UV spectrophotometer / large dimension / Brewer

Kipp & Zonen presents Brewer MkIII spectrophotometer. It comprises of a weather-resistant spectrophotometer, an azimuth tracker and stand. It offers almost simultaneous measurements of the total ozone column, SO2, and UV spectra. An IBM compatible host computer and built-in electronics help manage two-axis tracking, selection of suitable filters, on-board calibration of wavelength and data logging.

Brewer comes with a control software for the PC. This facilitates 24-hr scheduling and remotely handling unattended operation. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can result in skin cancer/ageing, cataracts, and suppression of both human and animal immune system suppression. Enhanced UV radiation also affects plants in form of crop damage and lower harvest. Exposure to UV radiation poses a very major potential hazard from a risk assessment perspective.

These risks clearly highlight the need for UV monitoring. However, a key challenge is identifying the nature of the radiation and sensitivity to it. If not handled appropriately, these challenges could lead to uncertainty in intelligence of future UV trends and their potential hazards.