a brief history

German physicist Johann Wilhelm Ritter discovered UV radiation in

1801. He observed an accelerated darkening of silver-chloride soaked
paper when it was exposed to invisible rays just beyond the visible
spectrum on the violet end. To distinguish these rays from the “heat
rays” (IR) discovered the previous year on the other end of the visible
spectrum, he called the UV radiation “oxidizing rays” which
emphasized the chemical reactivity he observed. This was quickly
replaced by the term “chemical rays” which remained popular
throughout the rest of the 19th century. Eventually, the chemical and
heat ray terms were replaced with the now common ultraviolet and
infrared designations, respectively.

Ultraviolet (UV) light falls in the range of the EM spectrum between visible
light and X-rays. It has a wavelength range from 10 to 400 nanometers, which is
just below the x-ray range.

The biggest source of UV radiation on Earth comes from the sun. It is a type of
electromagnetic radiation that makes black-light posters glow, and is responsible
for summer tans and sunburns.

It has frequencies of about 8 × 1014 to 3 × 1016 cycles per second, or hertz (Hz),
and wavelengths of about 380 nanometers (1.5 × 10−5 inches) to about 10 nm (4 ×
10−7 inches). UV is generally divided into three sub-bands:

UVA, or near UV (315–400 nm)

UVB, or middle UV (280–315 nm)
 advantages
1 - vitamin D
Moderate exposure to UV radiation is a
good source of vitamin D. This vitamin aids in
the regulation of calcium metabolism, insulin
secretion, blood pressure, immunity, and cell
propagation. Higher levels of vitamin D have
been correlated to lower rates of heart disease,
stroke, and diabetes along with a tendency
towards lower blood pressure.
2 - skin conditions
There are certain skin conditions that can
be treated with UV radiation. With modern
phototherapy, successful treatment of eczema,
dermatitis, rickets, atopic and localized
scleroderma, jaundice, psoriasis, and vitiligo
is now possible.
3 - cardiovascular and hypertension
In patients with high blood pressure and a
vitamin D deficiency, it has been shown that
UVB exposure can lower their blood pressure.
Other medical trials and studies have shown
that UV radiation, independent of vitamin D,
has measurable health benefits.
4 - serotonin
The creation of serotonin is promoted by
vitamin D and its production is directly
proportional to the body’s exposure to UV
radiation. Serotonin level changes affect
mood and behavior. It is thought that
serotonin provides sensations of well-being,
serenity, and happiness.
5 - melanin
Moderate UV exposure increases the
amount of melanin, the brown pigment, in the
skin (otherwise known as a suntan). Melanin
absorbs both UVA and UVB radiation,
dissipating it as heat. This protects the skin
from both direct and indirect DNA damage.
references
https://www.digikey.ph/en/articles/techzone/2017/jul/ultraviolet-radiation-attributes-and-benefits
https://www.zeiss.com/vision-care/int/better-vision/health-prevention/the-benefits-and-disadvantages-of-uv-light.html
https://www.livescience.com/50326-what-is-ultraviolet-light.html
If you guys want an alternate references link I also made this:
disadvantages
Excessive UV radiation exposure has the
potential to cause harmful effects to the eyes,
skin, and immune system.
UVA radiation causes little or no
immediate reaction, but at wavelengths near
the start of the UVB band (315 nm),
photokeratitis (a painful eye condition) and
skin redness (lighter skin is more sensitive)
start to occur with rapidly increasing damage
as wavelengths approach 300 nm. UV in the
range of 265 nm to 275 nm, in the UVC band,
is the most damaging to the eyes and skin.
1 - eye damage caused by UV light
Our eyes are also sensitive to UV radiation.
UV radiation can be as high as 70 to 75
percent on the ground due to the reflection and
dispersion.
The lack of protection can damage our
eyelids and the skin around our eyes, or even
develop one of many other diseases, affecting
the cornea which include conjunctivitis and
photokeratitis, which are caused by strong UV
radiation. UV radiation is also suspected of
causing tumours on the eyelid.
In order to effectively protect both the eyes
and the surrounding skin from UV radiation,
it is recommended to wear both sunglasses
and normal, clear lenses with full UV
protection up to 400 nm.
2 - damaging effects of UV light on your skin
UV radiation can also damage our skin.
UV exposure is the main cause of skin cancer.
Symptoms typically become evident when we
expose our skin to a large amount of sunlight.
phototoxic or photoallergic photodermatitis is
an illness that causes extremely itchy
reddening, blisters or nodules form on the
areas affected, depending on the person’s
skin. Taking certain medications in
connection with UV radiation can even elicit
a reaction that seems like an allergy.
references
https://cecilioacc.net/uv_rays/