Blue Light Hazard from RB LEDs?

[daniel_sweden]

Hi

 

I did a search and was surprised to find nothing here on the topic of the so called Blue Light Hazard. With the rising popularity of LEDs and royal blue LEDs in particular I think the possible harmful effects of blue light at least should be considered and discussed so that everyone can make an educated decision.

 

Medical research suggests that light at wavelengths primarily between 400 nm and 500 nm induces photochemical retinal injury. Studies have reported a significant association between exposure to blue light and age-related macular degeneration. Royal Blue LEDs peak at 455-460 nm.

 

This is not the same mechanism as the acute damage that can be caused by extremely bright light.

 

UV wavelengths are well known to cause damage to eyes (and skin and other materials).

 

The long term damage believed to be caused by near-UV blue light is harder to study as it only becomes apparent after much longer accumulation (as I understand it). Also, the shorter wavelengths of UV-A and UV-B are somewhat filtered by the lens and cornea but the near UV-wavelengths of our precious RB LEDs are not, unless you are old with a lens tinted by age. The industry has established standards for protecting consumers from extremely bright light and from UV radiation.

 

Does this hazard apply to our RB-LED lit aquariums? With the popularity of open top aquarium with LED fixtures there is often noticeable spill light and also reflections off the the moving water surface. Is this harmful? Some very elegant light fixtures are even suspended high enough to enable direct line of vision to the LEDs. For fixtures close to the water level, does the wavelength and light intensity 'survive' travelling through water and glass affecting someone looking through the front glass? (I would think not but that is an un-educated guess.)

 

Will there be a generation of blind aging reefers in a few decades?

 

I do not know. What do you think?

 

Sorry if I am being a party pooper in this age of RB-LED evangelism.

[21093r53]

Hi

 

I did a search and was surprised to find nothing here on the topic of the so called Blue Light Hazard. With the rising popularity of LEDs and royal blue LEDs in particular I think the possible harmful effects of blue light at least should be considered and discussed so that everyone can make an educated decision.

 

Medical research suggests that light at wavelengths primarily between 400 nm and 500 nm induces photochemical retinal injury. Studies have reported a significant association between exposure to blue light and age-related macular degeneration. Royal Blue LEDs peak at 455-460 nm.

 

This is not the same mechanism as the acute damage that can be caused by extremely bright light.

 

UV wavelengths are well known to cause damage to eyes (and skin and other materials).

 

The long term damage believed to be caused by near-UV blue light is harder to study as it only becomes apparent after much longer accumulation (as I understand it). Also, the shorter wavelengths of UV-A and UV-B are somewhat filtered by the lens and cornea but the near UV-wavelengths of our precious RB LEDs are not, unless you are old with a lens tinted by age. The industry has established standards for protecting consumers from extremely bright light and from UV radiation.

 

Does this hazard apply to our RB-LED lit aquariums? With the popularity of open top aquarium with LED fixtures there is often noticeable spill light and also reflections of the the moving water surface. Is this harmful? Some very elegant light fixtures are even suspended high enough to enable direct line of vision to the LEDs. For fixtures close to the water level, does the wavelength and light intensity 'survive' travelling through water and glass affecting someone looking through the front glass? (I would think not but that is an un-educated guess.)

 

Will there be a generation of blind aging reefers in a few decades?

 

I do not know. What do you think?

 

Sorry if I am being a party pooper in this age of RB-LED evangelism.

 

 

i will be blind soon if i keep staring at my leds, i think looking into a mh is worse

[daniel_sweden]

Some references, with key quotations. Notice that Cree acknowledges the danger of blue light.

 

Cree LED eye safety:

http://www.cree.com/products/pdf/XLamp_eyeSafety.pdf

'Independent photobiological testing of Cree visible light LED lamps has confirmed that the only health risk of visible light LED lamps significant enough to warrant advisory is viewing blue light with the eyes.'

