Are LED lamps harmful to health? Reviews from specialists. The influence of illumination on the human body

An excess of bright and harsh visible light can be called "excessive brightness." Sharp, bright light can appear both during the day and at night - in various forms. Not only does it distract your attention, but it can also be dangerous.

The influence of bright light causes eye fatigue from DC voltage, and subsequently, in in rare cases, these signs may cause temporary blindness.

Company specialistsTransitionsThere are four categories of excessively bright light:

Distracting light

At night, bright light from street lamps or headlights of an oncoming car is very distracting to the driver. Or, for example, reflection from the front surface of your spectacle lenses (if they are not multi-coated) also contributes to the dispersion of the concentration of vision, and also creates discomfort for the interlocutor, because Your eyes are not visible. In the same way, reflection from inside glasses lenses can cause eye fatigue and loss of concentration.

Uncomfortable light

Normal sunlight also causes discomfort. Each person feels the degree of discomfort from bright light in their own way - regardless of the weather and time of day. This light can come from any light source. Uncomfortable light causes eye strain, causing eye fatigue.

Light that reduces visibility of activities

Intense, bright light shining directly into your face limits your activity and overall field of clear visibility. Bright light reduces the clarity of the image on the retina, thereby deteriorating vision. After interacting with bright light its invisible effects persist for some time after exposure.

Reflective or glare light

Shiny, “polished” surfaces give the effect of glare, for example, snow, water, shop windows. Its effect can lead to deterioration of vision and even to temporary, severe blindness, because it can be quite strong. To avoid glare, use polarized glasses lenses.

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In children's institutions, artificial lighting is widely used, not only in the evening, but also in the morning and daytime, especially in the autumn-winter period of the year. Therefore, for the protection of children’s vision, the issue of so-called combined lighting, i.e. additional inclusion artificial lighting to the natural.
Unfortunately, the question about additional automatic switching on artificial lighting is still not sufficiently developed in the hygienic literature. For now, this depends solely on the individual attitude of educators, among whom there is still a widespread opinion that mixed lighting is harmful, and they prefer to study even in semi-darkness.
This is very harmful for child's eye, since its adaptation to low light is accompanied by excessive strain on the accommodative apparatus of the eyes. If repeated frequently, this may be one of the reasons for vision deterioration. Meanwhile, studies, although limited, show that mixed lighting is harmless. You just need to take care that with mixed lighting you don’t feel two completely separate light streams.
In order to avoid subjectivity in turning on additional artificial lighting, the best and most promising solution is to install a photoelectric relay that automatically turns on artificial lighting when the level of natural light at the point of the room farthest from the window drops below 150-200 lux.
New artificial lighting standards give preference to fluorescent lamps. And this is no coincidence, because the latter, due to their physical characteristics, create more opportunities for improving lighting conditions. Low brightness contributes to this fluorescent lamps, the presence of soft, even light, a more favorable spectrum of light.
True, the good qualities of fluorescent lamps are revealed only when a sufficient level of illumination is created, the recommended lamps are used and the rational design of their equipment is used. Unfortunately, these requirements are not always met, which leads to discredit good looking lighting. You can still hear statements about the “harm” of fluorescent lamps. In fact, there is a large amount of research material on studying the influence of fluorescent lighting on the performance and condition of visual functions V different conditions (kindergarten, schools, production), on the contrary, indicates more beneficial influence fluorescent lamps compared to incandescent lamps. When organizing artificial lighting in children's institutions, we must not forget that it is necessary not only to provide normal level illumination, but also create good quality lighting, protect the eyes of children and the teacher from possible glare. This is especially important at high levels of illumination if high-power lamps are used. The use of open lamps not protected by fittings is completely unacceptable. This is unacceptable even when illuminated by fluorescent lamps, although their brightness is many times less than the brightness of incandescent lamps. Open lamps are blinding, and if you work for a long time in such lighting, this causes a decrease in visual functions. Very bright open light sources (high power lamps—150, 200 watt2) or more can even lead to unpleasant sensations In eyes.
To provide good conditions lighting, the type of luminaire is decisive, i.e. the light source with fittings, and correct scheme its placement indoors.
The type of lamp is determined by the distribution of luminous flux between the upper and lower hemispheres. Lamps used for lighting children's institutions are classified as diffused light lamps. They can be of two types: 1) uniformly diffused light distribution, when at least 50% of the total flux is emitted into each hemisphere (closed lucetta and milk ball type); 2) predominantly reflected light distribution, when the main flux is directed towards the ceiling and top part walls (from 60 to 90%) and is reflected from them down to the workplaces. This type of lamps includes ring lamps (SK-300), which are most preferable for children's institutions.
The SK-300 luminaire consists of 5 shielding metal rings, 3 brackets, a body with a 4-27 metal electric cartridge and a rod with a ceiling rosette. The lower ring is covered with silicate milk glass. The lamp is covered with white enamel paint. This lamp is the best incandescent lamp currently available. It is lightweight, easy to use, accessible for dust removal, does not contribute to heat concentration due to the free circulation of air between the rings and, therefore, does not affect the deterioration of the microclimate in the room.
Please remember that these fixtures are only designed for a 300-watt bulb. If a lamp of lower power is used, they immediately lose their favorable qualities. This is explained by the fact that a lamp of lower power will protrude above the upper ring and, therefore, have a very unpleasant glare effect.
Incandescent lamps. When illuminated by incandescent lamps, the normalized level of illumination (100 lux) in a group room with an area of ​​62 m2 is provided by 6 SK-300 lamps. In the case of using milk balls, the number of electric points should be increased to 8. Uniform lighting is created by placing lamps in two rows of three (SK-300 lamps) or four (milk balls) in each row: the distance from the outer and inner walls to the rows of lamps is 1, 5 m, and between two rows - 3.0 m.
Fluorescent lamps. Lighting with fluorescent lamps, as already noted, has a number of advantages over incandescent lamps. It allows you to create greater visual comfort - high levels illumination with lower power consumption and a more favorable brightness ratio in the field of vision of children in the absence of direct and reflected glare.
As a light source for illumination game rooms In nurseries and kindergartens, fluorescent lamps of white (LB) or dark white (LTB) light are recommended, which have the most beneficial effect on visual functions.
To illuminate children's institutions with fluorescent lamps, diffused light fixtures should be used. We can recommend lamps such as SHOD (school, general lighting, diffuse), pendant, open at the top, with shielding metal bars and an organic glass diffuser. It is designed for two fluorescent lamps of 40 or 30 W. A fluorescent diffused light ceiling lamp (LPR 240), designed for two forty-watt lamps, is also recommended. When equipping a group room in a kindergarten to create a standardized illumination level of 200 lux, the total electrical power should be 900 W and, therefore, the specific electrical power, i.e. the number of watts per 1 sq. m of floor area - 15 W/m2. The lamps are placed along the ceiling in two rows or in the shape of the letter P.
The conditions of natural and artificial lighting should be paid to Special attention when talking with parents, taking as a basis the recommendations given for child care institutions. In the family, as a rule, little attention is paid to this. You can often see children looking at or coloring pictures, embroidering, reading, drawing, playing music not only in uncomfortable position, but also in dark places in the room and even with your back to the light. To create coziness, the windows are covered with beautiful curtains that do not allow light to pass through. Therefore, it is necessary to recommend that parents, if possible, allocate the brightest part of the room to the child for his games and some mandatory activities. Parents should ensure that enough water enters the room sunlight.
One can also observe that in the evening hours children are engaged in work related to the participation of vision, with the general lighting of the room with decorative lamps, which naturally do not correspond hygienic requirements. And at home it is very important that children, when performing visual work, even during the game, they used local lighting. It is best to use “school” type lamps for this. They are equipped with opaque lampshades and have a wide light output aimed at workplace; they use relatively low power electric lamps from 60 to 75 watts.

