The Problems

There have been hundreds of studies done since the last quarter of the last century that have
shown causal links between elongated exposure to fluorescent lights and various negative
effects. The base of these problems is all based on the quality of light that's emitted.

The theory is basically that we are children of the sun. It is only relatively recently, with the
proliferation of electricity, that humankind has taken complete control of the night and interior
spaces. Before that most light came from the sun or a flame, and since flames didn't give you that
much light you usually woke according to the sun and worked by a window.

With the light bulb, we had the ability to do more at night and work in enclosed rooms without
windows. When the fluorescent light came about businesses had a cheap and durable light source
so of course, they adopted it. But it's not the same type of light as the sun gives us.

The sun gives us a full spectrum light, that is, a light that spans the entirety of the visual
spectrum. In fact, the sun gives us a lot more than the visual spectrum. Incandescent lights give
off a full spectrum, but not as much as sunlight. Fluorescent lights give off a rather limited
spectrum.

A lot of our body chemistry is based on the day-night cycle and we refer to it as the circadian
rhythm. Theoretically, if you do not get sufficient exposure to sunlight your circadian rhythm
gets messed up and that, in turn, messes up your hormones and then you're all screwed up.

Health Effects

There are a number of negative health effects that have been linked to working under fluorescent
lights that are theorized to be caused by this body chemistry mechanism such as:

 Migraines
 Eye strain
 Problems sleeping, due to melatonin suppression
 Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder or depression
 Endocrine disruption and poor immune systems
 Female hormonal/menstrual cycle disruption
 Increases in breast cancer rates and tumor formation
 Stress/Anxiety, due to cortisol suppression
 Sexual development/maturation disruption
 Obesity
 Agoraphobia (anxiety disorder)

The other main cause of problems with fluorescent lights is that they flicker. Fluorescent light
bulbs contain a gas that gets excited and glows when electricity is passed through this. The
electricity is not constant. It is controlled by an electric ballast that pulses on and off really fast.
To most people, it is so fast that it looks like it is on constantly. However, some people can
perceive the flicker even if they can't consciously see it. This can cause:
  Migraines
 Headaches
 Eye strain
 Stress/Anxiety

Additionally, fluorescent bulbs, especially cheaper bulbs, may have a green cast to them making
all the colors in your environment drabber and sickly looking.

The Solutions

If you are forced to work/live beneath fluorescent lights for extended periods of time each day
there are a number of things you can do to combat the negative effects. The first is to get out in
the sun more. Getting sun exposure, especially for stints in the morning midday and late
afternoon, can help maintain your circadian rhythm. Putting in some windows, skylights, or solar
tubes to bring sunlight into your interior environment can work as well.

Short of bringing in the sun you can bring in a light source with a fuller spectrum. There are
some "full spectrum" and "daylight spectrum" fluorescent lights in the market that have a better
color temperature spread than regular fluorescent lights so they do help, but they don't replace
sunlight. Alternately you can put a full spectrum light filter over your fluorescent bulb or light
fixture lens that alters the light coming out of the fluorescent bulb and gives it a fuller spectrum.
These tend to give off more Ultraviolet (UV) rays that may cause skin problems, prematurely age
materials like plastic or leather, and cause photos to fade.

Incandescent lights do a decent job of providing a good spectrum of light that most people
respond to. Another benefit of incandescent lights is that they are a constant light source that
doesn't flicker. If you perceive fluorescent flicker having a single incandescent light bulb on in
the room can be enough to cover the flicker and keep it from affecting you. They can also
balance out any green tint given off by the fluorescent bulb.

In some case phototherapy, or light box therapy, can counteract lack of sunlight exposure. This is
a common treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder and it uses an incredibly bright light for a
limited amount of time to help keep your body chemistry regulated.

Optometrists have long prescribed glasses with a very light rose-colored tint on them to
counteract the effects of working under fluorescent lights, especially in women who are
experiencing hormonal problems.

Flicker problems can be improved by using fluorescent light fixtures that use electronic ballasts
as opposed to magnetic ones.

