Prophylactic UV Radiation and CIE Standard on Photobiological Safety of Lamps and Lamp Systems

Two aspects of UV photobiology have come up almost simultaneously for discussion. On the one hand, the CIE has, for all practical purposes, completed discussions of a new standard "CIE S 009/E : 2002 Photobiological Safety of Lamps and Lamp Systems", and it was adopted without any amendments. On the other hand, some national standards (for example, in Russia) have for decades insisted on UVA+UVB radiation being used for prophylactic purposes at actinic erythemal doses (around 140 J m^<-2> per 8 hours of irradiation), which are significantly higher than prohibitive doses of actinic UV hazard (30 J m^<-2>) suggested in the CIE standard. It seems that this arisen situation is to be thought about more carefully.