Enhanced joint hybrid deep neural network explainable artificial intelligence model for 1-hr ahead solar ultraviolet index prediction.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause malignant keratinocyte cancer and eye disease. Developing a user-friendly, portable, real-time solar UV alert system especially or wearable electronic mobile devices can help reduce the exposure to UV as a key measure for personal and occupational management of the UV risks. This research aims to design artificial intelligence-inspired early warning tool tailored for short-term forecasting of UV index (UVI) integrating satellite-derived and ground-based predictors for Australian hotspots receiving high UV exposures. The study further improves the trustworthiness of the newly designed tool using an explainable artificial intelligence approach. METHODS: An enhanced joint hybrid explainable deep neural network model (called EJH-X-DNN) is constructed involving two phases of feature selection and hyperparameter tuning using Bayesian optimization. A comprehensive assessment of EJH-X- DNN is conducted with six other competing benchmarked models. The proposed model is explained locally and globally using robust model-agnostic explainable artificial intelligence frameworks such as Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME), Shapley additive explanations (SHAP), and permutation feature importance (PFI). RESULTS: The newly proposed model outperformed all benchmarked models for forecasting hourly horizons UVI, with correlation coefficients of 0.900, 0.960, 0.897, and 0.913, respectively, for Darwin, Alice Springs, Townsville, and Emerald hotspots. According to the combined local and global explainable model outcomes, the site-based results indicate that antecedent lagged memory of UVI and solar zenith angle are influential features. Predictions made by EJH-X-DNN model are strongly influenced by factors such as ozone effect, cloud conditions, and precipitation. CONCLUSION: With its superiority and skillful interpretation, the UVI prediction system reaffirms its benefits for providing real-time UV alerts to mitigate risks of skin and eye health complications, reducing healthcare costs and contributing to outdoor exposure policy.

Serial Cross-Sectional Observations of Sun-Protective Behaviors at an Annual Outdoor Motorsport Event in Tropical Queensland, Australia.

Skin cancer, the most prevalent cancer in Caucasians residing at low latitudes, can primarily be prevented by avoiding overexposure to sunlight. Serial cross-sectional observations were conducted at an outdoor motorsport event held in Townsville, Queensland each July (Southern winter) to determine whether sun-protection habits changed over time. Most (71.1%) of the 1337 attendees observed (97.6% lightly pigmented skin, 64.0% male) wore a hat (any style shading the face), while few (18.5%) wore three-quarter or full-length sleeves. While hat-wearing rates (any style) were similar in 2009 (326, 72.6%) and 2013 (625, 70.4%), the use of sun-protective styles (wide-brimmed/bucket/legionnaires) decreased from 29.2% to 18.6% over the same period, primarily because the use of sun-protective hats halved (from 28.7% to 14.0%) among females, while decreasing from 29.4% to 21.1% in males. Although relatively few individuals wore sun-protective (three-quarter-length or full-length) sleeves regardless of year (OR = 0.117, P < 0.0001), encouragingly, the use of sun-protective sleeves more than doubled between 2009 (10.5%) and 2013 (22.5%). Interestingly females, albeit the minority, at this sporting event were less likely to wear a hat (OR = 0.473, P < 0.0001) than males. These findings highlight the need for continued momentum toward skin cancer primary prevention through sun protection with a dedicated focus on outdoor sporting settings.

A Case Study of UV Exposure Risk in Sydney during the 2019/2020 New South Wales Bushfires.

During summer of 2019/2020, Sydney, Australia, experienced several days of extreme air pollution and low visibility due to bushfires. This research presents a case study that investigates the erythemal UV irradiance and resulting 1 h erythemal and 8 h actinic exposures during the worst of these days. Air quality, meteorological and UV data used in the analysis were readily available online or by request from governmental agencies. Analysis showed that even for the lowest visibility day (which had a minimum visibility of less than a kilometer) on 10 December 2019, there was a cumulative 1 h erythemal UV exposure of over 4 SED (standard erythema dose) and a cumulative 8 h exposure of 17 SED by the late afternoon. The 1 h exposure exceeded that of a minimum erythemal dose. Even on this extremely hazy day, these cumulative exposures are enough to exceed the recommended daily exposure limit for actinic exposures weighted with the health sensitivity spectrum for the skin and eyes set by the International Commission of Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection.

