Erythemal ultraviolet exposure of cyclists in Valencia, Spain

UV exposure is considered to be one of the most important risk factors in skin cancers, mainly in outdoor occupational or recreational activities. Outdoor athletes such as cyclists receive regular and significant solar UV erythemal radiation (UVER). The aim of this work was to quantify UVER exposure of amateur cyclists over the course of several days in their training schedules. To quantify UVER exposure of this group, dosimeters (Viospor) were attached at the top of the helmet in the course of their training. The study took place in Valencia, Spain, in June to July 2008 and February to March 2009, and involved a group of five cyclists over a period of 4 days for each period. The mean 2-day personal UV exposure was 32.24 +/- 4.14 SED (standard erythema dose) in summer and 11.30 +/- 5.36 SED in the winter period. One SED is defined as an effective radiant exposure of 100 J m(-2) when weighted with the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) erythemal response function. The mean exposure ratio (ER) of cyclists was 0.37 +/- 0.04 in summer and 0.40 +/- 0.11 in winter. The cyclists received the highest UVER exposure in the summer period, but in both training periods UVER exposure was in excess of occupational and recreational guidelines, indicating that protective measures are very necessary.