Description

The problem of dosimetry in skin photobiology lies in the fact that the ability of ultraviolet (UV) radiation to elicit erythema in human skin depends strongly on wavelength, encompassing a range of four orders of magnitude between 250 nm and 400 nm. 

A CIE erythema action spectrum was proposed in 1987 but no erythemal quantity and radiometric equivalence was agreed till up to now. 

The term minimal erythema dose (MED) has been used widely as a 'measure' of erythemal radiation. This is unreasonable because the MED is not a standard measure of anything but, on the contrary, encompasses the variable nature of individual sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation. Variables which affect the MED include optical and radiometric characteristics of the source; determinants of the exposure such as dose increment and field size; nature of the skin such as pigmentation, previous light exposure, and anatomical site; and observational factors such as definition of the end point, time of reading after exposure, and ambient illumination. 

To avoid further confusing misuse of the term MED, we propose that this term be reserved solely for observational studies in humans and other animals, and that a new term, the standard erythema dose (SED) be used as a standardised measure of erythemogenic UV radiation. The present report proposes also its numerical value: 1 SED is equivalent to an erythemal effective radiant exposure of 100 Jm-2. 

The Technical Report provides the background of this proposal, the definitions are summarised in an accompanying standard.This publication contains 7 pages and is written in English with a summary in French and German.

Description

This volume contains short Technical Reports, Research Notes and Meeting Reports prepared by various Technical Committees and Reporters within CIE Division 1. 

124/1 TC 1-31 Report: Colour notations and colour order systems ISO/TC 187 requested the CIE to address some issues related to the question of international standardisation of a colour-order system and to report its conclusions. In response to that request, CIE TC1-31 Colour Notations and Colour-Order Systems was formed by Division 1 of the CIE. Main conclusions reached in the Technical Committee are: a) CIE started work on the definition of new terms pertaining to visual perception. b) There is no known way to establish congruence between colour-order systems based on different underlying principles. The essential differences among systems would be clarified by the adoption of appropriate terminology. c) The committee finds no theoretical or other basis for regarding one system as better than all others. The systems satisfy different artistic, intellectual, scientific, or practical needs. d) All of the major colour-order systems have been found useful, helpful, and broadly applicable in art and industry. e) The CIE does not at the present time support the international standardisation of a colour-order system. 

124/2 TC 1-18 Chairman's Report On the course of the disability glare function and its attribution to components of ocular scatter Recent investigations have strengthened doubts on the validity of the StilesHolladay glare formula for large glare angles. Calculations partly based on an earlier theoretical analysis turned out to be helpful to understand the deviations from StilesHolladay and to extrapolate the glare function, in its dependence on age and pigmentation, into the large angle domain. A trend towards a 1/Theta rather than a 1/Theta**2 fall off predominates. This document is intended as a background study for a planned definition of a CIE standard glare observer. 

This report was prepared by J.J. Vos, The Netherlands (TC 1-18 Chairman) and T.J.T.P van den Berg 

124/3 Next step in industrial colour difference evaluation Report on a colour difference research meeting This report summarises results of a meeting held on May 15, 1996 at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Munsell Colour Science Lab (MCSL). The meeting dealt with colour difference research oriented towards industrial applications. Since the number of research groups is so small (worldwide five laboratories deal with the subject), it was hoped that the work could move along at a faster pace than what has been accomplished in the past. Task of the meeting was to clarify the next step forward beyond the CIE TC 1-29 recommendation to provide the pathway for continuing to improve colour difference evaluation for industry. 

The publication consists of 45 pages and contains a list of CIE Publications prepared within Division 1, as well as a list of CIE Division 1 publications coming out soon. The Technical Collection is written in English, with short summaries in French and German.