Field-based measurements of personal erythemal ultraviolet exposure through a common summer garment

The research in this paper quantifies the solar erythemal UV exposures to t he skin through a common summer garment during outdoor activities. The eryt hemal exposures under the garment for the wet white garment exceeded a MED (minimum erythemal dose) at some anatomical sites in summer for a two-hour period. An erythemal exposure of 1.7 MED, in excess of the occupational lim it for UV exposure, was measured under the white garment during swimming fo r a one-hour period, Clothing must form an important component of a UV prot ection strategy However, it must be realised that total UV protection is no t provided and significant UV exposures may be received beneath the garment , particularly for a white garment in the wet state. This re-enforces the n ecessity of a combination of several UV prevention strategies to minimise U V exposure.