5.3 Our Endangered Lives

The burning goes deeper, however than sunburn, skin cancers and cataracts. UV-B radiation also has the ability to suppress the human immune system leaving the body vulnerable to many diseases caused by bacteria and viruses entering through or affecting the skin. UV-B may even play a role in the course of non-skin cancers through its suppression of the immune system which weakens the body's defense against the early stages of tumor formation.

While darker skinned individuals are less likely to contract a skin cancer from sun exposure, dark skin is not a protection against immune suppression by UV-B. Dark skin requires a greater dosage of UV-B than white skin to initiate immune suppression. However, the required dosage for suppression in darker skins is easily obtained by occupational and recreational exposure to the sun.

Viruses responsible for diseases such as herpes, chicken pox, the human immunodeficiency virus HIV- 1 and a variety of papilloma viruses are directly activated or reactivated by exposure to UV-B radiation.

Increased exposure to UV-B radiation in animals and humans has been linked to elevated risk from the following diseases: those caused by the herpes viruses, leishmaniasis, malaria, forms of tuberculosis and leprosy, lupus erthematodes, contact dermatitis and toxic photo dermatitis, and a number of bacterial and fungal infections including E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Exposure may also affect vaccinations against diseases. Impairment of the immune system by UV-B may prevent the desired response to the vaccine.

UV-B readily damages DNA. Thus, it is not unrealistic to hypothesize that UV-B radiation will play an additional role in the mutation of existing disease bacteria and viruses and may produce totally new strains of pathogens.

Humanity is just waking up to the fact that in coming years we shall be facing an onslaught of new and resurgent diseases, such as malaria, cholera and dengue fever as a result of global warming and climate change. UV-B induced immunosuppression will make humans that much more vulnerable under very precarious circumstances.

It is not possible to estimate in monetary terms how much UV-B induced health problems are already costing society. Nevertheless, based on realistic scenarios regarding the present and future impacts of increased UV-B upon human health, it is safe to predict that those costs will continue to grow at a phenomenal rate.