Evaluation of the Long-term Cumulative UVA Facial Exposure of Queensland School Teachers derived for an Extended Period from the OMI Satellite Irradiance.

This research presents a novel methodology for deriving the total daily broadband solar UVA (320-400 nm) received by school teachers during their working day from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite solar noon UVA irradiance measurements for a Queensland subtropical site (27.5°S, 152°E). Daily UVA exposures are weighted to the anatomical human cheek (anterior infra-orbital region) for teachers wearing and not wearing broad-brimmed hats. The method utilizes the OMI UVA irradiance data collected daily at high temporal resolution over 2005 to 2016 to derive the total daily UVA exposure to a horizontal plane. These horizontal plane exposures are scaled by factors to take into account the timing of outdoor activity. The relationship between exposures to a horizontal plane and those to a vertical plane and the protection provided by a broad-brimmed hat was assessed to evaluate the total daily UVA exposures to the cheek for classroom and physical education teaching staff expected to be outside at different periods of the day. The developed method enables the total daily UVA exposure to specific anatomical sites to be evaluated from the satellite solar noon irradiance at locations that do not have access to surface-based instrumentation capable of recording in the solar UVA waveband.

Electronic Sun Journal Versus Self-report Sun Diary: A Comparison of Recording Personal Sunlight Exposure Methods.

This research compared personal sunlight exposure times monitored electronically within suburban Australian environments against self-report paper journals for determining the timing and total duration of individual exposure to daily solar radiation. A total of 90 Electronic Sun Journal (ESJ) daily readings and self-report timing and duration estimates of exposure for weekend and weekdays were compared. A Wilcoxon ranked sign test showed a significant difference (V = 157, P < 0.001) between the duration of exposure recorded electronically and the duration of exposure that was self-reported in a diary. There was also found to be a statistically significant difference between total exposure time measured using both methods for weekends (V = 10, P < 0.001) and weekdays (V = 87, P < 0.001). General trends in outdoor exposure timing confirmed that the most frequent daily exposures received over the weekend occurred between 1 and 2 h earlier than the most frequent exposures received on weekdays. This preliminary research found that exposure durations as recorded by the ESJ were longer on the weekends compared to weekdays (W = 402, P < 0.001) and confirmed that the ESJ is a viable alternative to self-reporting diaries.

Solar Blue Light Radiation Enhancement during Mid to Low Solar Elevation Periods under Cloud Affected Skies.

Solar blue-violet wavelengths (380-455 nm) are at the high energy end of the visible spectrum; referred to as "high energy visible" (HEV). Both chronic and acute exposure to these wavelengths has been often highlighted as a cause for concern with respect to ocular health. The sun is the source of HEV which reaches the Earth's surface either directly or after scattering by the atmosphere and clouds. This research has investigated the effect of clouds on HEV for low solar elevation (solar zenith angles between 60° and 80°), simulating time periods when the opportunity for ocular exposure in global populations with office jobs is high during the early morning and late afternoon. The enhancement of "bluing" of the sky due to the influence of clouds was found to increase significantly with the amount of cloud. A method is presented for calculating HEV irradiance at sub-tropical latitudes from the more commonly measured global solar radiation (300-3000 nm) for all cases when clouds do and do not obscure the sun. The method; when applied to global solar radiation data correlates well with measured HEV within the solar zenith angle range 60° and 80° (R2 = 0.82; mean bias error (MBE) = -1.62%, mean absolute bias error (MABE) = 10.3% and root mean square error (RMSE) = 14.6%). The technique can be used to develop repeatable HEV hazard evaluations for human ocular health applications.

Biologically effective solar ultraviolet exposures and the potential skin cancer risk for individual gold medalists of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games.

