Glass blocks the most harmful rays which usually cause sunburn, so it is very unlikely that you’ll get burnt from sitting in your conservatory for a couple of hours. A study reported in the New York Times found that 74% of people at a skin cancer clinic had tumours on the driving side of their body, posing a possible link between the amount of time spent driving in the sun and developing skin cancer.Ī double glazed window will block the majority of the sun’s UV rays, but not all of them. This has led to dermatologists recommending that people should protect themselves from sunlight if they will be by a window for a long period of time – such as driving in a car. However, you would still be exposed to UVA rays which are responsible for sun tans and freckles, and could cause long term damage. This means that sitting by the window on a sunny day will not increase your vitamin D intake – you’ll have to be outside to soak up the sun rays. Generally, ordinary glass such as the glass windows in your home can filter out UVB rays but not UVA sun rays. However it is worth bearing in mind that we need some UVB rays to generate vitamin D. Both UVA and UVB rays can be harmful to the skin, causing a sun tan, sun burn or even cancer. We don’t need to worry about UVC rays because these get blocked by the earth’s atmosphere. There are three types of rays emitted from the sun – UVA, UVB and UVC. Let’s take a look at what exactly can get through a window, and if it could have an effect on our health. However, if you stay indoors all day but by a window, are you still exposed to those sun rays? Can you top up your vitamin D while in the car? These are more difficult questions to which there are many myths floating around. Most people are well aware of what time in the sun does to your skin, and the dangers that UVA and UVB rays pose to your health.

How to tell if glass is uv protected