TY - JOUR
T1 - A quantitative solar ultraviolet radiation job-exposure matrix for Europe
AU - Würtz, Else T
AU - Pugdahl, Kirsten
AU - Fenger-Grøn, Morten
AU - Berglind, Ina A
AU - Cherrie, Mark P C
AU - Dahlman-Höglund, Anna
AU - Grandahl, Kasper
AU - Macan, Jelena
AU - Modenese, Alberto
AU - Notø, Hilde
AU - Solovieva, Svetlana
AU - Straif, Kurt
AU - Wittlich, Marc
AU - Connemann, Sven
AU - Heepenstrick, Timo
AU - Philipsen, Peter A
AU - Westerhausen, Stephan
AU - Ge, Calvin B
AU - Hansen, Johnni
AU - Peters, Cheryl E
AU - Mehlum, Ingrid Sivesind
AU - Schlünssen, Vivi
AU - Kolstad, Henrik A
N1 - © The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact [email protected] for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact [email protected].
PY - 2025/4/24
Y1 - 2025/4/24
N2 - INTRODUCTION: Outdoor workers are exposed to high levels of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR). UVR causes skin cancer and is a risk factor for cataract and other short- and long-term health effects, but there are significant knowledge gaps regarding the exposure-response relations based on quantitative measures of UVR exposure. We developed a quantitative UVR job-exposure matrix (JEM) for the general working population of Europe.METHODS: Three experts from each of Northern, Central, and Southern Europe rated duration of outdoor work for all 372 occupations defined by the International Standard Classification of Occupations from 1988 (ISCO-88(COM)). A systematic literature search identified 12 studies providing 223 sets of summary workday UVR exposure for 49 ISCO-88(COM) occupations based on 75,711 personal workday measurements obtained from 2,645 participants and reported as arithmetic mean standard erythemal dose (SED). We combined the expert ratings with the measured occupational UVR exposure data and estimated harmonized workday UVR exposures for all 372 occupations in a linear mixed effects model.RESULTS: Monotonically increasing workday UVR exposure of 0.68, 1.57, 1.80, and 2.49 SED were seen by increasing expert ratings of 0, 1 to 2, 3 to 4, and ≥5 h of daily outdoor work. The UVR exposure showed a 6-fold increase from lowest to highest exposed occupation. Farm hands, roofers, concrete placers, and other occupations within craft and related trades were among the highest exposed, while bartenders, wood-processing-plant operators, and several white-collar occupations who typically work indoor were among the lowest exposed.CONCLUSION: This quantitative JEM for solar UVR exposure proves able to provide substantial discrimination between occupations, shows good agreement with expert assessments, and may facilitate epidemiological studies characterizing the exposure-response relation between occupational solar UVR exposure and different health effects.
AB - INTRODUCTION: Outdoor workers are exposed to high levels of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR). UVR causes skin cancer and is a risk factor for cataract and other short- and long-term health effects, but there are significant knowledge gaps regarding the exposure-response relations based on quantitative measures of UVR exposure. We developed a quantitative UVR job-exposure matrix (JEM) for the general working population of Europe.METHODS: Three experts from each of Northern, Central, and Southern Europe rated duration of outdoor work for all 372 occupations defined by the International Standard Classification of Occupations from 1988 (ISCO-88(COM)). A systematic literature search identified 12 studies providing 223 sets of summary workday UVR exposure for 49 ISCO-88(COM) occupations based on 75,711 personal workday measurements obtained from 2,645 participants and reported as arithmetic mean standard erythemal dose (SED). We combined the expert ratings with the measured occupational UVR exposure data and estimated harmonized workday UVR exposures for all 372 occupations in a linear mixed effects model.RESULTS: Monotonically increasing workday UVR exposure of 0.68, 1.57, 1.80, and 2.49 SED were seen by increasing expert ratings of 0, 1 to 2, 3 to 4, and ≥5 h of daily outdoor work. The UVR exposure showed a 6-fold increase from lowest to highest exposed occupation. Farm hands, roofers, concrete placers, and other occupations within craft and related trades were among the highest exposed, while bartenders, wood-processing-plant operators, and several white-collar occupations who typically work indoor were among the lowest exposed.CONCLUSION: This quantitative JEM for solar UVR exposure proves able to provide substantial discrimination between occupations, shows good agreement with expert assessments, and may facilitate epidemiological studies characterizing the exposure-response relation between occupational solar UVR exposure and different health effects.
KW - Humans
KW - Ultraviolet Rays/adverse effects
KW - Occupational Exposure/analysis
KW - Europe
KW - Sunlight/adverse effects
KW - Occupations/statistics & numerical data
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105003638972&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/annweh/wxaf011
DO - 10.1093/annweh/wxaf011
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 40056460
SN - 2398-7308
VL - 69
SP - 415
EP - 428
JO - Annals of Work Exposures and Health
JF - Annals of Work Exposures and Health
IS - 4
ER -