What is Actinic Radiation and How Does It Affect Us?


    What is Actinic Radiation and How Does It Affect Us?

    Actinic radiation is a type of electromagnetic radiation that has a high photochemical activity, meaning that it can cause chemical reactions when it interacts with matter. Actinic radiation includes the violet and ultraviolet parts of the spectrum, as well as some visible light. Actinic radiation can have various effects on living organisms and materials, depending on the wavelength, intensity, and duration of exposure.

    Actinic Radiation and Photochemistry

    Photochemistry is the study of chemical reactions that are triggered by light. Actinic radiation can be absorbed by molecules and cause them to undergo changes in their structure, energy, or reactivity. For example, actinic radiation can break bonds, create radicals, induce fluorescence, or initiate polymerization. Albert Einstein was the first to correctly theorize that each photon of actinic radiation would be able to cause only one molecular reaction .

    Photochemical reactions are important for many natural and artificial processes, such as photosynthesis, vision, photography, solar energy conversion, and environmental chemistry. However, not all molecules are sensitive to actinic radiation. The term actinic or actino-chemical is often used to describe light-sensitive chemicals, such as silver salts used in photography .

    Actinic Radiation and Medicine


    Actinic Radiation and Photochemistry

    Actinic radiation can also have biological effects on living organisms, especially on the skin and eyes. Exposure to actinic radiation can cause sunburn, inflammation, pigmentation, aging, DNA damage, and skin cancer . The term actinic keratosis refers to a precancerous skin condition caused by chronic exposure to actinic radiation . The term actinic conjunctivitis refers to an eye inflammation caused by exposure to actinic radiation .

    To protect ourselves from the harmful effects of actinic radiation, we can use sunscreen, sunglasses, clothing, hats, and umbrellas. We can also limit our exposure time and avoid peak hours of sunlight. However, some exposure to actinic radiation is also beneficial for our health, as it helps us produce vitamin D and regulate our circadian rhythm .

    Actinic Radiation and Photography


    Actinic Radiation and Medicine

    Actinic radiation was first commonly used in early photography to distinguish light that would expose the monochrome films from light that would not. A non-actinic safe-light (e.g., red or amber) could be used in a darkroom without risk of exposing (fogging) light-sensitive films , plates or papers . Early films were only sensitive to the high-energy end of the visible spectrum from green to UV (shorter-wavelength light). This would render a print of the red areas as a very dark tone because the red light was not actinic .

    Later developments in film technology produced films sensitive to red and yellow light, known as orthochromatic and panchromatic films. These gave a truer reproduction of human perception of lightness across the color spectrum . In photography, therefore, actinic light must now be referenced to the photographic material in question.

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