Q3 Innovations UV HAWK - Manual (Page 3)

INTRODUCTION
Overview of the UV HAWK™
The UV HAWK™ is a device that measures the intensity of ultraviolet (UV)
light and displays the results in the UV Index Scale. The higher the UV
Index the greater the amount of potentially skin damaging UV light. The
UV HAWK™ operates on a single CR2016 cell battery.
What is Ultraviolet Light and Why Should I Test for It?
UV light cannot be seen by the human eye. Three types of UV light exist.
UVA, UVB and UVC. Typically the ozone layer only allows UVA light to
pass through, but as ozone conditions have deteriorated over time it is
thought that the amount of UVB passing through the ozone is increasing.
Exposure to UV light is increasing worldwide with the destruction of our
protective ozone layer. It is estimated that 90% of UV radiation is of the
common UVA type, which can pass through window glass. UVA type is
thought to cause tanning and winkles. UVB type exposure may depend
on ozone quality and is typically highest at midday. UVB type does not
penetrate window glass and is associated with sunburn and may be more
dangerous. UVC type may be mostly absorbed in the ozone but is of high
concern for the future as ozone conditions deteriorate. Several studies
show that UV light has been linked to increases of several diseases
such as skin cancer, immune suppression, and cataracts. Skin cancer
occurrences in particular have been increasing at an alarming rate and
it is thought that this could be in part due to the effects of increasing UV
radiation passing through our atmosphere.
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