Medical risk
The opening speaker was Dr Mark Porter, a general practitioner familiar to many as the doctor in residence for BBC TV's The One Show and presenter of Radio 4's Case Notes. He reminded delegates that of the ultraviolet radiation from the sun, around 95 per cent of the longer wavelength UVA reached the Earth's surface and penetrated more deeply into the skin. This resulted in melanin aggregation (tanning) but also contributed to ageing of the skin and was implicated in skin cancer.
The ozone layer absorbs most of the shorter wavelength radiation but levels of UV at the surface vary considerably, being much higher at altitude and nearer to the equator and in sunnier seasons. Reflections mean that there is still exposure even in shade, and cloud cover offers little barrier to much UV transmission.
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