The Austrian UVA‐Network

Abstract

The ultraviolet‐A (UVA) part of the solar spectrum at the Earth's surface is an essential environmental factor but continuous long‐time monitoring of UVA radiation is rarely done. In Austria, three existing stations of the UV monitoring network have been upgraded with UVA broadband instruments. At each station, one instrument measures global UVA irradiance and—in parallel—a second instrument measures diffuse irradiance. Recent and past measurements are available via a web page. This paper describes the used instruments, calibration and quality assurance and control procedures. Global and diffuse UVA measurements during a period of up to 5 years are presented. Data indicate clear annual courses and an increase of UVA with altitude by 8–9% per 1000 m. In the first half of the year, UVA radiation is higher than in the second half, due to less cloudiness. In Vienna (153 m asl), the mean daily global UVA radiant exposure in summer is almost as high as at Mt. Gerlitzen (1540 m asl), equalizing the altitude effect, due to less cloudiness. However, in winter, the UVA radiant exposure at Mt. Gerlitzen is double as high, as in Vienna.

Comparison of GOME‐2 UVA Satellite Data to Ground‐Based UVA Measurements in South Africa

“…To our knowledge, none of the radiometers were taken to intercomparison campaigns but the performance of the radiometers is consistent with other intercomparisons (31). Previous intercomparisons of Kipp & Zonen UVS-AB-T UV radiometers have shown that the instruments have an uncertainty of approximately 6% and long-term stability with 10% variation between calibrations every 2 years (32).…”

Evaluation of Escherichia coli Inactivation at High Altitudes Using Solar Water Disinfection

“…14 The UV radiance also varies by time of year: the northern hemisphere experiences the lowest values in December and January and the highest values in June. 15 We observed that most bacterial inactivation occurred within 2 h of exposure (Figure 2) compared with Beattie et al, 16 who reported that most bacterial inactivation occurred after the first 2 h. In contrast to reports in the literature, our study did not show a significant increase in water temperature, whereas other studies 16,17 have reported a rapid increase in water temperature with the use of parabolic reflectors rather than flat reflectors. Together, these findings suggest that the type of surface reflector affects the amount of energy input required to raise water temperature.…”

“…14 The UV radiance also varies by time of year: the northern hemisphere experiences the lowest values in December and January and the highest values in June. 15…”

Genome-Wide RNA Sequencing Analysis in Human Dermal Fibroblasts Exposed to Low-Dose Ultraviolet A Radiation

“…Because of their lower wavelength, most UVB and all UVC radiation is absorbed by the ozone layer, making UVA the predominant source of radiation and responsible for 95% of total residue solar UV radiation [ 1 ]. Moreover, UVA can penetrate deeper into various media, such as water, the atmosphere, or clothing, than UVB [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. The average irradiances of UVA and UVB intensities at sea level are 5 × 10 −3 and 0.16 × 10 −3 J/cm 2 /s, respectively [ 5 ].…”