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Updated: Jun 11, 2026
Determining the Toxicity of UV Radiation and Chemicals on Primary and Immortalized Human Corneal Epithelial Cells
Published on: July 22, 2021
What level of protection can be obtained using sun protective clothing? Determining effectiveness using an in vitro
S Ghazi1, C Couteau, L J M Coiffard
1Université de Nantes, Nantes Atlantique Universités, GEP3, MMS EA2160, Faculty of Pharmacy, 1 rue G. Veil, BP 53508, Nantes F-44000, France.
Abstract:
It has been clearly demonstrated that ultraviolet radiation is harmful to the skin and can cause helioderma and cancers. There are different methods of combating ultraviolet radiation: sunscreens formulated with filters and/or screens as well as clothing. For this work, the authors studied different fabrics to evaluate what effect the type, color and thickness of an article of clothing might have in terms of providing UVB (UPF) and UVA (UPF-UVA) protection. This study was conducted using a spectrophotometer equipped with an integrating sphere and allowed the authors to discover that certain fabrics have UPF values which exceed 500, making them vastly superior to sunscreen creams. Synthetic fabrics appear to provide the highest level of sun protection.
