10 Facts About UV Radiation

Knowing about UV radiation can make the difference between a future filled with damaged skin or not. Below is 10 fun and serious facts about UV radiation!

1. Too much UV radiation can be very harmful to your eyes. If you have too much direct sunlight, you could experience what is called “snow blindness,” which is when your cornea gets a little cloudy. There is research being done to see the link between lots of UV radiation exposure to your eyes and cataracts.


2. Without proper eye protection, ultraviolet rays may cause serious eye conditions like cataracts and macular degeneration that can cause you to lose your sight.


3. UV rays are the source of constant research and innovation. Scientists are always coming up with more information to help people protect themselves. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created a Sun Safety Guide to help people make better decisions about their daily activities and doses of UV radiation.



4. UV rays are so powerful, hospitals use them to disinfect medical equipment. The high doses of UV radiation kills all living cells.



5. Elephants coat themselves in mud to protect against the sun.


6. Scorpions glow under UV light.


7. If you live in a humid place, you may need to be extra cautious as humidity can increase the effects of UV radiation.


8. UVA rays are associated with deep damage to skin, causing wrinkles, premature aging and potential skin cancers. UVB rays burn your skin up and hurt your eyes.


9. UV rays can be helpful for certain processes, so long as they are not applied to our skin. Some fruit juices can be pasteurized by running UV rays over them.



10. The fern, Phlebodium Aureum, has some compounds that protect against UV rays.