Personal solar ultraviolet radiation exposure models were developed for 144 Olympic events scheduled outdoors from across the 33 sport disciplines that will compete in Tokyo between 24 July and 9 August 2020. Ambient exposure models were developed from existing atmospheric parameters measured over Tokyo (35.7°N 139.7°E) and were used to weight erythemally effective solar ultraviolet exposure to gold medalists, taking into account body posture and expected protection by competitor's clothing which was assessed in comparison to respective medalists of the 2016 Rio Olympics. Individual exposure models consider the ultraviolet surface albedo (lawn, concrete, water or sand) and timing of daily events held within Olympic venues. Exposure assessments are presented, including assessments of all preliminary rounds and qualifiers. Within scheduled outdoor events, we award first place (representing the highest and most harmful UV exposure) to the women's tennis singles (1680 J/m2), second to men's golf (1530 J/m2) and third to the men's cycling road race (941 J/m2) for the highest expected erythemally effective solar ultraviolet radiation exposures of the 2020 Tokyo Games. The highest expected solar ultraviolet exposures for nations expected to win greater than three gold medals among the outdoor events were found to occur in athletes from Kenya followed closely by the United States and Hungary. Gold medalists from South Korea were found to demonstrate the highest level of sun protection due to clothing at the 2016 Rio Games, and are thus expected to receive the greatest relative reduction in erythemally effective exposure during the 2020 Tokyo Games.

The Simulated Ocular and Whole-Body Distribution of Natural Sunlight to Kiteboarders: A High-Risk Case of UVR Exposure for Athletes Utilizing Water Surfaces in Sport.

Kiteboarding is an aquatic sporting discipline that has not yet been considered in the literature to date in terms of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) measurement. Kiteboarders need to look upward and are placed obliquely relative to the horizon when towed behind an overhead kite over a reflective water surface. This research defines the typical body surface orientation of a kiteboarder in motion through video vector analysis and demonstrates the potential risk to ocular and skin surface damage through practical measurement of solar UVR using a manikin model. Video analysis of 51 kiteboarders was made to construct skeletal wireframes showing the surface orientation of the leg, thigh, spine, humerus, lower arm and head of a typical kiteboarder. Solar UVR dosimeter measurements made using a manikin model demonstrate that the vertex and anterior surfaces of the knee, lower leg and lower humerus received 89%, 90%, 80% and 63% of the available ambient UVR, respectively, for a typical kiteboarder who is tilted back more than 15° from vertical while in motion. Ocular (periorbital) exposures ranged from 56% to 68% of ambient. These new findings show that the anterior skin surfaces of kiteboarders and the eye are at elevated risk of solar UVR damage.

Seasonal Minimum and Maximum Solar Ultraviolet Exposure Measurements of Classroom Teachers Residing in Tropical North Queensland, Australia.

The risk of keratinocyte skin cancer, malignant melanoma and ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-induced eye disease is disproportionately higher in Australia and New Zealand compared to equivalent northern hemisphere latitudes. While many teachers are aware of the importance of reinforcing sun safety messages to students, many may not be aware of the considerable personal exposure risk while performing outdoor duties in locations experiencing high to extreme ambient UVR year-round. Personal erythemally effective exposure of classroom teachers in tropical Townsville (19.3°S) was measured to establish seasonal extremes in exposure behavior. Mean daily personal exposure was higher in winter (91.2 J m-2 , 0.91 Standard Erythema Dose [SED]) than summer (63.3 J m-2 , 0.63 SED). The range of exposures represents personal exposures that approximate current national guidelines for Australian workers at the study latitude of approximately 1.2 SED (30 J m-2 effective to the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection). Similar proportions of teachers spent more than 1 h outdoors per day in winter (28.6%) and summer (23.6%) as part of their teaching duties with seasonal differences having little effect on the time of exposure. Personal exposures for teachers peaked during both seasons near school meal break times at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm, respectively.

A Pilot Observational Study of Environmental Summertime Health Risk Behavior in Central Brisbane, Queensland: Opportunities to Raise Sun Protection Awareness in Australia's Sunshine State.

Melanoma skin cancer rates in Queensland exceed the national Australian incidence rate, which together with New Zealand are recognized as the world's highest. Incidence is especially high among younger members of the population. In this study, the sun-protective behaviors of urban Queenslanders (n = 752) going about their day-to-day activities during a midweek noon time hourly period were observed on a summer's day in central Brisbane (27.47°S, 153.03°E), Australia. Observed sun protection practices were poor, given the time of year and peak solar noon period of the study. More individuals (n = 249; 33.1%) were seen wearing sunglasses than a hat (n = 101; 13.4%). Ninety-three individuals were actively engaging with mobile phones (phone in hand). A further 231 individuals (30.7%) were observed with a mobile phone on them. Opportunities to modify group behavior based on mobile phone sun protection notifications and to engage with "at risk" members of the Queensland population are considered from the variable codependencies examined in this study, including the influence of social group size, observed sun protection and mobile phone use. Our preliminary findings suggest that mobile phones provide an underutilized opportunity for delivering tailored skin cancer prevention messaging.

