Inter-comparison campaign of solar UVR instruments under clear sky conditions at Reunion Island (21 S, 55 E)
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Date
Authors
Cadet, Jean-Maurice
Portafaix, Thierry
Bencherif, Hassan
Lamy, Kevin
Brogniez, Colette
Auriol, Frederique
Metzger, Jean-Marc
Boudreault, Louis-Etienne
Wright, Caradee Yael
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
MDPI Publishing
Abstract
Measurement of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is important for the assessment of
potential beneficial and adverse impacts on the biosphere, plants, animals, and humans. Excess solar
UVR exposure in humans is associated with skin carcinogenesis and immunosuppression. Several
factors influence solar UVR at the Earth’s surface, such as latitude and cloud cover. Given the potential
risks from solar UVR there is a need to measure solar UVR at di erent locations using e ective
instrumentation. Various instruments are available to measure solar UVR, but some are expensive
and others are not portable, both restrictive variables for exposure assessments. Here, we compared
solar UVR sensors commercialized at low or moderate cost to assess their performance and quality of
measurements against a high-grade Bentham spectrometer. The inter-comparison campaign took
place between March 2018 and February 2019 at Saint-Denis, La Réunion. Instruments evaluated
included a Kipp&Zonen UVS-E-T radiometer, a Solar Light UV-Biometer, a SGLux UV-Cosine
radiometer, and a Davis radiometer. Cloud fraction was considered using a SkyCamVision all-sky
camera and the Tropospheric Ultraviolet Visible radiative transfer model was used to model clear-sky
conditions. Overall, there was good reliability between the instruments over time, except for the Davis
radiometer, which showed dependence on solar zenith angle. The Solar Light UV-Biometer and the
Kipp&Zonen radiometer gave satisfactory results, while the low-cost SGLux radiometer performed
better in clear sky conditions. Future studies should investigate temporal drift and stability over time.
Description
Keywords
UV index, UV instruments, Clear sky, La Reunion, Ultraviolet (UV), Ultraviolet radiation (UVR), Solar ultraviolet radiation
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Cadet, J.M., Portafaix, T., Bencherif, H. et al. 2020, 'Inter-comparison campaign of solar UVR instruments under clear sky conditions at Reunion Island (21 S, 55 E)', International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 17, art. 2867, pp. 1-16.