Review
Photoprotection by window glass, automobile glass, and sunglasses

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2005.11.1082Get rights and content

In daily activity, much time is spent indoors and in vehicles. Although the adverse effect of ultraviolet (UV) radiation is now well recognized and active public education programs on photoprotection have been undertaken, the role of window glass in photoprotection has been rarely addressed. It has been known for some time that window glass filters out UVB and transmits UVA and visible light. Recent developments in the glass industry have resulted in glass that provides broad UV protection without the historically associated loss of visible light transmission. Factors affecting UV-protective properties of glass are glass type, glass color, interleave between glass, and glass coating. In this article, photoprotection by window glass, automobile glass, and sunglasses is reviewed.

Section snippets

What is glass?

Glass is a mixture of sand, very high-quality silica sand added with other materials such as salt cake, limestone, dolomite, feldspar, soda ash, and cullet.14 The resulting mixture is called a batch (Fig 2). Glass is made through the melting and cooling of the batch. As the batch cools, it becomes a solid without forming crystals, thereby making glass transparent.

Float glass refers to glass made by pouring the molten batch from a furnace into a chamber that contains a bed of molten tin. The

Overview

Although glass effectively blocks all UVB radiation, UVA, especially the longer spectrum of UVA (UVA1), can still be transmitted. Photosensitive patients can experience exacerbations of their disease while driving or traveling by car. Transmission of UVR through automobile glass depends on type and tint of glass. For safety reasons, all windshields are made from laminated glass, which can filter most of UVA. However, side and rear windows are usually made from nonlaminated glass; therefore a

Conclusion

The degree to which glass products provide UV protection depends on the glass type, glass color, the presence of an interleave between pieces of glass, or the presence of a coating on the glass. Window glass is generally known to filter UVB. Darkly tinted and reflective window glass commonly used in commercial buildings has historically provided occupants of these buildings greater UV protection than occupants of residential structures, in which highly transmitting glass is predominant. Recent

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    Funding sources: None.

    Conflicts of interest: None identified.

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