Ebook: Environmental UV Radiation: Impact on Ecosystems and Human Health and Predictive Models: Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Environmental UV Radiation: Impact on Ecosystems and Human Health and Predictive Models Pisa, Italy June 2001

This volume originates from the NATO Advanced Study Institute Environmental UV Radiation: Impact on Ecosystems and Human Health and Predictive Models, held in Pisa, Italy in June 2001. The Institute was sponsored and mainly funded by the NATO Scientific Affairs Division, whose constant contribution in favour of the cooperation among scientists from different countries must be acknowledged. Other Institutions substantially contributed to the success of the ASI and our thanks and appreciation go to the Italian National Research Council (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche), the Italian Space Agency (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana), the European Society for Photobiology and the bank Banca Toscana. In the last two decades of the past century, concern has been growing for the possible effects on the biosphere of the stratospheric ozone depletion, due to anthropogenic emissions of ozone-destroying chemicals. The ozone loss causes an increase in the biologically important part of the solar ultraviolet radiation (UV) reaching the Earth’s surface, which constitutes a threat to the biosphere, because of UV damaging effects on humans, animals and plants. The international agreements have reduced the production of ozo- destroying compounds, which, however, are still present in high concentrations in the stratosphere, mainly because of their longevity, and thus ozone depletion will likely continue for several decades.

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This publication originates from the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Environmental Radiation: Impact on Ecosystems and Human Health and Predictive Models, held in Pisa, Italy, in June 2001. The book offers not only basic information on the action mechanisms of UV radiation on ecosystems and various biological systems, but also a picture of the possible scenarios of the long-term global increase of environmental UV radiation, with emphasis on the research aspects aimed at the proper quantitative assessment of risk factors and the formulation of reliable predictive models. The purpose of the authors is to present a critical discussion on how changes in UV radiation will affect ecosystems and the biological processes needed to sustain life on Earth and to provide useful hints for future actions of governmental and international agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations. The book is structured in four sections: the first one is devoted to a general overview of the consequences of ozone depletion and to the basic concepts of radiation measurements and monitoring; the other three sections are devoted to the effects on plants, aquatic ecosystems and human health.

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This publication originates from the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Environmental Radiation: Impact on Ecosystems and Human Health and Predictive Models, held in Pisa, Italy, in June 2001. The book offers not only basic information on the action mechanisms of UV radiation on ecosystems and various biological systems, but also a picture of the possible scenarios of the long-term global increase of environmental UV radiation, with emphasis on the research aspects aimed at the proper quantitative assessment of risk factors and the formulation of reliable predictive models. The purpose of the authors is to present a critical discussion on how changes in UV radiation will affect ecosystems and the biological processes needed to sustain life on Earth and to provide useful hints for future actions of governmental and international agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations. The book is structured in four sections: the first one is devoted to a general overview of the consequences of ozone depletion and to the basic concepts of radiation measurements and monitoring; the other three sections are devoted to the effects on plants, aquatic ecosystems and human health.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-viii
Historical Overview of Ozone Trends and Future Scenarios....Pages 1-3
Basic Concepts of Radiation....Pages 5-23
Solar Radiation and Its Measurement....Pages 25-38
Medical and Environmental Effects of UV Radiation....Pages 39-50
Quantification of Biological Effectiveness of UV Radiation....Pages 51-69
Use and Evaluation of Biological Spectral UV Weighting Functions for the Ozone Reduction Issue....Pages 71-84
Response to UV-B Radiation: Weighting Functions and Action Spectra....Pages 85-93
Eldonet — European Light Dosimeter Network....Pages 95-108
Genetic and Molecular Analysis of DNA Damage Repair and Tolerance Pathways....Pages 109-120
UV-B and UV-A Radiation Effects on Photosynthesis at the Molecular Level....Pages 121-135
Potential Effects of UV-B on Photosynthesis and Photosynthetic Productivity of Higher Plants....Pages 137-146
Detecting Stress-Induced Reactive Oxygen Species in Plants Under UV Stress....Pages 147-157
Non-Damaging and Positive Effects of UV Radiation on Higher Plants....Pages 159-177
Impact of UV Radiation on the Aquatic Environment....Pages 179-191
Underwater Radiation Measurements: Consequences of an Increased UV-B Radiation....Pages 193-201
Influence of Ultraviolet Radiation on the Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter in Natural Waters....Pages 203-216
Impact of UV Radiation on Rice-Field Cyanobacteria: Role of Photoprotective Compounds....Pages 217-230
Effect of UV-B Radiation on Ciliated Protozoa....Pages 231-248
UV Radiation, DNA Damage, Mutations and Skin Cancer....Pages 249-258
Ultraviolet Radiation and the Eye....Pages 259-278
Student Abstracts....Pages 279-288

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This publication originates from the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Environmental Radiation: Impact on Ecosystems and Human Health and Predictive Models, held in Pisa, Italy, in June 2001. The book offers not only basic information on the action mechanisms of UV radiation on ecosystems and various biological systems, but also a picture of the possible scenarios of the long-term global increase of environmental UV radiation, with emphasis on the research aspects aimed at the proper quantitative assessment of risk factors and the formulation of reliable predictive models. The purpose of the authors is to present a critical discussion on how changes in UV radiation will affect ecosystems and the biological processes needed to sustain life on Earth and to provide useful hints for future actions of governmental and international agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations. The book is structured in four sections: the first one is devoted to a general overview of the consequences of ozone depletion and to the basic concepts of radiation measurements and monitoring; the other three sections are devoted to the effects on plants, aquatic ecosystems and human health.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-viii
Historical Overview of Ozone Trends and Future Scenarios....Pages 1-3
Basic Concepts of Radiation....Pages 5-23
Solar Radiation and Its Measurement....Pages 25-38
Medical and Environmental Effects of UV Radiation....Pages 39-50
Quantification of Biological Effectiveness of UV Radiation....Pages 51-69
Use and Evaluation of Biological Spectral UV Weighting Functions for the Ozone Reduction Issue....Pages 71-84
Response to UV-B Radiation: Weighting Functions and Action Spectra....Pages 85-93
Eldonet — European Light Dosimeter Network....Pages 95-108
Genetic and Molecular Analysis of DNA Damage Repair and Tolerance Pathways....Pages 109-120
UV-B and UV-A Radiation Effects on Photosynthesis at the Molecular Level....Pages 121-135
Potential Effects of UV-B on Photosynthesis and Photosynthetic Productivity of Higher Plants....Pages 137-146
Detecting Stress-Induced Reactive Oxygen Species in Plants Under UV Stress....Pages 147-157
Non-Damaging and Positive Effects of UV Radiation on Higher Plants....Pages 159-177
Impact of UV Radiation on the Aquatic Environment....Pages 179-191
Underwater Radiation Measurements: Consequences of an Increased UV-B Radiation....Pages 193-201
Influence of Ultraviolet Radiation on the Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter in Natural Waters....Pages 203-216
Impact of UV Radiation on Rice-Field Cyanobacteria: Role of Photoprotective Compounds....Pages 217-230
Effect of UV-B Radiation on Ciliated Protozoa....Pages 231-248
UV Radiation, DNA Damage, Mutations and Skin Cancer....Pages 249-258
Ultraviolet Radiation and the Eye....Pages 259-278
Student Abstracts....Pages 279-288
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