The Problems
There have been hundreds of studies done since the last quarter of
the last century that have shown causal links between elongated exposure
to fluorescent lights and various negative effects. The base of these
problems is all based on the quality of light that's emitted.
The theory is basically that we are children of the sun. It is only
relatively recently, with the proliferation of electricity, that
humankind has taken complete control of the night and interior spaces.
Before that most light came from the sun or a flame, and since flames
didn't give you that much light you usually woke according to the sun
and worked by a window.
With the light bulb,
we had the ability to do more at night and work in enclosed rooms
without windows. When the fluorescent light came about businesses had a
cheap and durable light source so of course, they adopted it. But it's
not the same type of light as the sun gives us.
The sun gives us a full spectrum light, that is, a light that spans
the entirety of the visual spectrum. In fact, the sun gives us a lot
more than the visual spectrum. Incandescent lights give off a full
spectrum, but not as much as sunlight. Fluorescent lights give off a
rather limited spectrum.
A lot of our body chemistry is based on the day-night cycle and we
refer to it as the circadian rhythm. Theoretically, if you do not get
sufficient exposure to sunlight your circadian rhythm gets messed up and
that, in turn, messes up your hormones and then you're all screwed up.
Health Effects
There are a number of negative health effects that have been linked
to working under fluorescent lights that are theorized to be caused by
this body chemistry mechanism such as:
- Migraines
- Eye strain
- Problems sleeping, due to melatonin suppression
- Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder or depression
- Endocrine disruption and poor immune systems
- Female hormonal/menstrual cycle disruption
- Increases in breast cancer rates and tumor formation
- Stress/Anxiety, due to cortisol suppression
- Sexual development/maturation disruption
- Obesity
- Agoraphobia (anxiety disorder)
The other main cause of problems with fluorescent lights
is that they flicker. Fluorescent light bulbs contain a gas that gets
excited and glows when electricity is passed through this. The
electricity is not constant. It is controlled by an electric ballast
that pulses on and off really fast. To most people, it is so fast that
it looks like it is on constantly. However, some people can perceive the
flicker even if they can't consciously see it. This can cause:
- Migraines
- Headaches
- Eye strain
- Stress/Anxiety
Additionally, fluorescent bulbs, especially cheaper bulbs, may have a
green cast to them making all the colors in your environment drabber
and sickly looking.
The Solutions
If you are forced to work/live beneath fluorescent lights for
extended periods of time each day there are a number of things you can
do to combat the negative effects. The first is to get out in the sun
more. Getting sun exposure, especially for stints in the morning midday
and late afternoon, can help maintain your circadian rhythm. Putting in
some windows, skylights, or solar tubes to bring sunlight into your
interior environment can work as well.
Short of bringing in the sun you can bring in a light source with a
fuller spectrum. There are some "full spectrum" and "daylight spectrum"
fluorescent lights in the market that have a better color temperature
spread than regular fluorescent lights so they do help, but they don't
replace sunlight. Alternately you can put a full spectrum light filter
over your fluorescent bulb or light fixture lens that alters the light
coming out of the fluorescent bulb and gives it a fuller spectrum. These
tend to give off more Ultraviolet (UV) rays that may cause skin
problems, prematurely age materials like plastic or leather, and cause
photos to fade.
Incandescent lights do a decent job of providing a good spectrum of
light that most people respond to. Another benefit of incandescent
lights is that they are a constant light source that doesn't flicker. If
you perceive fluorescent flicker having a single incandescent light
bulb on in the room can be enough to cover the flicker and keep it from
affecting you. They can also balance out any green tint given off by the
fluorescent bulb.
In some case phototherapy, or light box therapy, can counteract lack
of sunlight exposure. This is a common treatment for Seasonal Affective
Disorder and it uses an incredibly bright light for a limited amount of
time to help keep your body chemistry regulated.
Optometrists have long prescribed glasses with a very light
rose-colored tint on them to counteract the effects of working under
fluorescent lights, especially in women who are experiencing hormonal
problems.
Flicker problems can be improved by using fluorescent light fixtures that use electronic ballasts as opposed to magnetic ones.
Credit: #fastcompany
Credit: #fastcompany
