on biol ogical systems are believed to occur.