INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPETITION 2022

Department of Research and Technology

Ambarrukmo Tourism Institute (STIPRAM)
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Jl. Ring Road Timur, Bantul, Yogyakarta 55584
Email: ristek@stipram.ac.id
Phone: +6281 229881414

Estimation of exposure duration for vitamin D production and

sunburn risk in Malaysia

WAN AMIRUL KHUSYAIRI BIN WAN MOHD ROJI

DR. SHALELA BINTI MOHD MAHALI

Affiliation
Emails: wanamirulkhusyairi@graduate.utm.my , shalela@umt.edu.my

ABSTRACT
Ultraviolet radiation is one of the main sources for humans to obtain vitamin D. Although
ultraviolet radiation is very important, but if humans are overexposed to ultraviolet radiation and
are under the sun's rays at a time with high erythema radiation, it will cause negative effects on
humans. This study aims to measure the dose of solar UV needed to achieve a 1000 IU dose of
vitamin D and at the same time produce sunburn in Malaysia. Solar UV erythema radiation
measured at three meteorological stations in Malaysia in 2022 to evaluate the effective solar UV
radiation resulting in a vitamin D dose of 1000 IU. The duration of daily sun UV exposure is
measured in minutes required to produce Vitamin D with a limited risk of sunburn. The total
human skin surface exposed to the sun's UV rays is as much as 25.5%, which is the face, arms,
hands and neck. In addition, the latitude and longitude of the human position is also a factor that
affects the vitamin D obtained because the closer to the Equator, the higher the level of UV
radiation. When approaching the Equator, the distance required for sunlight to penetrate the Earth's
atmosphere gets closer, causing less absorption of UV rays to occur. And likewise the higher the
altitude, the higher the UV radiation. The thin atmosphere at high altitude means that not much
UV radiation can be absorbed. With every 1000 m increase in altitude, the level of UV radiation
increases by approximately 10%. These findings may explain why vitamin D deficiency is such
an important issue in Malaysia. Without additional oral vitamin D, the daily dose required by
humans of 1000 IU will not be achieved.