The geospatial relationship of pterygium and senile cataract with ambient solar ultraviolet in tropical Ecuador.

Tropical Ecuador presents a unique climate in which we study the relationship between the ambient levels of solar ultraviolet radiation and eye disease in the absence of a latitudinal gradient. The national distribution of surface ultraviolet, taking into account MODIS and OMI satellite observation of aerosol, ozone, surface albedo, local elevation and cloud fractions measured during 2011, was compared with the national pterygium (WHO ICD H11) and senile cataract (WHO ICD H25) incidence projected from the 2010 National Institute of Statistics and Census (Ecuador). Public Health Ministry projections for age categories 0 to 39, 40 to 59 and 60+ years were compared to surface ultraviolet irradiance data in 1040 parishes. Correlations drawn between modelled surface ultraviolet and eye disease incidence show a significant increase in both pterygium and senile cataract in the highest ambient exposure regions of the Pacific coast and western lowlands with incidence rates of 34.39 and 16.17 per 100 000 residents respectively. The lowest rates of incidence for pterygium (6.89 per 100 000) and senile cataract (2.90 per 100 000) were determined in high altitude sites and are attributed here to increased daily cloud fraction for parishes located in the Andean mountain range. The South American Andes experience the highest solar UV exposures on Earth and report frequent high incidence of keratinocyte cancer. Our results show the high Andes to be the location of the lowest eye disease incidence suggesting that both pterygium and senile cataract are the result of cumulative exposure to solar ultraviolet. These findings have clear implications for the agricultural workers and fishermen of the lowland districts of Ecuador, contrary to conventional understanding that greater risks are faced in locations of high altitude.

Evaluated UVA Irradiances over a Twelve-year Period at a Subtropical Site from Ozone Monitoring Instrument Data Including the Influence of Cloud.

This research investigated the influence of cloud on the broadband UVA solar noon irradiances evaluated from the solar noon satellite-based OMI spectral UV data that were compared to the irradiances of a ground-based radiometer from 1 October 2004 to 31 December 2016. The correlation between ground-based radiometer data and the evaluated OMI broadband UVA data evaluated with a model were dependent on whether or not the solar disk was obscured by the presence of cloud and the total sky cloud fraction. For conditions when the sun was not obscured by cloud, the evaluated satellite and the ground-based UVA irradiance correlation was best for cloud cover between 0 and 2 octa (R2  = 0.77) and the worst for high cloud cover of >4-8 octa (R2 between 0.3 and 0.4). The R2 reduced with increasing cloud amount and showed significantly weaker correlation when the sun was obscured. The correlation between the evaluated satellite broadband UVA and the ground-based measurements over the twelve years for total cloud cover conditions of 4 or less octa confirmed that the broadband UVA satellite evaluation model for the OMI spectral data is valid for approximately 71% of the days at the Southern Hemisphere subtropical study site.

An Inexpensive High-Temporal Resolution Electronic Sun Journal for Monitoring Personal Day to Day Sun Exposure Patterns.

Exposure to natural sunlight, specifically solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation contributes to lifetime risks of skin cancer, eye disease, and diseases associated with vitamin D insufficiency. Improved knowledge of personal sun exposure patterns can inform public health policy; and help target high-risk population groups. Subsequently, an extensive number of studies have been conducted to measure personal solar UV exposure in a variety of settings. Many of these studies, however, use digital or paper-based journals (self-reported volunteer recall), or employ cost prohibitive electronic UV dosimeters (that limit the size of sample populations), to estimate periods of exposure. A cost effective personal electronic sun journal (ESJ) built from readily available infrared photodiodes is presented in this research. The ESJ can be used to complement traditional UV dosimeters that measure total biologically effective exposure by providing a time-stamped sun exposure record. The ESJ can be easily attached to clothing and data logged to personal devices (including fitness monitors or smartphones). The ESJ improves upon self-reported exposure recording and is a cost effective high-temporal resolution option for monitoring personal sun exposure behavior in large population studies.

Validation of Ozone Monitoring Instrument UV Satellite Data Using Spectral and Broadband Surface Based Measurements at a Queensland Site.

