Occupational exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation in an eastern North Carolina university outdoor setting during the four seasons

Abstract

Outdoor workers perform tasks throughout the year that expose them to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and increase their risk of UVR-related adverse health effects. Multiple studies on occupational solar UVR exposures during summer have been published but similar investigations during other seasons are limited. The purpose of this study was to assess solar UVR exposure in an eastern North Carolina university setting during all four seasons (fall, winter, spring, and summer) to assess risk for outdoor workers, particularly groundskeepers, throughout the year. UVR effective irradiance (UVR_eff) was measured by area monitoring using a digital data-logging radiometer and a weatherproof UVR detector for 164 days from October 2020 to October 2021. Results showed that hourly and daily mean UVR_eff exceeded the 1-hr and 8-hr ACGIH Threshold Limit Values (TLVs), respectively, in all months and seasons at varying degrees. Winter had the lowest mean UVR_eff (3.4 × 10⁻³ ± 1.7 × 10⁻³ mW/cm²), but 91.1% and 100% of the hourly and daily UVR_eff measurements, respectively, still exceeded the TLVs. This study demonstrates the risk of overexposure to solar UVR among outdoor workers during cold months and seasons and the importance of implementing UVR protection throughout the year.

Keywords:

• Groundskeeping
• landscaping
• occupational exposure
• outdoor workers
• risk assessment
• sun exposure

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Correction

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the helpful comments of the anonymous reviewers.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).