Ultraviolet solar radiation measurements in belo horizonte and public health

Abstract

The ultraviolet radiation (UVR) can benefit and harm human health with effects like vitamin D production and skin cancer incidence, respectively. Therefore, solar exposure has become a Public Health Care (PHC) affair. Recent discoveries on the UVR vs. human health relationship have challenged the PHC. In spite of that, Brazilian actions regarding such a matter are still in the beginning. In this work, erythemal dose measurements are presented as typical values for one of the densest Brazilian metropolitan areas. Monthly average daily values are 5806 ± 1168 J/m2 (1 standard deviation, summer) and 2509 ± 346 J/m2 (winter), whereas the solar- exposure time Caucasians need in order to get adequate vitamin D concentration is 5 and 10 min., respectively, at noon for sunny days.