This research reconstructed and validated the broadband UVA irradiances derived from discrete spectral irradiance data retrieved from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite from 1 January to 31 December 2009. OMI data at solar noon were compared to ground-based spectral irradiances at Toowoomba (27°36' S 151°55' E), Australia, at 310, 324 and 380 nm for both cloud-free and all sky conditions. There was a strong relationship between the ground-based UV spectroradiometer data and satellite-based measurements with an R2 of 0.89 or better in each waveband for cloud-free days. The data show an overestimate of the satellite-derived spectral irradiances compared to the ground-based data. The models developed for the subtropical site data account for this overestimation and are essential for any data correlation between satellite- and ground-based measurements. Additionally, this research has compared solar noon broadband UVA irradiances evaluated with a model and the discrete satellite spectral irradiances for the solar noon values of cloud-free days to those measured with a ground-based UVA radiometer. An R2 of 0.86 was obtained confirming that for cloud-free days the broadband UVA can be evaluated from the OMI satellite spectral irradiances.

Solar ultraviolet and the occupational radiant exposure of Queensland school teachers: A comparative study between teaching classifications and behavior patterns.

Classroom teachers located in Queensland, Australia are exposed to high levels of ambient solar ultraviolet as part of the occupational requirement to provide supervision of children during lunch and break times. We investigated the relationship between periods of outdoor occupational radiant exposure and available ambient solar radiation across different teaching classifications and schools relative to the daily occupational solar ultraviolet radiation (HICNIRP) protection standard of 30J/m(2). Self-reported daily sun exposure habits (n=480) and personal radiant exposures were monitored using calibrated polysulphone dosimeters (n=474) in 57 teaching staff from 6 different schools located in tropical north and southern Queensland. Daily radiant exposure patterns among teaching groups were compared to the ambient UV-Index. Personal sun exposures were stratified among teaching classifications, school location, school ownership (government vs non-government), and type (primary vs secondary). Median daily radiant exposures were 15J/m(2) and 5J/m(2)HICNIRP for schools located in northern and southern Queensland respectively. Of the 474 analyzed dosimeter-days, 23.0% were found to exceed the solar radiation protection standard, with the highest prevalence found among physical education teachers (57.4% dosimeter-days), followed by teacher aides (22.6% dosimeter-days) and classroom teachers (18.1% dosimeter-days). In Queensland, peak outdoor exposure times of teaching staff correspond with periods of extreme UV-Index. The daily occupational HICNIRP radiant exposure standard was exceeded in all schools and in all teaching classifications.

Seasonal variations in the subsurface ultraviolet-B on an inshore Pacific coral reef ecosystem.

Fringing coral reefs provide a unique opportunity to study shallow aquatic ecosystems. A fringing coral reef system located in close proximity to a developed region was considered in this study. In such an environment, the rate of decay of dissolved organic matter is high and the penetration of higher energy ultraviolet-B (UVB) extends a greater influence on species diversity, particularly upon shallow benthic communities. Results from a 9 month subsurface UVB exposure measurement campaign performed at a site located on the southern Queensland coast (Hervey Bay, 25°S) are presented in this research. For this, a novel dosimetric technique was utilized to measure long-term subsurface UVB exposures. The resultant data set includes exposure measurements made during the significant La Niña event of late 2010 which resulted in unprecedented high sea surface temperatures and severe flooding across eastern Australia, impacting upon the lagoon regions of the Great Barrier Reef and Queensland's southern estuaries, including the study site. The influence of season, diurnal tidal variation, cloud cover and solar zenith angle were analyzed over the campaign period. Mean minimum daylight water depth was found to be the most significant factor influencing subsurface UVB.

Influence of high levels of cloud cover on vitamin D effective and erythemal solar UV irradiances.

The solar irradiances for the initiation of vitamin D synthesis (UV(D3)) have been measured concurrently with the amount of cloud cover to investigate the influence of high cloud cover fraction. The cases of 6.5 and more octa cloud cover were considered for five solar zenith angle (SZA) ranges up to 80°. For each of the SZA ranges, the UV(D3) reduced due to the high cloud cover. The average of the ratios of the UV(D3) irradiances on a cloudy day to those on a clear day with the corresponding ozone and SZA are 0.71 for the 6.5-7.5 octa cloud and 0.45 for the more than 7.5 octa cloud ranges. The exposure times necessary to receive 1/3 MED to a horizontal plane were found to increase as the amount of cloud cover increased. For each cloud cover category, the range of values increased with cloud cover and with SZA. This research shows that the current public recommendations on the times of solar UV exposures required to produce adequate vitamin D are inappropriate for situations of more than 6.5 octa cloud.

