10 Does UV-B cause cataracts?
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This article is from the Ozone Depletion: UV Radiation and its Effects FAQ, by Robert Parson rparson@spot.colorado.edu with numerous contributions by others.
10 Does UV-B cause cataracts?
While the evidence for this is indirect, it is very plausible.
The lens of the eye is a good UV-filter, protecting the delicate
structures in the retina. Too much UV burns the lens, resulting in
short-term "snowblindness", but the cumulative effects of prolonged,
repeated exposure are not fully understood. People living in naturally
high UV environments such as Bolivia or Tibet do have a high incidence
of cataracts, and in general cataracts are more frequently seen at lower
latitudes. [Tevini] [Zigman] For more on this, see [De Gruijl 1995]
at http://www.gcrio.org/CONSEQUENCES/summer95/impacts.html
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