We would never consider that our common light bulb could be harming our health. As new studies come out you may want to reconsider flipping on that switch.
Several studies are now coming to light :), that the Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL) can cause health issues. The reports are coming out of European labs where studies on the safety of CFL are being questioned. One German lab has published that the bulbs should not be left on for extended periods, particularly near a person’s head, as they emit poisonous materials when switched on.
Peter Braun, who carried out the tests at the Berlin’s Alab Laboratory, said: “For such carcinogenic substances it is important they are kept as far away as possible from the human environment. I, therefore, use them only very economically. They should not be used in unventilated areas and definitely not in the proximity of the head.”
CFL bulbs are widely used in the UK since the EU move to phase out traditional incandescent lighting.
When CFL bulbs are switched on they heat up they give off toxins.
The German scientists claimed that several carcinogenic chemicals and toxins were released when the environmentally-friendly compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) were switched on, including phenol, naphthalene and styrene. Andreas Kirchner, of the Federation of German Engineers, explains the issue more by stating: “Electrical smog develops around these lamps.” Anyone who lives in or near a large metropolitan area understands the concept of smog.
Toxicity issues are climbing and the CFL is looking like it’s a contributor.
The issues with the CFL don’t stop with just the electrical field around the bulb, it appears there is also a problem with the type of light they give off. The latest report follows claims by Abraham Haim, a professor of biology at Haifa University in Israel, that the bulbs could result in higher breast cancer rates if used late at night. He said that the bluer light that CFLs emitted closely mimicked daylight, disrupting the body’s production of the hormone melatonin more than older-style filament bulbs, which cast a yellower light.
This makes perfect sense. When the sun goes down the light turns yellow signaling the end of the day to all of nature. After sunset our bodies start to release melatonin a few hours later and this tells our bodies it is time to sleep. This is the way it has been for thousands of years. Even candles give off a yellow light so the body still sees it as the end of the day. But now we are hearing about how these new bulbs mimic daylight… heck your body does not know it’s time to sleep! Incandescent lighting, the regular old light bulbs we all grew up with give off a yellow light which would give the body more of a feeling of nighttime and soon approaching sleep.
One last fact, every CFL bulb contains mercury, which makes them harmful when thrown away in the trash. In fact if these bulbs break in your home they can release 5mg per lamp. Now the powers that be tell us these bulbs are safe as long as they remain intact. Have you ever broken a light bulb in your life? What do we do to get the mercury out of the air if we break a CFL bulb?
It might be prudent to keep some of the old incandescent bulbs around for use in the bedroom.
Source:
Energy saving light bulbs ‘contain cancer causing chemicals’, The Telegraph