Solar UV exposures measured simultaneously to all arbitrarily oriented leaves on a plant.

The possible ramifications of climate change include the influence it has upon the amount of cloud cover in the atmosphere. Clouds cause significant variation in the solar UV radiation reaching the earth's surface and in turn the amount incident on ecosystems. The consequences of changes in solar UV radiation delivered to ecosystems due to climate change may be significant and should be investigated. Plants are an integral part of the world wide ecological balance, and research has shown they are affected by variations in solar UV radiation. Therefore research into the influence of solar UV radiation on plants is of particular significance. However, this requires a means of obtaining detailed information on the solar UV radiation received by plants. This research describes a newly developed dosimetric technique employed to gather information on solar UV radiation incident to the leaves of plants in combination with the measurement of spectral irradiances in order to provide an accurate method of collecting detailed information on the solar UV radiation affecting the canopy and lower leaf layers of individual plants. Variations in the measurements take into account the inclination and orientation of each leaf investigated, as well as the influence of shading by other leaves in the plant canopy.

Measurements of the upper body ultraviolet exposure to golfers: non-melanoma skin cancer risk, and the potential benefits of exposure to sunlight.

BACKGROUND: Geographically, Queensland presents an extreme ultraviolet exposure climate to members of the public engaged in outdoor recreational activity. The risk of developing a skin cancer or an eye disease as a result of incidental exposure to naturally occurring ultraviolet radiation in the outdoor environment is proportionately high in a Queensland population compared with fair-skinned population groups residing in comparable Northern Hemisphere latitudes. In contrast to these risks, elderly members of this high growth population group have been reported to be vitamin D deficient. The risks and potential benefits of exposure to sunlight in southern Queensland are assessed in this study with respect to recreational golfing. This sport is a popular recreational activity for the Queensland population and must be played during daylight hours. METHODS: The erythemal and vitamin D effective ultraviolet exposure measured to the forearm, upper back and vertex are presented for individuals playing golf under various atmospheric conditions in a 7-month period extending from summer to winter. RESULTS: Mean summertime exposures were measured in the 2008 study period as be 1.4, 2.2 and 3.2 standard erythema doses (SED) at forearm, upper back and vertex sites, respectively, compared with respective wintertime forearm, upper back and vertex exposures of 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5 SED, where summertime exposures were recorded in the mean solar zenith angle (SZA) ranges of 56-59 degrees and wintertime exposures were recorded in the mean SZA range 74-83 degrees. Vitamin D(3) effective exposures were determined to vary from between 225, 325 and 475 J/m(2) during summer and 48, 59 and 88 J/m(2) during winter for the respective forearm, upper back and vertex body sites measured in the above mean SZA ranges. CONCLUSION: Exposures to ambient ultraviolet during winter on the golf course between 15:00 and 17:30 hours could be beneficial for office workers for the production of vitamin D. Optimizing exposure periods to late afternoon in the winter months and taking adequate sun protection measures in the summer months are important strategies that golfers can utilize for long-term preventative health.

Ultraviolet exposures in different playground settings: a cohort study of measurements performed in a school population.

BACKGROUND: Solar erythemally effective ultraviolet (UVE) measured on the face, neck, arms, hands and legs of a cohort of school children was investigated with respect to student movement about a school environment located in Southern Queensland. METHODS: A total of 147 erythemally effective solar UV exposures were measured using polysulphone film dosimeters. Measurements were performed on exposed skin surfaces during school hours between 08:30 and 15:05 hours for the period 5 February to 4 June 2008. RESULTS: Median seasonal UVE exposures varied between 0.4 and 2.7 standard erythema doses (SED) for school students observing the normal school routine between winter and summer, respectively. These exposures increased significantly for school activities scheduled primarily outdoors, reaching a maximum of 50 SED recorded to a vertex site measured during a school swimming carnival. CONCLUSION: The excessive erythemal UV exposures measured in this research have the potential to significantly contribute to the later development of melanoma and non melanoma skin cancers caused by acute and chronic cumulative exposure to solar UV in Queensland school environments. The research provides data on personal UV exposures measured in a school population engaged in daily school activities.