According to a research study carried out by Ipsos Health for Transitions Optical, the American company leader in the field of photocromic lenses, Italian people are totally uninformed about the possible consequences of exposure to sun rays and about 20% of them think that sunglasses are harmful to the eyes! But opticians well know that what is harmful to the eyes is something else, like neglecting to protect the eyes and their outiline at mountain also during gray and cloudy days. UV radiations, in fact, are always present and 80% of rays succeed in passing through the clouds.
Besides, snow is able to reflect 80% of sun rays, unlike grass, which reflects just 10%. Every 100 meters in height the UV rays undergo an intensity increase of 6% to 8% and, at high altitudes, even of 12%. It is useful to remind that a Ultraviolet excess can cause damages to the crystalline, which become more and more serious as one gets older.
Found in Optical, January 2008