FUCKERY NEWS: 5/16/2019

LED lights damage eyes and disturb sleep, European health authority warns

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/16/health/blue-light-led-health-effects-bn-trnd/index.html

http://archive.is/CFPIl

The blue light in LED lighting that is increasingly used in our homes can damage the eye's retina while disturbing our biological and sleep rhythms, a French health authority warned in a new report.

New scientific evidence confirms the "phototoxic effects" of short-term exposures to high-intensity blue light, as well as an increased risk of age-related macular degeneration after chronic exposure to lower-intensity sources, according to the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, known as ANSES. Age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss among people over 50, causes damage to the macula, a small spot near the center of the retina that's needed for sharp central vision.

Yet protection from the harmful effects to the retina offered by "anti-blue light" screens, filters and sunglasses varies, and their ability to preserve sleep rhythms is not proven, ANSES also said.

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Original PDF (French)

https://www.anses.fr/en/system/files/AP2014SA0253Ra.pdf

http://web.archive.org/web/20190530151801/https://www.anses.fr/en/system/files/AP2014SA0253Ra.pdf

>>7620017

Original article (French)

https://www.anses.fr/en/node/139064

http://archive.is/lyD7K

LED : les recommandations de l’Anses pour limiter l’exposition à la lumière bleue

Alors que l’usage des LED se généralise pour l’éclairage et que les objets à LED se multiplient, l’Anses publie la mise à jour de son expertise de 2010 relative aux effets sanitaires des LED au regard des nouvelles connaissances scientifiques disponibles. L’Agence confirme la toxicité de la lumière bleue sur la rétine et met en évidence des effets de perturbation des rythmes biologiques et du sommeil liés à une exposition le soir ou la nuit à la lumière bleue, notamment via les écrans et en particulier pour les enfants. L’Agence recommande donc de limiter l’usage des dispositifs à LED les plus riches en lumière bleue, tout particulièrement pour les enfants, et de diminuer autant que possible la pollution lumineuse pour préserver l’environnement.

Dans un contexte de politiques d’économie d’énergie et de retrait des lampes traditionnelles (lampes à incandescence et lampes halogènes classiques) du marché de l’éclairage, les LED connaissent une expansion considérable en raison de leurs performances énergétiques efficaces. Ainsi, en quelques décennies, l‘exposition de la population à la lumière bleue a fortement augmenté, notamment le soir avec des éclairages artificiels ou des écrans riches en lumière bleue. En effet, les LED, de par leur spécificité technologique, peuvent émettre une lumière riche en courtes longueurs d’onde, dite « riche en bleu », et un éclairage plus intense que d’autres sources lumineuses, ce qui peut induire des effets sur la santé de l’Homme comme sur l’environnement.

Au tout début du déploiement de cette technologie, la première expertise de l’Anses soulignait la toxicité pour la rétine de la lumière bleue présente dans les éclairages à LED et recommandait donc d’adapter le cadre réglementaire et normatif. En conséquence, actuellement pour l’éclairage domestique, seules les lampes à LED de groupes de risques 0 ou 1 (conformément à la norme de sécurité photobiologique NF-EN-62471) sont accessibles au grand public. Les éclairages les plus à risque (groupes 2 et 3) sont, quant à eux, réservés à des utilisations professionnelles dans des conditions garantissant la sécurité des travailleurs.

…

>>7620017

>>7620054

Article translated using deepl:

As the use of LEDs for lighting becomes more widespread and the number of LED objects multiplies, Anses publishes its 2010 update of its expertise on the health effects of LEDs in light of the new scientific knowledge available. The Agency confirms the toxicity of blue light on the retina and highlights the disruptive effects on biological rhythms and sleep associated with exposure in the evening or at night to blue light, particularly via screens and especially for children. The Agency therefore recommends limiting the use of LED devices richest in blue light, especially for children, and reducing light pollution as much as possible to preserve the environment.

In a context of energy-saving policies and the withdrawal of traditional lamps (incandescent lamps and conventional halogen lamps) from the lighting market, LEDs are undergoing considerable expansion because of their energy-efficient performance. Thus, in a few decades, the exposure of the population to blue light has greatly increased, especially at night with artificial lighting or screens rich in blue light. Indeed, LEDs, due to their technological specificity, can emit a light rich in short wavelengths, known as "blue rich", and a more intense illumination than other light sources, which can induce effects on human health as well as on the environment.

At the very beginning of the deployment of this technology, the first expert assessment by Anses highlighted the toxicity for the retina of the blue light present in LED lighting and therefore recommended that the regulatory and normative framework be adapted. As a result, currently for domestic lighting, only LED lamps in risk groups 0 or 1 (in accordance with the photobiological safety standard NF-EN-62471) are accessible to the general public. The most at-risk lighting (groups 2 and 3) are reserved for professional use under conditions that guarantee the safety of workers.

Today, the Anses is publishing a new expert report covering all LED systems and taking into account all the scientific data acquired since 2010.

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New effects highlighted related to the blue light of LEDs

New scientific data supports the 2010 findings on the toxicity of blue light to the eye that can lead to decreased vision. It shows short-term phototoxic effects from acute exposure and long-term effects from chronic exposure, which increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Warm white" household LED lighting is indistinguishable from conventional lighting and has a low risk of phototoxicity. In contrast, other types of LED lighting, such as flashlights, car headlights, decorations or toys, may emit particularly rich blue light and belong to risk group 2, but are not covered by current regulations.

Furthermore, expert evidence shows that even very low exposure to blue-rich light in the evening or at night disturbs biological rhythms and thus sleep. The ANSES stresses that screens, particularly those of computers, smartphones and tablets, are important sources of blue-rich light and children and adolescents, whose eyes do not fully filter blue light, are a particularly sensitive population.

The report also shows that a high proportion of LED lamps have large variations in light intensity. Certain populations such as children, adolescents and professionals could be more sensitive to the potential effects induced by this modulation of light: headaches, visual fatigue, accidental risk, etc.

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Changing regulations and better informing the public about the risks associated with exposure to blue light

In view of the results of its expertise, the ANSES issues a series of recommendations to limit the exposure of the population to light rich in blue. The Agency recalls the importance of favouring "warm white" type domestic lighting (colour temperature below 3,000 K). In order to prevent the effects of disruption of biological rhythms, it recommends limiting the exposure of the population, particularly children, to the blue-rich light of LED screens (mobile phones, tablets, computers, etc.) before bedtime and during the night.

In addition, the ANSES recommends that the regulatory framework applying to all LED systems should be changed and in particular that :

Restrict the availability of LED objects to the general public to those in photobiological risk group 0 or 1;

limit the luminous intensity of motor vehicle headlights, while guaranteeing road safety;

reduce to a minimum the level of temporal modulation of the light emitted by all light sources (lighting, screens, LED objects).

On the other hand, with regard to the means of protection available to the general public such as treated lenses, protective glasses or specific screens, the Agency stresses that their effectiveness against the effects of blue light on the retina varies greatly. Moreover, their effectiveness in preserving circadian rhythms has not yet been proven. The ANSES encourages the establishment of standards defining the performance criteria of protective equipment against blue light.

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An impact on biodiversity and the environment

Concerning the environment, the available studies mainly concern artificial light at night in general and not specifically LEDs. Regardless of the ecosystem studied, scientific knowledge shows a convergent increase in mortality and an impoverishment of the diversity of animal and plant species studied in environments lit at night, including LED lighting. The Agency recommends strengthening regulations to limit light pollution, while ensuring the safety of people.