Additive effects of ultraviolet radiation

A xenon-mercury high pressure lamp and a double monochromator were used to produce ultraviolet (uv) radiation at 295 nm. Pigmented rabbit eyes were irradiated and evaluated by slitlamp biomicroscopy. Corneal threshold (Hc) was 0.05 J.cm-2 and lens threshold (hL) was 0.75 J.cm-2. Other eyes were irradiated with 2 Hc and evaluated from 4 to 24 h at 4 h intervals. Corneal damage was only greater than that expected from a single Hc exposure if the separation between the two Hc exposures did not exceed 8 h. The most repeatable and reliable corneal response to these levels of uv was the development of corneal epithelial granules