Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a form of non-ionizing radiation that is emitted by the sun and artificial sources such as tanning beds, germicidal lamps, UV curing lamps, black lights, transilluminators, and crosslinkers. UV radiation is divided into three primary groups based on the measure of their wavelength: UVA (315-399 nm), UVB (280-314 nm), and UVC (100-279 nm) . The shorter the wavelength, the more harmful the UV radiation, but shorter wavelength UV radiation is less able to penetrate the skin).
UV radiation has both positive and negative effects. The beneficial effects of UV radiation include the production of vitamin D, which is essential to human health. Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium and phosphorus from food and assists in bone development. However, overexposure to UV radiation may present risks such as sunburn, premature aging, and skin cancer. Exposure to UV radiation is typically limited to the UVA region resulting from exposure to direct sunlight. The Earths atmosphere shields us from the more harmful UVC and greater than 99% of UVB radiation).
Hazards associated with exposure to UV radiation include erythema (redness similar to sunburn), skin cancer, and eye damage. Effects are exaggerated for skin photosensitized by agents such as coal tar products, certain foods (e.g., celery root), certain medications, and others. UV radiation is harmful to both skin and eyes, and it is important to note that UV radiation can cause injury with only a few seconds of exposure if used without the appropriate shielding and personal protective equipment.
Common sources of UV radiation in the laboratory include germicidal lamps in biological safety cabinets, nucleic acid transillumination boxes, nucleic acid crosslinkers, and UV lasers. UV transilluminators or UV light boxes are used in biotechnology for visualization of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) after gel electrophoresis and ethidium bromide staining. UV radiation is also used in a wide variety of medical and industrial processes for killing bacteria or producing fluorescence.
To protect against UV radiation, equipment that emits UV radiation must be conspicuously labeled with a caution label, and personnel should use personal protective equipment (PPE) such as UV safety goggles, UV face shields, long-s...
