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Commercial aircraft windows typically block nearly all solar UV-B radiation.

The Claim

Commercial aircraft windshields and cabin windows block the majority of solar ultraviolet B radiation.

Verified by Lenz ·

The Short Version

Commercial aircraft windshields and cabin windows generally block virtually all solar UV-B, substantially exceeding the claimed majority. FAA testing measured less than 1% UV-B transmission through tested glass and plastic windscreens, while aircraft studies found no detectable or effectively complete UV-B blocking in tested cabins. Some UV-A can still penetrate, but that does not undermine the UV-B claim.

Caveats

  • UV-B should not be confused with UV-A, which can penetrate some aircraft windows more readily.
  • Testing does not cover every aircraft model, window design, age, or condition.
  • Measurements may vary with window materials and construction, despite the consistent overall UV-B findings.

The Receipts

  1. Optical Radiation Transmittance of Aircraft Windscreens and Pilot Vision

    faa.gov

  2. Aerospace Medicine Technical Reports | Federal ... - FAA

    faa.gov

  3. Optical Radiation Transmittance of Aircraft Windscreens and Pilot Vision

    govinfo.gov

  4. Optical Radiation Transmittance of Aircraft Windscreens and Pilot Vision

    rosap.ntl.bts.gov

  5. The Risk of Melanoma in Pilots and Cabin Crew

    doi.org

  6. Optical Radiation Transmittance of Aircraft Windscreens and Pilot Vision

    oai.dtic.mil

  7. The Risk of Melanoma in Pilots and Cabin Crew - PMC - NIH

    pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

  8. Pilot Ultraviolet A Exposures in the Cockpit of Flying ...

    pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

  9. The Risk of Melanoma in Pilots and Cabin Crew : UV Measurements in Flying Airplanes

    jamanetwork.com

  10. In-Flight Ultraviolet Radiation on Commercial Airplanes

    doi.org

+ 18 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

Commercial AircraftSolar Ultraviolet B Radiation

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