 

Photochemical damage of the retina:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16950247

'The action spectrum peaks in the short wavelength region, providing the basis for the concept of blue light hazard. Several factors can modify the susceptibility of the retina to photochemical damage. Photochemical mechanisms, in particular mechanisms that arise from illumination with blue light, are responsible for solar retinitis /.../ Further, blue light may play a role in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration. Laboratory studies have suggested that photochemical damage includes oxidative events. Retinal cells die by apoptosis in response to photic injury, and the process of cell death is operated by diverse damaging mechanisms'

 

 

Age-related maculopathy and the impact of blue light hazard:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16445433

'blue light hazard (excitation peak 440 nm), have been shown to have a major impact on photoreceptor and RPE function, inducing photochemical damage and apoptotic cell death.'

 

Artificial Lighting and the Blue Light Hazard:

http://www.mdsupport.org/library/hazard.html

'When light hits a photoreceptor, the cell bleaches and becomes useless until it has recovered through a metabolic process called the “visual cycle.” Absorption of blue light, however, has been shown to cause a reversal of the process in rodent models. The cell becomes unbleached and responsive again to light before it is ready. This greatly increases the potential for oxidative damage'

 

Ensuring the next generation of LED Lighting is safe:

http://www.mondoarc.com/technology/LED/219...ng_is_safe.html

'Blue Light Hazard: Long term exposure to blue light is hazardous and a possible cause for Macular Degeneration.'

[iball1804]

Excluding all the fancy talk, all I know is that whenever I look into my LEDs, I get a headache.

[daniel_sweden]

i will be blind soon if i keep staring at my leds, i think looking into a mh is worse

 

Excluding all the fancy talk, all I know is that whenever I look into my LEDs, I get a headache.

 

Yes. It is uncomfortable and sometimes even painful to look into very bright light. And if we do, our eyesight is temporarily negatively affected. So we avoid it, which is fortunate as it can cause acute damage.

 

However, there is none such mechanism protecting us from the Blue Light Hazard. The oxidative damage it causes does not hurt. And negative effects does not show for years.

 

Could sitting in the same room as LED lit reef aquarium for a few years mean the difference between having acceptable vision or no vision at all for the last ten years or so of your life?

[C.I._Reefer]

Yes. It is uncomfortable and sometimes even hurting to look into very bright light. And if we do, our eyesight is temporarily negatively affected. So we avoid it, which is fortunate as it can cause acute damage.

 

However, there is none such mechanism protecting us from the Blue Light Hazard. The oxidative damage it causes does not hurt. And negative effects does not show for years.

 

Could sitting in the same room as LED lit reef aquarium for a few years mean the difference between having acceptable vision or no vision at all for the last ten years or so of your life?

 

 

I sure hope not, i stare at my LED lit and actinic t5 lit squariums ALOT, probably at least an hour or more a day on average.

[daniel_sweden]

Well, I guess will know in 10 or 20 years or so... It is a frightening thought though, a whole generation of blind aging reefers.

 

According to led Crees own material, as referenced above, viewing blue light with the eyes is dangerous.

 

Does that also include spill light, blue light reflected of walls or aquarium water surface, or passing though water and glass?

[BBOSS]

A direct quote from Wikipedia:

 

"Blue-light hazard is defined as the potential for a photochemical induced retinal injury resulting from radiation exposure at wavelengths primarily between 400 nm and 500 nm. This has not been shown to occur in humans, only inconclusively in some rodent and primate studies (also a lack of authoritative references, and quantifying the conditions used)" References from "ANSI/IESNA RP-27.1-05: Recommended Practice for Photobiological Safety for Lamp and Lamp Systems – General Requirements. American National Standard Institute/ Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. 10 June 2007."

 

I had my LED retro for just over one month, loved the RB LEDs. Let's hope this harzard only occurs in rodents, not humans; wishful thinking perhaps.

[CarrillXXP]

Wow,