How dangerous, for example, are photo flashes for our eyes? Modern cameras are equipped with powerful flashes with a light pulse energy of 20 J and above. Especially gets it statesmen and artists, when at press conferences they are repeatedly exposed to dozens of light pulses. This impact is far from indifferent to the eyes: a sharp change in the brightness level of objects leads to a disruption of normal visual perception and to temporary blindness. The glare effect is strongest in dark time days or in a darkened room, when the sensitivity of the eye increases millions of times. In such a situation, the restoration of visual functions after being blinded by a flash can last one or two minutes, and condensation may take even longer dark spots in the field of view and consistent color images appear.

The main thing that always worries people is whether the consequences of a brief blindness may be irreversible. Strictly speaking, such irreversible consequences always exist. Each flash is capable of destroying a small number of photoreceptors, which, like brain neurons, are not restored. Another thing is that the number of photoreceptors in the eye is huge, and the loss of a small part, as a rule, does not entail serious consequences for the visual apparatus.

Ultraviolet and ultraviolet radiation are especially dangerous for eye tissues. infrared ranges, which are abundantly represented in the spectrum of photo flashes. At a certain flash power, such radiation can cause not only temporary functional blindness, but also pathological change in the organ of vision. It should be noted that harmful effects UV radiation on the eye is especially dangerous for young people and children - their lens is most transparent to ultraviolet radiation. In older people, the lens acquires a yellow tint and acts as a protective filter, however, there is also a risk group - these are people who have undergone surgery to remove the lens for cataracts and other diseases. Artificial lens has the greatest transparency.

