V bn cht, bc x UV (hay cn gi l Tia cc tm, Tia t ngoi, Tia UV) l sng in t c bc

sng ngn hn nh sng nhn thy nhng di hn tia X, chng khng th nhn thy bng mt
thng. Trong cc nghin cu nh hng ca tia cc tm c trong nh sng mt tri ln sc khe
con ngi v mi trng, th ph ca tia cc tm chia ra lm cc phn:
* Tia UVC: C bc sng trong khong t 100 n 280 nm (nanometer). y l vng tia UV c
nng lng cao nht.
* Tia UVB: Vng bc x ny c bc sng di hn mt cht (khong 280 n 315 nm) v nng
lng thp hn vng tia UVC.
* Tia UVA: Vng tia ny gn vi vng nh sng nhn thy, c nng lng thp hn vng tia UVB v
UVC (c bc sng nm trong khong 315 n 380nm).
Cc nh hng ca tia UV ti sc khe ca con ngi
Do l vng bc x c nng lng cao nht nn tia UVC c kh nng gy tn hi nht cho i mt
v ln da bn. May mn cho chng ta l tng ozone trong bu kh quyn ngn chn gn nh
ton b tia UVC ny. Tuy nhin hin nay do nhiu tc ng, tng ozone bo v tri t ca chng ta
ang ngy cng yu (mng i v c nhiu l thng) cng c kh nng cho php cc bc x nng
lng cao UVC ny lt xung b mt tri t, rt d gy nn cc vn sc khe trm trng. Cc
bc x UVB th c th i xuyn qua tng ozone (mc d cng c lc mt phn). Chng ch
chim khong 3% trong ph tia UV do mt tri chiu v i xung ti tri t.
Tia UVB kch thch qu trnh chuyn ha Melanin (mt loi sc t da), nguyn nhn lm cho da tr
nn ti i, to ra s rm nng. Nu vi cng cao, tia UVB s gy nn hin tng chy nng,
lm tng cc nguy c b ung th da. Tia UVB cng gy nn cc hin tng b bc mu da, cc np
nhn v cc du hiu khc sm trc tui. Vi i mt, do gic mc ca chng ta hp thu hu ht
cc bc x UVB ny nn chng khng phi l nguyn nhn chnh gy nn cc hin tng c thy
tinh th hay thoi ha hong im m ch yu gy nn cc bnh gic mc nh vim gic mc, ht
kt gic mc, mng. Cn tia UVA, y l lng bc x cc tm c nhiu nht (chim ti 97%), do
chng d dng xuyn qua tng ozone bo v tri t. Tia UVA c th xuyn qua gic mc, i vo
thy tinh th hay vng mc bn trong mt. Nu phi di bc x UVA qu lu s dn n hin
tng b c nhn mt hay thoi ha hong im.
Bc x HEV
Cc nghin cu mi cn cho thy rng khng ch c tia cc tm mi gy tn hi n sc khe ca
con ngi, m vng bc x nhn thy c nng lng cao c trong nh sng mt tri (the sun's highenergy visible radiation), vit tt l bc x HEV (hay cn gi l vng nh sng xanh - bluelight) cng
c th lm gia tng cc nguy c tn hi (nh thoi ha hong im) trong mt thi gian di.
Ging nh tn gi, vng bc x HEV high-energy visible hay blue light l vng nh sng nhn thy
c c nng lng cao. Mc d tia HEV c bc sng di hn (c 400 n 500nm) v c nng

lng thp hn tia UV, tuy nhin th chng cc k d dng trong vic vt qua c gic mc ln thy
tinh th xm nhp vo tn su bn trong mt v c th gy ra cc tn hi cho vng mc.
Theo nh kt qu nghin cu c cng b chu u thng 12 nm 2008 trn tp ch Archives of
Ophthalmology, th nhng ngi c nng vitaminC v cc cht chng xy ha khc trong huyt
tng thp c bit d xut hin cc nguy c b tn hi vng mc t vng nh sng HEV ny.
Cc nhn t nh hng n s phn b tia UV v HEV
Bt c ai m hay phi ra ngoi tri nhiu u c nguy c b cc tn hi v mt do cc bc x UV.
Tuy nhin th mc nh hng, hay mt UV hay HEV c trong nh sng mt tri khng phi
ch no cng nh nhau, lc no cng nh nhau. N cn ph thuc cc yu t:
* V tr a l: Cng UV thng ln nhng vng nhit i nht l cc khu vc gn xch o.
xa hn v tr ny cc nguy c s t hn.
* cao so vi mc nc bin: Cng UV thng ln nhng ni c cao.
* Thi gian trong ngy: Bc x UV, HEV thng cao vo nhng gi bui tra khi mt tri v tr cao
v chiu sng trc tip, thng khong t 10h sng n 2h chiu.
* Khung cnh, mi trng: Mc UV, HEV thng ln nhng ni c khng gian rng, c bit
khi c nhng b mt phn x cao, nh mt tuyt v mt ct. Trn thc t, mc phi UV gn nh
tng gp i khi tia UV c phn x t cc b mt tuyt. Trong cc khu vc thnh ph t tia UV
hn do c cc ta nh cao tng v bng rm cy ci trong ph.
* Cc loi dc phm cng c tc dng hn ch s nh hng: Chc chn l cc loi dc phm,
nh tetracycline, sulfa drugs, birth control pills, diuretics hay tranquilizers, c th lm tng sc
khng ca con ngi i vi cc bc x UV v HEV.
* Mt iu quan trng na l bng rm ca cc m my hu nh khng h lm nh hng n
mc UV: Cc nguy c phi nhim UV gim khng ng k k c trong nhng ngy sng m
hay rm mt. iu ny l bi v UV l cc bc x khng nhn thy, ch khng phi nh sng thng
thng v chng c th xuyn qua cc m my.
nh lng bc x UV
M hai t chc bo v mi trng - the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) v Cc d
bo thi tit - the National Weather Service (NWS) tin hnh o m tia cc tm t a ra ch
s UV (UV index) nh lng ha mc UV, nhm d bo mc bc x cc tm cho mi
ngy. V bo ng cho mi ngi nhng ngy m mc bc x UV mt tri c cho rng s
cao bt thng. Cch tnh ton c m t n gin, c chia theo cc mc t l t 1 n 11+ c
km theo cc khuyn co.
Tr em c bit cn c bo v khi tia UV, thm ch cn thit hn so vi ngi trng thnh. Bi
cc nguy c nh hng do tia UV t mt tri ti mt v da c tch ly dn, c ngha l nhng
nguy him s tip tc gia tng trong sut cuc i chng ta. Vy nn cn lu bo v cho chng t

sm trnh s tch ly lu di. Hn na, tr thng c thi quen hay ra ngoi nhiu hn ngi
ln nn cn lu c bit. Tt nht hy tp cho cc con bn bo v tia cc tm bng cch eo mt
chic knh rm tt, khuyn khch chng i m khi ra ngoi gim thiu thm s phi nhim trong
nhng ngy nng.