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Solar UV Radiation: A Neglected Occupational Risk

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Occupational Safety and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 16347

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Prof. Dr. Fabriziomaria Gobba

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Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
Interests: occupational medicine; occupational diseases; non-ionizing radiations (NIRs): occupational exposure evaluation, adverse health effects in workers, and prevention; occupational skin cancer: epidemiology and prevention; visual function in workers: occupational risks to the eye, prevention
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Dear Colleagues,

Occupational solar UV radiation (UVR) exposure certainly is one of the most widespread occupational risks, involving an enormous number of workers all around the world, but is also one of the most neglected. In fact, solar UVR can induce various acute and chronic adverse health effects, mainly (but not limited) to the skin and the eye. Solar UVR is the most important causal factor for skin cancer, including both non-melanoma skin cancer, the most frequent neoplasms in caucasians, and malignant melanoma. Furthermore, is a well-known risk factor for cataracts, still the main cause of visual impairment in the world, and for other corneal and retinal adverse effects. Outdoor workers are usually exposed to solar UV rays for the majority of their working days during their entire working life, and the effect is cumulative, considering the photochemical mechanism. Despite the fact the health risk related to solar UV is well known, no adequate preventive policies are implemented in the UN countries to protect exposed workers, including agricultural and construction workers, fishermen, gardeners, lifeguards, quarrymen, workers in the tourist sector, and others. The development of effective preventions deserves increased attention, especially on topics such as

The evaluation of occupational solar UV exposure levels in workers;
The epidemiology of solar UV related diseases in exposed workers;
The mechanisms of occupational solar UV-related damage and associated factors;
Possible preventive interventions to reduce occupational solar UV risk.

Accordingly, we invite submissions on the abovementioned topics, along with other related topics, for this Special Issue.

Prof. Fabriziomaria Gobba
Guest Editor

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Keywords

occupational exposure
ultraviolet radiation
outdoor worker
UV damage
eye
skin
cancer
cataract
prevention
risk evaluation

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 377 KiB

Open AccessArticle

What Sun Protection Practices Should Be Adopted by Trainee Teachers to Reduce the Risk of Skin Cancer and Other Adverse Outcomes?

by Guillermo De Castro-Maqueda, Carolina Lagares Franco, José V. Gutiérrez-Manzanedo, Fabriziomaria Gobba, Nuria Blázquez Sánchez and Magdalena De Troya-Martin

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(2), 529; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18020529 - 10 Jan 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2475

Abstract

Excessive sun exposure and insufficient protection are the main risk factors for the onset of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer (the most common types of cancer suffered by fair-skinned populations) and other adverse effects on the skin and eyes. Epidemiological data highlight the scant awareness of this risk among young people and the high rates of sunburn often recorded among this population. The main aim of the present study is to examine sun exposure and protection behavior by university students. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was undertaken to investigate sun exposure and protection practices among students of education sciences at a university in southern Spain. The data obtained were used to perform a descriptive, comparative analysis, by groups and by gender, of photoprotection and skin self-examination practices. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were both tested. Of the 315 students who completed the questionnaire, 74.6% had suffered at least one sunburn during the previous year. Few made frequent use of sunscreen or protective clothing and 89.5% did not self-examine their skin. The metric properties of the questionnaire revealed its excellent reliability and validity. Among the Spanish university students considered, there was little awareness of the risk of excessive sun exposure, self-protection was insufficient, the potential exposure to dangerous levels of ultraviolet radiation was high, and most had suffered one or more sunburns in the last year. Intervention strategies should be implemented to highlight the risks involved and the need for more appropriate sun protection practices. Information campaigns should be conducted in this respect so that, when these students become teachers, they will have adequate knowledge of the risks involved and of the benefits of addressing this problem effectively, and will ultimately transfer these health education competences to their own students. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar UV Radiation: A Neglected Occupational Risk)

11 pages, 304 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer in Outdoor Workers: A Study on Actinic Keratosis in Italian Navy Personnel

by Luigi Vimercati, Luigi De Maria, Antonio Caputi, Enza Sabrina Silvana Cannone, Francesca Mansi, Domenica Cavone, Paolo Romita, Giuseppe Argenziano, Alessandro Di Stefani, Aurora Parodi, Ketty Peris, Massimiliano Scalvenzi, Giampiero Girolomoni and Caterina Foti

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(7), 2321; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17072321 - 30 Mar 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2788

Abstract

Occupational exposure to ultraviolet radiation is one of the main risk factors for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) development. The most common variants of NMSC are basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and actinic keratosis (AK). The latter is nowadays considered by most authors as an early squamous cell carcinoma rather than a precancerous lesion. Outdoor workers have a higher risk of developing NMSC because they spend most of the working day outside. The aim of this descriptive study was to assess the prevalence of skin lesions, especially AK, in a professional category of individuals exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation: the Italian Navy. From January to June 2016, a questionnaire and a total skin examination of 921 military personnel were administered by medical specialists (dermatologists) in seven different Italian Navy centres. AK was detected in 217 of 921 (23.5%) workers. Older age, outdoor occupation, longer working life, and fair skin seem to promote the development of AK. Of the 217 workers with AK, 187 (86.2%) had lesions in chronically sun-exposed skin areas. Italian Navy personnel have a high AK prevalence. Further studies are needed to investigate occupational hazards and their health effects among outdoor workers to promote protective behaviour and raise awareness of skin cancer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar UV Radiation: A Neglected Occupational Risk)

