Are flourescent lights harmful to health?

[Texas Star]

The apt. maintenance man installed flourescent lights in my kitchen today. They're about four feet long, two tubes.

After he left, I got to thinking that I've read that flourescent lights cause cancer.

Has anyone else seen anything on that?

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

Not a doctor, but it could be up for debate-- I CAN however, attest to how it FADES everything when they are left on over a long period of time in the shop. What else they might do is hard to say- at least for me.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

When I was a kid in the 60's my mom would get upset anytime a fluorescent bulb was broken, and say to hold our breath until we could get clear. In the late 80's I ran across what she was talking about. Apparently the white coating inside the bulb was originally made of beryllium and was toxic but this was discontinued before WWII, but people continued to be cautious for decades as old bulbs remained in service for years after the change over. When we demo old buildings that were abandoned in the 50's or before we treat all the old fluorescent bulbs as toxic and ballasts from all decades are treated as if they're full of PCB's. Ivan

 

[Dennis The B]

While the chemical composition may be less toxic for both bulbs, and ballast, there is evidence that the light affects your eyes. The light is pulsed, for the most part too fast for you to notice, but not too fast that it doesn't affect your vision.

Fluorescent lamps also produce a lot of glare, even with diffusers. They also, despite filtering, never provide real "daylight" color balance.

There are lots of alternatives, and the up and coming LCD technology gets cheaper every day.

The CFL's so popular have all the downsides of fluorescent tubes crammed into a small package, and they all have a form of mercury in the tube. In theory, a broken fluorescent tube creates a hazardous material situation.

 

[UncaGrunny]

I always know when I've had enough caffeine for the day when I can start to see the flicker in the fluorescent lights. (it's worse in countries that use 50Hz power, like Canada.)

If memory serves, all fluorescent lamps (not just the compacts) have a small amount of mercury vapor in them, to establish the internal current flow that makes them work. Without it, they'd have to run at very high voltages, like neon tubes.

The reasons people got so concerned about mercury in the CFLs were 1) increased use in the home, so higher likelihood of breaking, 2) they will fit in a home trash can so proper disposal was less likely, 3) an increasingly obsessive regulatory environment with regard to toxic chemicals that has kind of lost it's sense of proportion, and 4) the press makes a lot of money by scaring the public.

 

[mtgianni]

The tubes require a hazmat clean up if broken. It is rarely done but the chemicals in the light tubes do not meet current safety standards for room air.

 

[Bkreutz]

The apt. maintenance man installed flourescent lights in my kitchen today. They're about four feet long, two tubes.

After he left, I got to thinking that I've read that flourescent lights cause cancer.

Has anyone else seen anything on that?

You'll be fine if you wear a tinfoil hat.

 

[gdnagle]

Here is a reference from EPA. They contain mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor.

'these steps are only precautions that reflect best practices for cleaning up a broken CFL. Keep in mind that CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury -- less than 1/100th of the amount in a mercury thermometer." But AFAIK a mercury in any amount is supposed to be bad for you or they wouldn't ban the stuff nor advise against eating a lot of certain fish like swordfish, my favorite..

Cleaning Up a Broken CFL

Cleaning Up a Broken CFL | Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) | US EPA"

Maybe print out the cleanup instructions and when you need them changed or get a broken one tell management you need them to do a hazmat cleanup as per EPA. Who knows they may change back if it's gonna cost them more then they save.

Do a Google search for"are fluorescent lights bad for your health" lots of negative info about them if you believe the internet. Especially here. http://ergonomics.about.com/od/lighting/a/How-Fluorescent-Lights-Affect-You-And-Your-Health.htm

 

[radar1972]

If you read it on the internet, then it must be true.

 

[johngalt]

They give me a headache after a while. They produce very poor quality light.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Well... if you break the glass and try huffing the vapors to get high there's no telling what ill health effects could occur. But if you are just making a sammich in the kitchen I think you'll be ok.

No, never heard of cancer causing fluorescent light rays.

 

[Texas Star]

If you read it on the internet, then it must be true.

This is a serious, life-threatening issue. Please avoid such comments. They just clutter the thread and do no good.

I've asked the apt.people to remove the flourescent lights and re-install the old fixture. Based on my research, i think LED light bulbs are the way to go.

I originally read about this in a newspaper years ago, but all research on the Net does suggest that flourescents, inc. the compact curley-cued sort, are probably causes of melanonomas. There is also the added risk to your eyes. This is serious business and comments about tinfoil hats don't help.

 

[Hobie1]

This is a serious, life-threatening issue. Please avoid such comments. They just clutter the thread and do no good.

I've asked the apt.people to remove the flourescent lights and re-install the old fixture. Based on my research, i think LED light bulbs are the way to go.