Of great interest are recent experimental data on irreversible damage to the retinal receptors when using even operating microscopes and ophthalmoscopes. There have been frequent cases of damage to the eyes of people in such professions as cameramen, television presenters, etc. This professional group experiences inflammation and opacities of the cornea and even swelling of the conjunctiva of the eye. Currently, a number of clinics use photoflashes as diagnostic test the performance of the retina (so-called photostress), but the safety of such a procedure is questionable.

It should be remembered that the load on the retina from the light pulse of a photoflash depends not only on the power of the flash, but also on the distance to it and the surrounding light conditions. Shooting at close range, especially multiple shots and dark room, may cause serious damage to the eyes.

In fashion all over the world healthy image life, respect for nature and savings natural resources. Modern technologies are already struggling to keep up with the demands of society and, in an effort to save energy and our vision, the industry produces more and more new types of lamps.

For example, housekeepers consume several times less electricity, serve better, but in Lately Discussions began about their effect on vision, although it was revealed that if they do not bring benefit, then there is practically no harm from them.

What should healthy lighting be like in the home, in stores and at work? You should not select chandeliers and lamps only according to technical specifications. Light affects not only appearance interior, but also on your attitude and visual acuity.

Properly selected light in the bedroom gives peace and a sense of peace when you need to relax. In the room where you work, lighting should not tire your eyes. Hang cascade chandeliers in it with fairly bright, but not blinding, bulbs.

When choosing a lamp, you need to take into account the size and height of the room. And if the room is small, then it makes sense to hang sconces on the walls in addition to the chandelier; besides, doctors say that such light is more useful.

Previously, incandescent lamps were the most common. Their spectrum is very different from the natural one, since it is dominated by red and yellow. At the same time necessary person There is no ultraviolet in incandescent lamps.

Later developed luminescent light sources helped solve the problem of light starvation. Their efficiency is much higher than incandescent lamps, and their service life is longer. Doctors advise using ceiling lights with fluorescent lamps, the light of which is much healthier than traditional lamps.

Nowadays LED lamps are gaining popularity, but it is still not clear whether they are beneficial or harmful to vision. Some LED lamp designs use a blue LED that emits waves with properties similar to ultraviolet light. This radiation can have Negative influence to the retina of the eye.

But there is still debate on this issue and we can say for sure that the efficiency of such lamps is many times higher than classical lighting. Even if broken, LEDs do not pose a danger to humans, since they do not contain toxic substances. In addition, these lamps do not heat the air, which means the fire hazard factor is completely eliminated.

Are LED lamps harmful to health? Reviews from experts

The massive appearance of LED lamps on the shelves of hardware stores, visually reminiscent of an incandescent lamp (base E14, E27), has led to additional questions among the population about the advisability of their use.

Research centers, in turn, put forward theories and present facts indicating the dangers of LED lamps. How far lighting technology has come, and what is hidden back side medals called "LED lighting".

What's true and what's fiction

Several years of using LED lamps allowed scientists to draw the first conclusions about their true effectiveness and safety. It turned out that such bright light sources as LED lamps also have their “dark sides”.

In search of a compromise solution, you will have to become more familiar with LED lamps. The design contains harmful substances. To make sure that an LED lamp is environmentally friendly, just remember what parts it consists of.

Its body is made of plastic and a steel base. In powerful samples, a radiator made of aluminum alloy is located around the circumference. A printed circuit board with light-emitting diodes and radio driver components are fixed under the bulb.

Unlike energy-saving fluorescent lamps, the bulb with LEDs is not sealed or filled with gas. According to availability harmful substances, LED lamps can be placed in the same category as most electronic devices without batteries.

Safe operation is a significant advantage of innovative light sources.

White LED light is harmful to your eyesight

When going shopping for LED lamps, you need to pay attention to the color temperature. The higher it is, the greater the intensity of radiation in the blue and cyan spectrum.

The retina of the eye is most sensitive to blue light, which over long-term repeated exposure leads to its degradation. Cold white light is especially harmful to children's eyes, whose structure is still developing.

To reduce visual irritation, it is recommended to include low-power incandescent lamps (40 - 60 W) in lamps with two or more sockets, as well as use LED lamps that emit warm white light.

Flicker strongly

The harm of pulsations from any artificial light source has long been proven. Flickers with a frequency of 8 to 300 Hz have a negative effect on nervous system. Both visible and invisible pulsations penetrate through the organs of vision into the brain and contribute to poor health.

LED lamps are no exception. However, it's not all bad. If the driver output voltage additionally undergoes high-quality filtering, getting rid of the variable component, then the ripple value will not exceed 1%.

The ripple coefficient (Kp) of lamps that have a built-in switching power supply does not exceed 10%, which satisfies sanitary standards. The price of a lighting device with a high-quality driver cannot be low, and its manufacturer must be a well-known brand.

