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UV radiation varies and UV protection clothing

Risk of UV radiation varies

Sunscreen, long clothing and shady places are important protection, especially in summer. According to the BFS-Germany, UV radiation can neither be seen nor felt. It is there even when the sun is not shining.

According to the data, the intensity and risk of UV radiation depends on many factors – such as the position of the sun, latitude, altitude above sea level, cloud cover and the ozone layer.

UV clothing: Not only useful for children

If you don’t protect yourself adequately from UV radiation, you risk sunburn, sunstroke or – in the worst case – skin cancer. Sun cream with a high sun protection factor is therefore essential.

How clothing with UV protection works

Special UV clothing and UV swimwear is made of tightly woven synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon and spandex. “They are lightweight and breathable and block and absorb UV radiation,” explains Daniela Weiskopf, Head of the Optical Radiation Department at the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS-Germany). In simplified terms:

Which UV clothing provides the best protection?

The BfS-Germany differentiates between the Australian-New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS 4399:1996), the European Standard (EN 13758-1) and the UV Standard 801 for the UV protection properties of UV clothing.

 Only the “UV Standard 801” seal proves that a garment still protects against sunlight even when wet, stretched and washed several times.

For whom UV clothing is particularly worthwhile

Textiles with the UV standard 801 are also recommended by the “International Testing Association for Applied UV Protection”. According to the Bremen consumer advice center, parasols, beach shells and awnings with a UV Standard 801 seal also offer the best protection.

UV protective clothing is particularly intended for people who spend many hours in the sun, for example

– because they work outdoors, for example on a building site,

– or do sport.

“But it is also suitable for people with very sensitive skin: children, but also teenagers and adults with very light skin tones.

UV protective clothing does not cover all parts of the body, which is why the BfS-Germany recommends applying plenty (LSF 30) of sun cream to uncovered parts of the body in good time.

“Four heaped tablespoons for the entire body of an average adult with a high to very high sun protection factor from SPF 30 are ideal,” says Daniela Weiskopf.

Sunglasses that filter UV radiation with wavelengths up to and including 400 nanometers should also be worn.

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UV index as a guide

The daily UV exposure and therefore the health risk at a location can be estimated using the UV index (UVI). It is published regularly by the German Weather Service and the Federal Office for Radiation Protection. The higher the index, the faster sunburn can occur on unprotected skin

 The scale was developed by the World Health Organization and is internationally standardized. A UVI of 5, for example, means the same in USA as in South Africa.

More and more spring sunshine

In spring, the sun gains strength from day to day, even if the heat is still moderate. Measurement data shows that UV index values that make sun protection necessary can be reached as early as March.

The German Weather Service is also registering more and more hours of sunshine in spring. On average, the sun now shines 87 hours longer across Germany than in the period from 1961 to 1990, which further increases the UV risk.

According to the President of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Inge Paulini, not everyone knows that you have to be careful even on sunny spring days. But “the awareness of many people that UV protection is important is growing”.

Water, sand and snow reduce radiation by reflecting it.

Shade, on the other hand, reduces UV exposure: under a parasol, for example, by around 10 to 30 percent, under a large tree with a dense canopy by around 20 percent.

The lighter the skin, the less it can protect itself against sunlight and the more sensitive it reacts. Skin that contains a lot of melanin and is therefore darker is better protected, but skin damage cannot be ruled out here either.

Children and adolescents need special protection as they are much more sensitive to UV rays than adults. Experts recommend that infants and small children under the age of two should not be exposed to the sun at all with uncovered skin.