How too much blue light in LED light bulbs can affect sleep, mood and cancer-fighting
abilities.
It’s December and the days are short, leaving us to bask in the harsh lights of our homes and
offices. While it’s well known that natural light is preferable to artificial for a variety of reasons
(vitamin-D production, prevention of seasonal affective disorder), new research published in the
Journal of Environmental Management shows that nighttime exposure to certain types of
artificial light has an even darker side than previously understood. In particular, it suppresses the
body’s ability to make melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate sleep and is celebrated for its
antioxidant, mood-enhancing and cancer-fighting properties.

The main culprit is artificial light that contains the highest percentage of blue light in its full-
spectrum mix. One of the top offenders in this category is the light-emitting diode (LED) bulb,
which suppresses melatonin at rates five times greater than bulbs that give off warmer “orange-
yellow” light, like incandescents.

LEDs have grown increasingly popular as an environmentally friendly alternative to fluorescent

or incandescent bulbs. They contain no mercury, last more than 50,000 hours and use up to 80
percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs.

Despite these benefits, scientists encourage consumers to choose bulbs situationally, avoiding
LEDs at night. Melatonin-suppressing light is “dangerous only if we expose ourselves to it
during the hours when we should be in the dark, and if the exposure is sufficiently intense or
long,” says physicist Fabio Falchi, of the Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute in
Italy. He advises people to rely more on incandescent light after dark, especially in the bedroom.

5 Common Incandescent Light Bulb Problems

Regarded as the first practical electric lighting device created, the incandescent light bulb has
been part of people's homes since it was popularized by Thomas Edison during the early 1900s.
However, there have been numerous criticisms made against it, and various lobby groups
demanding that it be phased out have been cropping up over the years. Below are common
problems of incandescent light bulbs, the first couple of which are also the reasons behind calls
to ban them.

1. Low Efficacy

For an incandescent light bulb to work, electrical energy has to pass through a filament for it to
be converted to heat. It is when the filament becomes hot enough that light is produced. Since
this process generates more heat — about 90 percent of its output — than light, a great deal of
electrical energy is actually wasted. This makes incandescent light bulbs less efficient compared
to compact fluorescent lamps and other devices, which require less electricity to give off the
same, if not more, light.

2. Negative Environmental Impact

Environmental lobbying groups have labeled incandescent light bulbs as harmful not only
because of the electricity they waste in producing heat, but also because of the substantial
amounts of carbon dioxide they emit. In addition, the heat they generate pushes cooling systems
like air conditioners to work harder, especially during the summer. These cooling systems are
dependent on coal power plants, which are known for the greenhouse gases they emit. It
becomes a vicious cycle.

3. Short Lifespan

The lifetime of a standard incandescent light bulb can range from 700 to 1,000 hours. This means
that, if used regularly, it will burn out in less than a year. Compact fluorescent lamps, on the
other hand, can last for 4 or 5 years while regular fluorescent bulbs have a maximum lifespan of
20,000 hours.

4. Costs Involved

Incandescent lamps may be cheaper than the more efficient and longer-lasting alternatives, but
they are actually not as economical. They drive up electric bills because of the large amount of
energy they consume. Due to their short lifespan, they are more costly in the long run, as they
need to be replaced often. With incandescent light bulbs, you will need seven or more
replacements within a 4-year period. If you use compact fluorescent lamps, however, you will
only need one.

5. Sensitivity to Vibration

Though shock-resistant light bulbs are now being sold, incandescent lamps in general are
vulnerable to vibrations. They tend to perform poorly and their bulb life is shortened when they
are placed in or near areas that are often exposed to trembling, such as garage doors and
staircases. Regular slamming of doors and crookedly fixed ceiling fans can also cause
incandescent light bulbs to burn out quickly.

Despite the many problems associated with the incandescent light bulb, it continues to be in
demand in many parts of the world. Product designers and manufacturers are also constantly
trying to come up with modifications designed to address concerns people have about the light
bulb.