Readings About UV Light Damaging Humans

"UVA penetrates into the deeper skin layers, where connective tissue and blood vessels are affected. As a result the skin gradually loses its elasticity and starts to wrinkle. Therefore, large doses of UVA cause premature ageing. Furthermore, recent studies strongly suggest that it may enhance the development of skin cancers."

http://www.who.int/uv/faq/uvhealtfac/en/

"UV is an environmental human carcinogen. It’s the most prominent and universal cancer-causing agent in our environment. There is very strong evidence that each of the three main types of skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma) is caused by sun exposure. Research shows that as many as 90 percent of skin cancers are due to UV radiation."

http://sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/You-Me-and-UV/Science-Ideas-and-Concepts/Positive-and-negative-effects-of-UV

"Ultraviolet light is sometimes referred to as ultraviolet radiation. It comes from wavelengths of light that are produced by the sun and other light sources but which are invisible to the human eye. This wavelength of light is able to penetrate into cells and cause damage to their DNA. The high energy light rays of UV light are able to cause chemical changes within the DNA molecules, changing their chemical structure and breaking bonds. As MedlinePlus explains, this can cause the skin cells to become weak and die off, leading to the skin appearing to be abnormally old. This skin damage can also cause wrinkles to occur.

In some cases the DNA damage causes genetic mutations, which can lead to skin cells growing unusually quickly. When this happens, it can lead to skin cancer; high amounts of UV exposure is a leading risk factor for the development of skin cancer."

http://www.livestrong.com/article/90618-ultraviolet-light-affect-humans/

http://scitechdaily.com/stanford-scientists-examine-how-uv-radiation-affects-the-protective-functions-of-human-skin/

http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.massey.ac.nz/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=8c698988-67e6-4a69-bb59-3ad884ce4531%40sessionmgr4004&vid=1&hid=4211