Helpful information

Do window panes pass ultraviolet light?

Almost all UVC and approximately 90% UVB are absorbed by ozone, as well as water vapour, oxygen and carbon dioxide as sunlight passes through the earth's atmosphere. Radiation from the UVA range is rather weakly absorbed by the atmosphere. Therefore, the radiation that reaches the Earth's surface contains to a large extent the near ultraviolet UVA, and, in a small proportion, UVB.
Ordinary silicate glasses transmit well the entire visible part of the spectrum and practically do not transmit ultraviolet and infrared rays.
Transmittance of ultraviolet rays:
Quartz glass - Very good
96% Si-O2 glass - Good
Borosilicate - Medium
Lead - Bad
Lime-sodium - Bad

Conclusion. Window glass almost completely delays the far, medium ultraviolet and short-wave part of the near one, but quite well passes the long-wave part of the near ultraviolet.

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There were times when tanned skin was considered a sign of low birth, and noble ladies tried to protect their faces and hands from the sun's rays in order to maintain an aristocratic pallor. Later, the attitude towards tanning has changed - it has become an indispensable attribute of a healthy and successful person. Today, despite the ongoing debate about the benefits and harms of insolation, the bronze skin tone is still at the peak of popularity. But not everyone has the opportunity to visit the beach or the solarium, and in this regard, many are interested in whether it is possible to sunbathe through the window glass, sitting, for example, on a glazed loggia or attic heated by the sun.

Probably, every professional driver or just a person who spends a long time behind the wheel of a car noticed that his hands and face become covered with a light tan over time. The same applies to office workers who are forced to sit at an uncurtained window for the entire shift. On their faces, you can often find traces of sunburn even in winter. And if a person is not a frequenter of solariums and does not make a daily promenade through the parks, then this phenomenon cannot be explained otherwise than by tanning through glass. So does glass transmit ultraviolet light and is it possible to tan through a window? Let's figure it out.

The nature of tanning

In order to answer the question of whether it is possible to get a tan through ordinary window glass in a car or on a loggia, you need to understand exactly how the process of darkening of the skin takes place and what factors influence it. First of all, it should be noted that sunburn is nothing more than a protective reaction of the skin to solar radiation. Under the influence of ultraviolet light, the cells of the epidermis (melanocytes) begin to produce the substance melanin (dark pigment), due to which the skin acquires a bronze tint. The higher the concentration of melanin in the upper layers of the dermis, the more intense the tan. However, not all UV rays cause such a reaction, but only those in a very narrow wavelength range. Ultraviolet rays are conventionally divided into three types:

• A-rays (long wavelength)- are practically not delayed by the atmosphere and freely reach the earth's surface. Such radiation is considered the safest for the human body, since it does not activate the synthesis of melanin. All it can do is cause a slight darkening of the skin, and then only with prolonged exposure. However, with excessive insolation with long-wave rays, collagen fibers are destroyed and the skin becomes dehydrated, as a result of which it begins to age faster. And some people are allergic to the sun because of A-rays. Long-wave radiation easily overcomes the thickness of window glass and leads to gradual fading of wallpaper, furniture surfaces and carpets, but it is impossible to get a full tan with its help.
• B-rays (medium wave)- linger in the atmosphere and reach the Earth's surface only partially. This type of radiation has a direct effect on the synthesis of melanin in skin cells and contributes to the appearance of a quick tan. And with its intense exposure to the skin, burns of varying degrees occur. B-rays cannot penetrate through ordinary window glass.
• C-rays (shortwave)- represent a great danger to all living organisms, but, fortunately, they are almost completely neutralized by the atmosphere, before reaching the surface of the Earth. You can only encounter such radiation high in the mountains, but even there its effect is extremely weakened.

Physicists distinguish another type of ultraviolet radiation - extreme, for which the term "vacuum" is often used due to the fact that waves of this range are completely absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere and do not fall on the earth's surface.

Can you tan through glass?

Whether it is possible to get a tan through window glass or not depends on what properties it has. The fact is that glasses come in different types, each of which is affected by UV rays in different ways. Thus, organic glass has a high transmission capacity, which allows the passage of the entire spectrum of solar radiation. The same applies to quartz glass, which is used in tanning lamps and room disinfection devices. Ordinary glass, used in residential premises and cars, transmits only long-wave rays of type A, and it is impossible to sunbathe through it. Another thing, if you replace it with plexiglass. Then it will be possible to sunbathe and enjoy a beautiful tan almost all year round.

Although sometimes there are cases when a person spends some time under the sun's rays passing through the window, and then finds a light tan on the exposed skin. Of course, he is in full confidence that he got tanned precisely by insolation through the glass. But it is not so. There is a very simple explanation for this phenomenon: the change in shade in this case occurs as a result of the activation of a small amount of the residual pigment (melanin) produced under the influence of type B ultraviolet radiation, located in the skin cells. As a rule, such a “tan” is temporary, that is, it quickly disappears. In a word, in order to get a full-fledged tan, you must either visit a solarium or regularly take sunbaths, and it will not work to change the natural skin tone towards a darker one through ordinary window or car glass.

Is it necessary to defend?

Worrying about whether it is possible to get a tan through glass is only for those people who have very sensitive skin and a predisposition to the appearance of age spots. They are advised to use special means with a minimum degree of protection (SPF) at all times. Apply such cosmetics should be mainly on the face, neck and décolleté. However, it is still not worth protecting yourself too actively from ultraviolet, especially long-wave, because the sun's rays in moderation are very useful and even necessary for the normal functioning of the human body.