Suppress melatonin secretion

Melatonin is a hormone responsible for sleep frequency and regulation circadian rhythm. IN healthy body its concentration increases with the onset of darkness and causes drowsiness.

Working at night, a person is exposed to various harmful factors, including lighting.

As a result of repeated studies it has been proven negative impact LED light at night on human vision. Therefore, with the onset of darkness, you should avoid bright LED radiation, especially in bedrooms.

Lack of sleep after prolonged viewing of LED TV (monitor) is also explained by a decrease in melatonin production. Systematic exposure to the blue spectrum at night provokes insomnia.

In addition to regulating sleep, melatonin neutralizes oxidative processes, which means it slows down aging.

Emit a lot of light in the infrared and ultraviolet range

To understand this statement, you need to analyze two ways to obtain white light based on LEDs. The first method involves placing three crystals in one case - blue, green and red.

The wavelength they emit does not extend beyond the visible spectrum. Consequently, such LEDs do not generate luminous flux in the infrared and ultraviolet range.

To obtain white light in the second way, a phosphor is applied to the surface of a blue LED, which generates a luminous flux with a predominant yellow spectrum. As a result of mixing them, you can get different shades of white.

The presence of UV radiation in this technology is negligible and safe for humans. The intensity of IR radiation at the beginning of the long-wave range does not exceed 15%, which is disproportionately low with the same value for an incandescent lamp.

The talk about applying a phosphor to an ultraviolet LED instead of a blue LED is not unfounded. But for now, producing white light using this method is expensive, has low efficiency and a lot of technological problems. Therefore, white lamps based on UV LEDs have not yet reached industrial scale.

Have harmful electromagnetic radiation

High frequency driver module is the most powerful source electromagnetic radiation in an LED lamp. The RF pulses emitted by the driver can affect the operation and degrade the transmitted signal of radio receivers and WIFI transmitters located in close proximity.

But the harm from the electromagnetic flux of an LED lamp for humans is several orders of magnitude less harm from mobile phone, microwave oven or WIFI router. Therefore, the influence of electromagnetic radiation from LED lamps with a pulse driver can be neglected.

Cheap Chinese light bulbs are harmless to health

Regarding Chinese LED lamps, it is generally accepted that cheap means poor quality. And unfortunately, this is true. Analyzing the product in stores, it can be noted that all LED lamps whose cost is minimal have a low-quality voltage conversion module.

Inside such lamps, instead of a driver, a transformerless power supply unit (BP) with a polar capacitor is installed to neutralize the alternating component. Due to its small capacity, the capacitor copes with its assigned function only partially. As a result, the pulsation coefficient can reach up to 60%, which can negatively affect a person’s vision and health in general.

There are two ways to minimize the harm from such LED lamps. The first involves replacing the electrolyte with an analogue with a capacity of about 470 uF (if free space inside the case allows).

Such lamps can be used in the corridor, toilet and other rooms with low visual stress. The second is more expensive and involves replacing a low-quality power supply with a driver with a pulse converter. But in any case, for lighting living rooms and workplaces, it is better not to buy cheap products from China.

Before technological progress, humanity went to bed at sunset and woke up with its first rays. At that time, the daily rhythm of people coincided with natural light. Today is the world of light bulbs, lanterns, televisions and other modern devices. The biological clock people have changed radically. Now there is no need to go to bed when the sun goes down. You can walk all night. For long period time, biologists thought about the violation circadian rhythm, the consequences of which are various kinds diseases. Therefore, studies were conducted, the results of which showed that bright lighting is harmful to human health.

According to the data obtained, scientists boldly declare negative manifestation Sveta. Their experimental subjects were constantly under bright lighting, which later led to their depressive state. They treated everything that happened around them completely passively and without interest. Research results also indicated memory impairment. Restore normal condition The subjects of the study were treated with antidepressants. Bright lighting affects the light-sensitive cells in the human retina. The biological clock is specifically associated with these cells. Therefore, the harm of bright light to the eyes is very dangerous.

How to protect your eyes from bright light?

By it's nature human eyes designed for distant views. But today you can notice that with the development of civilization, people wear glasses more and more. This is due to the fact that their vision has decreased significantly as they spend more time watching TV, computers, tablets, etc. Everything happens due to heavy load nearby. You can protect your eyesight and relieve stress simple exercises. If you feel tired during work, for example after an hour, you should take a break. A break involves looking at any objects in the distance. You can go to the window and look. What's going on in the neighbor's house or the birds in the trees, etc. While vision is directed into the distance, the eyes rest. In bright sunlight, it is recommended to wear Sunglasses. Do not neglect all methods of protecting your eyes from bright lighting. You must always take care of your health.

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