Modeling of ultraviolet propagation from air to human epidermis with wavelength range of 200–300 nm

Abstract

Ultraviolet (UV) technology plays an important role in the fields of sterilization, disinfection, and short-range wireless optical communications. In this Letter, a theoretical model to determine the UV radiation intensity (UVRI) on human skin is put forward based on the Monte Carlo method, where the UV wavelength ranges from 200 to 300 nm. Meanwhile, the UVRI evaluation algorithm is provided to reproduce the simulation results. Furthermore, the penetration depth of UV radiation in the human epidermis is investigated, which can be used to assess whether UV radiation causes damage to human health. Simulation results coincide with the existing experimental results that the 222-nm UV radiation is harmless to humans at the given dose of 1.7 mJ/cm2. This work provides theoretical guidelines for the power control of a UV system when humans are in the vicinity.