Ultraviolet (UV) radiation has increased suddenly and unexpectedly in parts of Central Europe in recent decades, according to a new study.
Between 1997 and 2022, UV radiation in the region around the western German city of Dortmund increased significantly by more than 10%, the German Office for Radiation Protection (BFS) announced in a statement published on Thursday.
In the Brussels region of Belgium, this radiation increased by almost 20% during the same period, the scientists discovered. The study was published in the journal Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences.
The authors of the research declared themselves surprised by these results, states the press release. They initially assumed that radiation had increased only moderately since the late 1990s.
Cloud cover, an important factor
This significant increase is mainly due to a reduction in cloud cover in Central Europe, the authors of the study stated. “That change, which could also be caused by climate change, leads to more hours of sunlight. And thus, to more time during which UV radiation can reach the Earth,” said the specialists from BFS in their report.
For this study, the researchers analyzed data on UV radiation provided by a measuring station in Dortmund. Then, they compared those values with measurements made by a station near Brussels, located at the same latitude.
The dangers generated by UV radiation
“The results show that personal exposure to UV radiation for the population in Germany could be increasing,” the BFS pointed out. The report emphasizes the importance of developing additional measures to combat the increase in exposure to ultraviolet rays in Europe.
Excessive UV radiation can trigger a number of diseases, such as skin cancer. The more intensively and more frequently the skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays, the greater the risk of developing skin cancer.
Using sunscreen, wearing appropriate clothing and frequenting shaded areas are important protective measures, especially during the summer. UV radiation can neither be seen nor felt, the BFS said, but it is present even when the sun is not shining.