I originally read about this in a newspaper years ago, but all research on the Net does suggest that flourescents, inc. the compact curley-cued sort, are probably causes of melanonomas. There is also the added risk to your eyes. This is serious business and comments about tinfoil hats don't help.

Sir, would you please post some links to substantiate your concerns?
Thanks.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

This is a serious, life-threatening issue. Please avoid such comments. They just clutter the thread and do no good.

I've asked the apt.people to remove the flourescent lights and re-install the old fixture. Based on my research, i think LED light bulbs are the way to go.

I originally read about this in a newspaper years ago, but all research on the Net does suggest that flourescents, inc. the compact curley-cued sort, are probably causes of melanonomas. There is also the added risk to your eyes. This is serious business and comments about tinfoil hats don't help.

You want serious, seriously?

LED safe? Not according research published in the Journal of Environmental Management. Light from LED sources can suppress melatonin production levels up to 500% more than other light sources. I just walked by an LED the other day and could't sleep for a week.

Melatonin-suppressing light, such as from an LED, is dangerous if we expose ourselves to it at night time according to Fabio Falchi of the Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute in Italy.

The Health Dangers of LED Lights : Experience Life

 

[rog8732]

There were some studies years ago about working full time under a "bank" of florescent tubes, noted as Cool White, like in many cubicle type offices.

It seems humans have a tendency to have cabin fever, and feelings of sadness when out of real sunlight for an extended time.... As a matter of fact, the month of Feb. often does that to me, and I expect the people of Norway and perhaps Alaska would agree.

The company, I believe named Duro-Test or Duro-Lite began to make a tube called "Daylite", which claimed to alleviate these feelings, by duplicating the color spectrum of sunshine.

For all I know, they ( Duro-Test) conducted the original study in the first place, and solved a problem that did not exist..... That is, aside from getting cut by broken glass, the only harm from florescent tubes I ever heard much about. Regards

 

[keith44spl]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas Star [URL="http://smith-wessonforum.com/images/blue_style/buttons/viewpost.gif"] [/URL]
This is a serious, life-threatening issue. Please avoid such comments. They just clutter the thread and do no good.

I've asked the apt.people to remove the flourescent lights and re-install the old fixture. Based on my research, i think LED light bulbs are the way to go.

I originally read about this in a newspaper years ago, but all research on the Net does suggest that flourescents, inc. the compact curley-cued sort, are probably causes of melanonomas. There is also the added risk to your eyes. This is serious business and comments about tinfoil hats don't help.

You want serious, seriously?

LED safe? Not according research published in the Journal of Environmental Management. Light from LED sources can suppress melatonin production levels up to 500% more than other light sources. I just walked by an LED the other day and could't sleep for a week.

Melatonin-suppressing light, such as from an LED, is dangerous if we expose ourselves to it at night time according to Fabio Falchi of the Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute in Italy.

The Health Dangers of LED Lights : Experience Life

My God man! This is serious!

What are we to do now?


.

 

[arjay]

I'm gonna have a beer and a smoke and think on it :-D

 

[2152hq]

I do all my work under florescent lights. Both the shop light 4' tubes for general lighting and small 18" double tube lights for concentrated lighting.
'Cool White' bulbs in everything.
Those 'Daylight' bulbs I tried once. They were out and gone in an hour,,terrible things.
Incandescent, I don't care for at all to work under. Too much glare,,the excuse they say florescent is no good for work use.
It's been 40+ years that way now and still going.
I do have one 100w incandescent bulb in a swingarm holder. I use that to cure epoxy glue on stock repairs.

My eyes are actually better now as far as the eyeglass prescription than they were 50 yrs ago. Alot better,,and no major health concerns.

The CFLs are OK for just a lightbulb,,but I can't use them for a working light.

 

[finesse_r]

My God man! This is serious!
What are we to do now? .

Roll your eyes all you want, but since you did ask.

While supplies are still plentiful and manufacturers are still legally allowed to produce these standard incandescent light bulbs, stock up and get enough to last you for a long time. I did this last year and I have enough to last me the rest of my life (I am a old guy so it did not take so many for me), so I don't have to worry about trying to stock up once the rush begins near the end of 2014.

Not much different than stocking up on .22 LR when the shelves are fully stocked, rather than lamenting the lack of .22 LR once the shortage hits. With a little planning you can avoid the shortages created by those in Washington DC. I mean we all know by the end of 2014 light bulbs as we know them will not legally be allowed to be manufactured and once the last of those on the shelves are gone you will no longer have a choice in the matter.

The new light bulbs will all cost many times what these these standard incandescent light bulbs now cost. You can bet fortunes will be made by the governmental mandate to discard Edison's great invention.

 

[16thVACav]

It seems little has changed in the 400 years since Shakespeare wrote "Much ado about nothing".