The protection against solar actinic radiation afforded by common clothing fabrics

The spectral transmission of ultraviolet radiation in the wavelength range 290–320 nm has been measured in various samples of common clothing fabrics. The transmission data have been combined with estimates of the spectral irradiance of sunlight and the erythema action spectrum in order to derive a‘protection factor’for each material. The results show that the structure, or weave, of a material is the most important factor in determining the protective nature of the material, and that colour and thickness are a poor guide to actinic protection.