It turns out that the blue light of LED lamps damages the retina and disrupts natural sleep rhythms.
Trouble came from where they did not expect. It turns out that LED lamps, to which we have been accustomed for so long, are harmful to health.
New research by French doctors and scientists confirms their early fears: “Exposure to intense and powerful light (LED) is ‘phototoxic’ and can lead to irreversible loss of retinal cells and decreased visual acuity.”
“Constant exposure to cold blue light, albeit in small doses, can accelerate the aging of retinal tissue, contributing to a decrease in visual acuity, as well as lead to some degenerative diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (dystrophic processes in the retina of the eye),” concluded the French Agency for Food, Environment and Safety at Work (ANSES).
LED lighting, which lasts longer than conventional incandescent bulbs and uses 5 times less energy, consumed half of the total lighting market in a decade and will reach 60 percent by the end of next year, according to industry forecasts.
Today, LEDs are used in home and street lighting, as well as in offices and industry. They are installed in car headlights, flashlights, and even in children’s toys.
“At the same time, LED screens of mobile phones, tablets and laptops are not as dangerous for the eyes, because their light output is much lower than in other types of lighting,” said Francine Behar-Cohen, ophthalmologist and head of the expert group that conducted the study.
However, backlit gadgets, especially when used at night or in the dark, can “disrupt biological rhythms and affect sleep quality,” the researchers warn.
Children and adolescents are especially susceptible to such disorders, since the lenses of their eyes are not fully formed.
“Interference with human biological rhythms exacerbates metabolic disorders such as diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer,” said Dina Attiya, researcher and project leader at ANSES.
In addition, the stroboscopic effect (visual illusion of motionlessness or imaginary movement of an object) in some LED lamps, caused by tiny fluctuations in the electric current, can lead to headaches, eye fatigue and even increase the risk of road accidents.
For home and office lighting, scientists recommend buying warm white LED lighting, limiting exposure to high-concentration LED sources of blue light, and avoiding LED screens before bed.
The researchers also stressed that manufacturers should limit the light intensity of vehicle headlights, some of which are too bright. At the same time, scientists have questioned the effectiveness of sunglasses, as well as some “anti-blue light filters” for lenses that are used when working at a computer.
However, domestic experts have repeatedly warned about the dangers of blue light.
“Exposure to blue rays on the retina has a cumulative effect, so it is believed that constant exposure to high-energy blue rays of the eye throughout life may increase the risk of developing AMD in old age. This is the most common cause of adult vision loss. Blue light suppresses the secretion of melatonin by the pineal gland, and melatonin controls our circadian rhythms (alternation of sleep and wakefulness), ”explained the experts of the Lensmaster network.