The effect of prescription eyewear on ocular exposure to ultraviolet radiation

Abstract

Several studies have suggested that ultraviolet radiation in sunlight may cause cataracts and other eye disease. We evaluated the effect of prescription eyewear in attenuating ocular exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in the sunlight portions of the ultraviolet spectrum (295-350 nm). Using natural sunlight as the source, the attenuation was measured with two ultraviolet detectors, one sensitive to only UVB (295-315 nm) and one sensitive to both UVA and UVB (295-350 nm). A random sample of spectacles, spectacle lenses, and contact lenses was examined. The average transmission, as measured with either detector, was highest for soft contact lenses, followed by glass spectacle lenses, untin..