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Outside the house

Sunny days

However, here is an example from life, indicating whether it is possible to tan through glass. One man constantly practices meditation in the sun. Especially in autumn and winter. In the morning, he sits in a comfortable chair right in front of the window. He closes his eyes and looks at the sun through his eyelids, getting thirty minutes of warm pleasure. The sun nicely caresses his face. Now imagine the picture that in the middle of winter his acquaintances are looking at him in surprise. And then they try to find out where he is so tanned. “Definitely not in the solarium,” he replies.

With a slight tan

Ordinary glass does not block ultraviolet soft UV-A rays with a range of 315 to 400 nm. But the very method of getting a tan is very inefficient. The process is rather slow. Although you can still use it. If a person has enough patience, then it is quite justified. Especially if they are people with a good content of melanin in the skin. Is it possible to tan through window glass? Luxurious tan, of course, will not work. But to remove acne on the face, according to knowledgeable people, it will be quite possible. A shade of a healthy tan is also possible. As you know, its appearance is directly related to the presence of melanin pigment. In turn, the appearance of the latter is possible when ultraviolet rays touch the skin. The "color" of a tan protects the body from sunburn.

Ultra-violet rays

There are three types of ultraviolet. So, ultraviolet C destroys all life, but is neutralized by the Earth's atmosphere. Ultraviolet B, which causes sunburn, is ninety percent absorbed by the atmosphere. But ultraviolet A easily penetrates the atmosphere and glass. By and large, if the issue of finding a "tan in slippers" is so important for you, you can get it on an open balcony or on the roof. Can you tan through glass? It's a matter of time and desire. If ordinary glass does not allow ultraviolet to penetrate, then you can use one that lets it through. Such will be quartz - the most effective conductor for ultraviolet radiation. Use it to glaze the loggia - and you are guaranteed a tan. After all, this is the material used in solarium lamps.

In everyday life, we often use ready-made blocks of knowledge obtained in childhood, often at school. We practically do not analyze them, a priori considering them indisputable, requiring neither additional evidence nor analysis. And if you ask us, for example, whether glass transmits ultraviolet, the majority will confidently answer: “No, it doesn’t, we remembered it at school!”.

But one day our friend will appear and say: “You know, I spent the whole day driving yesterday, the sun was merciless, my entire forearm from the side of the window was sunburned!” And in response to a skeptical smile, he rolls up his shirt sleeve, showing reddened skin ... This is how stereotypes are destroyed, and a person remembers that by nature he is a researcher.

And yet - what about our question? After all, we know that it is ultraviolet that causes skin tan in humans. The answer is not as clear cut as it might seem at first. And it will sound like this: “It depends on what glass and what ultraviolet!”

Properties of ultraviolet rays

Ultraviolet radiation has a wavelength of about 10 to 400 nm. This is a fairly large spread, and, accordingly, the rays in different parts of this range will have different properties. Physicists divide the entire ultraviolet spectrum into three different types:

1. Type C or hard UV . It is characterized by a wavelength from 100 to 280 nm. This radiation is not in vain got its name, it is extremely dangerous for humans, leads to skin cancer or rapid eye burns. Fortunately, the rays of the range are almost completely blocked by the Earth's atmosphere. A person can only encounter them very high in the mountains, but even here they are extremely weakened.
2. Type B or medium UV . Its wavelength is from 280 to 315 nm. These rays cannot be called affectionate to a person either, they are similar in their properties to the previous type, but still act less destructively. Like type C, they are also lost in the atmosphere, but are less retained by it. Therefore, 20% of them still reach the surface of the planet. It is the rays of this type that lead to the appearance of a tan on our skin. But this radiation is not able to penetrate ordinary glass.
3. Type A or soft UV . From 315 to 400 nm. It does not care about the atmosphere, and it freely passes to the level of the ocean, sometimes penetrating even through light clothing. This radiation perfectly overcomes the layer of ordinary window glass, appearing in our apartments and offices, leading to fading of wallpaper, carpets and furniture surfaces. But “rays A” cannot in any way lead to a tan of the skin in a person!

True, extreme ultraviolet with a wavelength below 100 nanometers is also emitted, but it manifests itself only in conditions close to vacuum, and in conditions of the earth's surface it can be neglected.

And what to answer to your friend-motorist? Why was his forearm on fire?

Different types of glasses

And here we come to the second part of our answer: “It depends on what kind of glass!” After all, glasses are different: both in composition and in thickness. For example, quartz passes through itself all three types of UV radiation. The same picture is observed when using Plexiglas.
And silicate, used in window frames, and in cars, only allows “soft radiation” to pass through.

However, there is one important “BUT” here! If the glass is very thin or very transparent, well-polished (as in the case of a car), it will also miss a small fraction of the "radiation B" responsible for our tan. This is not enough to get a tan after standing near the window for an hour. But if the driver has spent many hours behind the wheel, exposing the skin to the sun, then it will tan even through closed windows. Especially if the skin is tender, and the case is high in relation to sea level.

And now, having heard the question, does ultraviolet pass through the glass, we can answer very ambiguously - it does, but only in a limited part of the spectrum, and only if we talk about ordinary window glass.

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