Solar Ultraviolet Human Hazard Monitoring System

自从在南半球广大地区发现“臭氧空洞”以来，监测紫外线辐照度的长期趋势和地理变化及其对环境的影响变得越来越重要。除了潜在的环境影响外，紫外线辐射已被证明在几个方面对人类健康有害。然而，关于紫外线辐射水平升高的时间和地理范围的关键证据尚处于初级阶段。因此，迫切需要部署合适的仪器网络。在这方面，一些集团进行了一些小规模的部署。然而，在社区内似乎没有显著的共识，即存在合适的、具有成本效益的仪器。在这个小企业创新研究的第一阶段，Biospherical Instruments, Inc.提议开发和演示一种仪器系统，包括测量方法，旨在监测传统意义上的环境（下行）紫外线辐照度，以及测量可能对视觉系统（眼睛）造成损害的辐照度。该建议的关键方面包括：1)开发专门适用于眼部研究的新型观察几何形状；2)开发数据处理方法，对这些数据进行处理，以发布现场咨询；3)开发特定的校准技术，以便能够评估结果数据的质量。

The monitoring of long term trends and geographical variability of UV irradiance and how it may impact the environment has become increasingly important since the discovery of the `ozone hole` over vast regions of the Southern Hemisphere. In addition to potential environmental impacts, UV radiation has been shown to be hazardous to human health in several regards. However, critical evidence of the temporal and geographic extent of elevated UV radiation levels is in its infancy. Thus, there is an immediate need to deploy networks of suitable instruments. In this context, some small-scale deployments have been undertaken by a few groups. Yet there appears to be no significant level of agreement within the community that suitable, cost-effective instrumentation exists. In this Small Business Innovation Research Phase I, Biospherical Instruments, Inc., proposes to develop and demonstrate an instrument system, including measurement methodology, designed to monitor both ambient (downwelling) UV irradiance in the traditional sense, as well as measuring irradiance that may be damaging for visual systems (eyes). Critical aspects of this proposal include: 1) development of novel viewing geometries specifically appropriate to ocular studies; 2) development of data processing methods to process these data with the goal of issuing on-site advisories; and 3) the development of specific calibration techniques designed to be able to assess the quality of the resulting data.