Dangers of UV Rays From Indoor Sunlight Missed By Millions
- Sitting In Front of A Window May Expose Children To Harmful UV Rays
More than 12 million Americans have children who may be receiving dangerous levels of Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun when they sit near unprotected windows, reports a new survey among U.S. adults with children under 18 years old in their household.
These citizens are apparently unaware that invisible, but dangerous, Ultraviolet A (UV
A
) rays pass through glass as a part of indoor sunlight, according to the nonprofit
International Window Film Association
(IWFA), the sponsor of the survey that ran February 25-27, 2015, among 2,032 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, among whom 458 have children under 18 years old in their household. The IWFA ran the online survey conducted by Harris Poll in February 2015 to help educate the public about the many benefits of window film as it leads up to
National Window Film Day on April 30th
.
"A large body of medical research shows harmful UV
A
rays penetrate the skin deeply and can do significant damage and even cause cancer as it passes through unprotected windows on sunny or even cloudy days," said Darrell Smith, executive director of the IWFA. "While the impact of this exposure is seen in older adults, the harm to the skin can start when you are child, and the damage cannot be reversed," he added.
Studies reported in the
New England Journal of Medicine
state that UV
A
rays transmit through unprotected window glass and can penetrate several layers of skin indoors. A report from the
Dermatology Department of the Henry Ford Medical Center
in Michigan states that UV
A
"is a threat, and a far greater one than has been generally believed" and both basal cell carcinomas and melanomas can be developed. The report includes photos of a woman highlighting severe sun damage to the side of her face that had been exposed to UVA rays from a nearby window where she had worked for 15 years. The other side of her face was more normal in appearance due to far less exposure.
"It's clear that spending a lot of time in front of windows puts you at risk for UV
A
related skin cancer as well as increased wrinkles and premature aging. If this is you, take measures to protect your eyes and skin just as if you were outside in direct sunlight for long periods of time," said Smith.
Unless you are regularly putting on sunblock rated for UV
A
protection, window film offers a cost-effective way to protect skin indoors, whether in an office, at home or in a vehicle. It blocks up to 99.9 percent of UV
A,
and people do not need to do anything to 'activate it' such as pulling drapes or using sunblock indoors once it is installed.
"With window film professionally installed in place, you need not worry about indoor sun exposure," said Smith of the IWFA. "In addition, you gain benefits such as lower energy costs, more even interior temperatures and more protection from the fading of your furnishings," he added.
To help educate consumers and industry professionals alike, the IWFArecently rolled out a new website to serve as a one-stop information resource. The 'responsive' website can be viewed on nearly any digital device, offers informative
videos
and free
booklets
on the energy savings and health and safety benefits of window film available at
www.iwfa.com
.
About the International Window Film Association
The International Window Film Association (IWFA) is a nonprofit organization of window film dealers, distributors and manufacturers that facilitates the growth of the industry by providing research, influencing policy and promoting consumer awareness of the many benefits of window film. Like us on Facebook follow us on Twitter and see more information on YouTube.
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