CONTENTS

Introduction
Human Skin Cancer
Sunscreen and Fabric
The Mouse Model of Cancer
Studies Using Skin Tissue
Drugs and Sunlight
Plant and Algae Growth
Conclusion
Glossary
Bibliography

Wider Issues

Larkum suggests research needs to be done like looking into whether the number of nesting birds is changing at various sites where the ozone hole is located. No one seems to be doing that sort of work at the moment. He says that as things stand if some kind of adverse effect on whales, for instance, were to be observed there isn’t enough basic knowledge about the ecological systems to definitely trace it back to a change in UVB. The same is true for the seals and other mammals high up on the food chain.

“It is not beyond techniques at the present to be able to do that sort of work. It is just that it requires an awful lot of effort and people. The same goes even for the effect of UVB on phytoplankton in Antarctica. The critical region to study phytoplankton is at the edge of the ice sheet which is well off the coast of Antarctica and a large vessel would be required. A lot of people and a lot of sophisticated equipment would be needed to take the phytoplankton out of the water to see what levels of UV screening compounds it has and to see how it is being affected by UVB in its photosynthesis. Perhaps this kind of research might discover an effect of UVB on grazing organisms. The whole thing might be quite complicated.”

As far as Larkum knows there is no research of this kind currently taking place. Such an undertaking would actually be a huge undertaking. Perhaps several vessels would be required and as many as 50 scientists. It would probably require an international co-operative effort. Apart from the scientific reasons for carrying out this kind of research, on the edge of the Antarctica ice sheet, there are also matters of commercial importance. It is a very productive food chain and krill harvested there are currently feeding a lot of people around the world.