Assessing UVB Radiation Received by School Children in Mid-Latitude Ontario, Canada

Abstract

School children can receive too much ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation on schoolgrounds, leading to sunburn (erythema) and risking melanoma. Yet receiving too little UVB can result in vitamin D deficiency, which is needed for bone metabolism and may be linked to cancer, hypertension, and influenza. We measured the UVB received by school children using personal dosimeters (electronic instruments that measure UV exposure) during mid-winter in southern Canada. Dosimeter measurements validated a model that then estimated the amount of UVB children receive throughout the year. During summer children would receive too much UVB in unshaded schoolgrounds, but during the school year children would receive insufficient UVB. Findings provide evidence that schoolgrounds in mid-high latitudes should have strategic shading during summer but allow UVB exposure in other seasons.