Sun UV rays? Penetration? and other effects?

[AJ153]

In my room I have a clothing cubby near a window (window that has one sheet of glass, with half an inch of space between another layer of glass. So two layers basically with half an inch of space inbetween) , and only in the morning from 7:30-8:50 AM does the sun leak through the window onto my cubby. I have window blinds (the ones with the slats) and it does block most of the sun, but it still leaks some sun light onto the cubby. I've had it like this for 2 months (from October till now), my concern is will the morning uv ray be enough to bleach/lighten my clothing? I really like my cubby in its location and the sun only shines on it for an three hours a day. (easy to get cloths, and perfect aesthetically in my room) yet some of the cloths just chill there since I dont ware stuff for months due to weather.

 

In addition will that shipping construction paper (that type of material used to make shipping envelopes) block the UV rays as well? Ghetto as it sounds I have a medium sized shipping paper, that material used to make those brown shipping envelopes with the plastic bubble wrap coating on the outside of it. Taped on the upper part of the window blocking 40% of the upper part. (no one notices it back yard a forest) and I never have my blinds or window open. Will this help block the in addition to the window that blocks UVA that fades clothing?

 

 

I was told in a science article the following

"Most people know that UV exposure is highest around noon and in early afternoon, in the summer and at low latitudes. Correspondingly, EPA recommends to reduce time in the sun between roughly 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM during summer in zones that observe daylight saving time. However, things are not as simple as they might seem. Indeed, UV intensity varies dramatically during the day as well as between seasons and across latitudes. (See the charts of radiation intensity vs time of day/year for UVA and UVB. For example, a sunny winter morning in Canada presents virtually no risk of sunburn, whereas a sunny summer noon in Egypt virtually guarantees it (assuming no sun protection). Yet, sunlight can contribute to skin aging even outside peak hours, summer season, or low latitudes. This is partly due to the fact that skin aging is caused predominantly by UVA. While both UVA and UVB rise towards midday, summer and lower latitudes, the changes are much less dramatic for UVA than fo"

 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2012 by AJ153

[swansont]

Most glasses don't allow passage of the more energetic UV. They tend to cut off at around 300 nm

 

http://archive.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/obj/irc/images/cbd/060f01e.gif

 

Covering with paper will block it —if visible light isn't making it then UVA isn't, either — but dyes (especially at the red end of the spectrum) can sometimes fade even with visible light getting through, at the blue end of the spectrum.

[AJ153]

Very interesting! Thank you for the information!

 

On another note

Can this topic be moved to Other Science section, I feel as this would be more fitting for this type of question.

[Moontanman]

If you can get a sheet of polycarbonate, 1/4" thick should do it, the polycarbonate is opaque to UV, it will cast an almost solid shadow with a black light UV.