17 pages, 698 KiB

Open AccessArticle

UK Postal Delivery Workers’ Occupational Sun Safety: Using Behavior Change Theories to Identify Intervention Pathways

by Jonathan Houdmont, Raymond Randall, Alistair Cheyne, Shaun Davis, Hannah Evans and Joanne Faichney

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(19), 3712; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph16193712 - 02 Oct 2019

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4260

Abstract

Postal delivery workers have substantial sun exposure. In the United Kingdom (UK) a high proportion of workers possesses a sun sensitive skin type. This population is at elevated risk for skin cancer, yet uptake of sun safety practices is low. Studies are needed to identify the underlying factors that contribute to the uptake of occupational sun safety practices that may be targeted during behavior change interventions. This study integrated the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Transtheoretical Model’s stages of change (SoC) as guiding frameworks to identify underlying beliefs that influence UK postal delivery workers’ uptake of occupational sun safety practices. Thirty-four workers participated in semi-structured interviews that used the SoC to establish current receptiveness to and adoption of two sun safety practices (using sunscreen of at least sun protection factor (SPF) 30 on exposed skin and wearing a wide-brimmed hat when working outdoors in the summer). Beliefs underlying current practices were elicited in accordance with the TPB and stratified by the SoC. For sunscreen use and wearing a wide-brimmed hat, 64% and 3% of participants were in the action or maintenance SoC, respectively. Behavioral and control beliefs differed by SoC, with those in the earlier stages more likely than those in the latter stages to report negative attitudes to, and difficulty enacting, sun safety practices. Normative beliefs concerning the views of colleagues and employers towards sunscreen were relatively consistent across the SoC. This study highlights the need for tailored and targeted behavior change interventions. The SoC-stratified accounts of the influence of TPB components on behavior provide a basis for bespoke interventions that reflect inter-individual and inter-practice differences in their working mechanisms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar UV Radiation: A Neglected Occupational Risk)

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18 pages, 1685 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sun Exposure of Body Districts: Development and Validation of an Algorithm to Predict the Erythemal Ultra Violet Dose

by Giacomo Salvadori, Davide Lista, Chiara Burattini, Luca Gugliermetti, Francesco Leccese and Fabio Bisegna

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(19), 3632; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph16193632 - 27 Sep 2019

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2444

Abstract

Solar Ultra-Violet (UV) radiation has positive and negative effects on human body tissues. Small doses of solar UV radiation are needed by the human skin for the activation of the vitamin D production. Overexposure to solar UV radiation can produce acute and long-term negative effects, such as sunburns and, in the worst cases, cataracts and skin cancers. For this reason, knowing the amount of UV doses received by people is essential to evaluate their risk to UV overexposure and to evaluate the adequate countermeasure to avoid the negative effects. The original contribution of the present study consists in having searched, collected, adapted and processed a series of technical information and analytical relations, developing an algorithm suitable for the calculation of the erythemal UV dose on sloped surfaces exposed to solar radiation, which at the moment is not present in the scientific literature. The results obtained by the algorithm have been compared to the results of a field measurements campaign, carried out in three different Italian sites. Results comparison indicated that measured and calculated values show a sufficient level of agreement, with a mean absolute error equal to 20%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar UV Radiation: A Neglected Occupational Risk)

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12 pages, 1548 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Occupational Exposure to Solar UV Radiation of a Group of Fishermen Working in the Italian North Adriatic Sea

by Alberto Modenese, Francesco Pio Ruggieri, Fabio Bisegna, Massimo Borra, Chiara Burattini, Elena Della Vecchia, Carlo Grandi, Anna Grasso, Luca Gugliermetti, Marco Manini, Andrea Militello and Fabriziomaria Gobba

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(16), 3001; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph16163001 - 20 Aug 2019

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3682

Abstract

Occupational solar radiation exposure is a relevant heath risk in the fishing sector. Our aim was to provide a detailed evaluation of individual UV exposure in three different fishing activities in Italy, with personal UV dosimeters and a simple formula to calculate the fraction of ambient erythemal UV dose received by the workers. The potential individual UV exposure of the fishermen was between 65 and 542 Joules/m². The percentages of the ambient exposure were estimated between 2.5% and 65.3%. Workers’ UV exposure was mainly influenced by the characteristics of the work activity, the postures adopted, and the type of boats. Overall, our data showed that 43% of the daily measurements could result largely above the occupational limits of 1–1.3 standard erythemal dose (i.e., 100 Joules/m²) per day, in case of exposure of uncovered skin areas. Measurements of individual UV exposure are important not only to assess the risk but also to increase workers’ perception and stimulate the adoption of preventive measures to reduce solar UV risk. Furthermore, the simple method proposed, linking ambient erythemal UV dose to the workers’ exposure, can be a promising tool for a reliable assessment of the UV risk, as time series of environmental UV dose are widely available. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solar UV Radiation: A Neglected Occupational Risk)

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