Estimated ultraviolet exposure levels for a sufficient vitamin D status in North America.

Solar UV radiation is a major provider of vitamin D for humans. This study examines the distribution of solar UV radiation weighted according to the vitamin D action spectrum over the USA and Canada. Hourly and daily doses of spectrally integrated UV irradiance using the vitamin D action spectrum were estimated using a statistical relationship between UV irradiance and global solar irradiance, total ozone, and dew point temperature for 45 sites in Canada and 52 in the USA. Brewer spectrophotometer measurements at 12 sites in Canada and 21 sites in the USA were used to validate the obtained results. Different characteristics of the vitamin D action spectrum-weighted UV irradiance distribution over North America are presented in the form of monthly maps and as a data file. The time required to obtain standard vitamin D dose is also calculated for six types of skin. Crown Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.