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Protect Yourself from UV Radiation with Colors

Some are better at it than others

Oct 15, 2009 12:52 GMT  ·  By
A new study shows that darker colors, such as red and blue tend to have a better UV absorption when applied to cotton fabrics
   A new study shows that darker colors, such as red and blue tend to have a better UV absorption when applied to cotton fabrics

A new scientific study seems to indicate that, in their quest for protection from the harmful effects of UV radiation, people may not have to pay the premium prices regularly associated with sun-protective clothing. Experts have recently determined that opting for clothes dyed in blue or red may be just as effective, only much cheaper. The Spanish research team also mentions that yellow is a color that needs to be avoided, if you are trying to protect yourself from the Sun's radiation. A paper detailing the results is scheduled for publication in print in the November 4 issue of the bi-weekly scientific journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, a publication of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

“Color is one of the most influential variables on the protection against ultraviolet radiation provided by a fabric. The protection against UV radiation of a fabric is expressed quantitatively by means of its UPF (ultraviolet protection factor). The present paper shows the results of a study about the influence of the color on the UPF of cotton woven fabrics appropriate for summer articles,” the experts write in an online release of their study, appearing ahead of print.

“Through statistical models, the research seeks to relate the level of protection achieved in dyeing with three azo dyes to the factors governing the process, the shade, and the color intensity, as well as their interaction with the initial UPF of the fabrics. The obtained models will allow the programming and optimization of the value of the UPF of a fabric by means of adequate adjustment of the variables,” they add. The investigators also highlight the fact that the common belief that holds that any clothing article is suitable for UV protection is seriously wrong.

The team admits that, at this point, gaps exist in the scientific knowledge on exactly how the color of a fabric interacts with other factors in order to determine its UPF. A computer model was used in the new investigation to determine exactly which aspects involved in determining them were the most important. The simulations were run using three basic colors – red, blue and yellow – and the results showed that the last had, for some reason, the lowest UPF. “There are several color characteristics that may influence the improvement of the UV protection: the type and chemical structure of the dyestuff, the shade of color, and its intensity,” the team concludes.