Abstract
Background
Exposure to solar radiation is a risk factor for multiple ocular pathologies. Ultraviolet
(UV) radiation is involved in ocular diseases, including pterygium, ocular surface
squamous neoplasia, and cataracts. High-energy visible light (HEV) is associated with
age-related macular degeneration. Ocular protection against solar radiation seems
essential to protect our eyes against the adverse effects of those harmful rays. Australia,
New Zealand, Europe, and the United States are the only regions with mandatory standards
for UV transmission for sunglasses. Adherence to Canadian standards by sunglasses
manufacturers is not mandatory. In this study, we evaluated the UV and visible transmission
of sunglasses in the Canadian market to test their compliance with Canadian standards.
Methods
The transmittance of 207 pairs of sunglasses, divided in 3 categories according to
their price range, was measured.
Results
We show that close to 100% of the sunglasses tested respect the Canadian standards.
The average HEV transmittance is around 10%, regardless the price range.
Conclusions
Our study demonstrated that even if following Canadian standards is optional, most
sunglasses sold on the Canadian market follow national and international standards.
We also found that sunglasses filter around 90% of HEV. With the recent findings on
the potential effects of HEV in retinal pathologies, we can ask whether this filtering
capacity is sufficient to protect eyes from harmful HEV light. More work needs to
be done to determine acceptable HEV light transmission limits to the existing Canadian
standards.
RÉSUMÉ
Contexte
L’exposition aux rayonnements solaires représente un facteur de risque de bon nombre
de troubles visuels. Les rayons ultraviolets (UV) sont mis en cause dans certaines
affections oculaires, notamment le ptérygion, la néoplasie squameuse de la surface
oculaire et les cataractes. La lumière à haute énergie visible (HEV, pour high-energy visible light) est associée à la dégénérescence maculaire liée à l’âge (DMLA). Il semble essentiel
de se protéger les yeux contre les rayonnements solaires nocifs pour éviter leurs
effets indésirables. Or, l’Australie, la Nouvelle-Zélande, l’Europe et les États-Unis
sont les seules régions qui imposent des normes en matière de transmission des rayons
UV aux fabricants de lunettes de soleil. En effet, les fabricants canadiens ne sont
pas tenus de respecter les normes en vigueur dans leur pays. Nous avons évalué, dans
le cadre de cette étude, la transmission des rayons UV et de la lumière visible par
des lunettes de soleil offertes sur le marché canadien afin de mesurer à quel point
elles respectent les normes canadiennes.
Méthodes
On a mesuré la transmission de 207 paires de lunettes de soleil qui ont été divisées
en 3 catégories en fonction de leur prix.
Résultats
Près de 100 % des lunettes de soleil testées respectaient les normes canadiennes.
La transmission de la HEV oscille autour de 10 % en moyenne, peu importe le prix.
Conclusions
Notre étude permet de constater que, même si le respect des normes canadiennes n’est
pas obligatoire, la plupart des lunettes de soleil vendues au Canada respectent les
normes nationales et internationales. De plus, les lunettes de soleil filtrent quelque
90 % de la HEV. Compte tenu des découvertes récentes au sujet des effets potentiels
de la HEV sur la rétine, nous pouvons nous demander si cela suffit à protéger les
yeux des effets nocifs de la HEV. D’autres études devront être réalisées afin de déterminer
le degré acceptable de transmission de la HEV par rapport aux normes canadiennes actuelles.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 24, 2017
Accepted:
September 5,
2017
Received in revised form:
August 27,
2017
Received:
May 8,
2017
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
