Doses of erythemal ultraviolet radiation observed in Brazil.

Non-melanoma skin cancer represents a quarter of the new cancer cases detected in Brazil. Despite the importance of this issue to public health, there are deficits in knowledge on the local UV radiation levels among physicians. In this work, we evaluate a set of daily erythemal UV doses measured in different Brazilian locations. Very high erythemal UV doses that often exceeded safe amounts were observed over almost the whole year, even during the time interval usually recommended as safe (before 10:00 h and after 16:00 h). These findings will hopefully enable foreign tourists, dermatologists, and decision-makers to implement new measures for solar protection according to South American standards.