TITLE:
Development of a Reproducible Rating System for Sun Protective Clothing That Incorporates Body Surface Coverage
AUTHORS:
Simone L. Harrison, Nathan Downs
KEYWORDS:
Skin Cancer, Sun-Protection, Clothing, Ultraviolet Radiation, Child, Health, Standards, UPF
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Engineering and Technology,
Vol.3 No.3C,
October
23,
2015
ABSTRACT:
Sunlight is a known skin carcinogen. Skin
cancer is the most common form of cancer in humans, and typically affects
sun-exposed parts of the body. Sunny Australia and New Zealand have the highest
incidence of skin cancer globally. Clothing provides a protective barrier that
reduces the amount of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) reaching the skin. Australia
pioneered the development of a relative ranking of the sun-protective
capabilities of clothing based on the transmission of UVR through fabric.
Standardized Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) measurement procedures and associated
labeling specifications are documented in the Australian and New Zealand
Standard, AS/NZS 4399:1996. The standard was intended to enable consumers to
make informed choices. Since its introduction, this standard has been adopted
almost universally by the textile industry, and is still in use almost two
decades on, with plans to revise it only commencing recently. However, AS/NZS
4399:1996 does not consider garment design, particularly in relation to body
surface coverage. Although swim-shirts have grown in popularity in Australia
since the late 1990s, particularly among children, clothing remains
under-utilized as a form of sun-protection in contemporary society. Skin cancer
prevention campaigns should emphasize the sun-protective benefits of clothing
and collaboration with the fashion industry is urgently needed to improve the
aesthetic appeal, comfort, durability and affordability of sun-protective
clothing to increase its popularity in skin cancer prone populations. In light
of recent evidence showing that high UPF clothing which covers more of the body
surface reduces pigmented mole development in children (major risk factor for
melanoma), the rating system for sun-protective clothing should incorporate
body surface covered as well as the UPF of the fabric. We discuss progress
towards developing a protocol for measuring the extent of coverage of
sun-protective garments. Once fully evaluated and refined, the testing protocol
developed from this research may influence future revisions of international
standards for evaluating and classifying sun-protective clothing.