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Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) Testing
Published on: May 28, 2013
Ultraviolet radiation dosimetry with radiochromic film
M J Butsont1, T Cheung, P K Yu
1City University of Hong Kong, Department of Physics and Materials Science, Kowloon Tong. mbutson@usa.net
Abstract:
Radiochromic film is tested for its broad-band response to ultraviolet (UV) B (290-320 nm) and A (320 nm400 nm), visible and infrared radiation produced by a solar simulator and examined for dosimetry in ultraviolet radiation. Results show that MD-55-2 radiochromic film in solar and fluorescent light sources responds almost exclusively to broad-band UVA radiation with negligible colouration from UVB, visible and low level infrared radiation. A second order polynomial function approximates the change in optical density at 660 nm wavelength for film colouration with exposure to UVA from white light fluorescent and solar UV with exposures measured with a dedicated UVA dosimeter. Using a double exposure technique as used in radiation dosimetry where the film is firstly irradiated to a known UV dose, radiochromic film can be used as a quantitative measure of UVA exposure.
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