The Solar Ultraviolet

The study of the ultraviolet portion of the solar spectrum has in recent years been confined to the research areas of climate or ozone. Some work is being done in the field of biology, but this is mainly from the point of view of ozone variations or damaging effects to living systems. The biological studies will not be covered in this article except as needed to present data on the ultraviolet radiation. The actual measurements are being made by researchers in conjunction with NASA or NOAA or independent institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, Temple University or other universities which may be interested in biological effects. A few years ago, the federal Environment Protection Agency (EPA) funded some universities, other federal agencies, and independent researchers to do measurements on the variability of damaging UV (285 nm to 320 nm) and the ozone. This study was prompted by the worries concerning the effects of flourocarbons on the ozone layer. Since that time most of the available funding for UV research from EPA has disappeared.