Abstract

Ultraviolet radiation has many, mostly harmful, effects on man and the environment. The stratospheric ozone layer offers an important protection against ultraviolet radiation because ozone absorbs the short-wave ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, a reduction in the ozone layer can cause an increased UV-radiation level on the earth's surface. In the Netherlands, a project to collect information on the current UV climatic conditions and changes has begun, which will include the development of an UV spectrometer system. In this report requirements for the system are formulated based on the project objectives. Several methods for UV-radiation measurement are presented, and monitoring networks in other countries are discussed. A specific UV-radiation measurement system in the Netherlands is proposed, consisting of a double monochromator for short-wave UV-B measurement, and a multichannel detection system for UV-A radiation measurement.