LEDs emit non-analogue light, typically characterised by an excessive amount of blue frequencies. Regular exposure, particularly after sunset, contributes to the deterioration of sleep and potentially affecting wellness. When using LEDs, there is a risk of increased cellular damage, as well as decreased repair and regeneration capabilities.
Cells in the retina are responsible for producing melatonin, which regenerates the retina during the night. Using LED lights after sunset diminishes the regenerative and restorative capacities of your eyes, raising the risk of macular degeneration.
LED light can exacerbate health issues by promoting mitochondrial dysfunction and suppressing energy production within cells. Furthermore, LED light, including that from electronic screens, suppresses melatonin production, thereby disrupting sleep and leading to far-reaching health consequences.
Watch this video on the dangers of LED lights
Here are the most important tips from the interview with Dr. Alexander Wunsch about the dangers of LED lighting:
- Impact of Blue Light: LEDs emit a significant amount of blue light, which can cause oxidative stress and damage in tissues. Blue light exposure is particularly harmful after sunset as it reduces melatonin production, which is crucial for sleep and regeneration.
- Lack of Infrared Light: Unlike incandescent bulbs, LEDs lack near-infrared light, which is beneficial for health. Near-infrared light supports tissue repair and regeneration, boosts mitochondrial function, and enhances ATP production.
- Flicker Issue: LEDs often use pulse-width modulation for dimming, causing a flicker that, while not always perceptible to the human eye, can cause biological stress and discomfort. This flicker can be harmful at the cellular level.
- Analogue vs. Digital Light Sources: Incandescent bulbs provide a continuous spectrum of light, including beneficial infrared wavelengths, whereas LEDs provide a digital, flickering light that lacks these wavelengths.
- Biological Effects of Light: Light quality affects our health significantly. Natural light sources like sunlight and incandescent bulbs provide a full spectrum of light that supports health, while LEDs do not.
- Protective Measures:
- Use Incandescent or Halogen Bulbs: Prefer using incandescent or halogen bulbs, especially after sunset. Halogen bulbs, particularly low-voltage ones operated on a DC transformer, provide a healthier light spectrum.
- Blue Blockers: Wear blue-blocking glasses after sunset to reduce exposure to harmful blue light.
- Check for Flicker: Use slow-motion settings on smartphones or specific flicker meters to check if your lighting sources flicker and avoid those that do.
- OLED Screens: Consider using OLED screens over traditional LED screens for less flicker and more natural light quality.
- Avoiding Overexposure: Limit exposure to LED screens and lights, especially in the evening. Make sure to balance any exposure with natural sunlight or incandescent lighting during the day.
By following these tips, one can mitigate the potential harms caused by excessive and improper LED light exposure, thereby supporting better overall health and well-being.
“It’s all about energy production. What I didn’t appreciate until I heard it from you, is that maybe only one-third, a measly third, of our energy that we produce – and obviously one of those is ATP – comes from the food that we eat. The electrons that are transferred from the food, primarily the fats and the carbohydrates, are ultimately transferred to oxygen and generate that ATP. But only one-third of the energy comes from that. The rest, two-thirds or so, comes from this light exposure.”
How Smartphones Keep You Awake
References related to this subject
Algvere PV, Marshall J, Seregard S. Age-related maculopathy and the impact of blue light hazard. Acta Ophthalmol Scand 84:4–15; 2006.
American Medical Association. Report of the Council on Science and Public Health, CSAPH Report 2-A-16. Washington, DC: AMA; 2016.
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. Threshold limit values for chemical substances and physical agents and biological exposure indices. Cincinnati, OH: ACGIH; 2019.
ANSES, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety. Health effects of lighting systems using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) [online]. 2010. Available at www.anses.fr. Accessed 20 February 2020.
ANSES, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety. Effects on human health and the environment (fauna and flora) of systems using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) [online]. 2019. Available at www.anses.fr. Accessed 20 February 2020.
American National Standards Institute/Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (ANSI/IESNA). Recommended practice for photobiological safety for lamps and lamp systems—general requirements. New York: IESNA; RP 27: 1–15; 2015.
American National Standards Institute/Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (ANSI/IESNA). Recommended practice for photobiological safety for lamps and lamp systems – risk group classification and labeling. New York: IESNA; RP 27: 3–17; 2017.
Behar-Cohen F, Martinsons C, Vienot F, Zissis G, Barlier-Salsi A, Cesarini JP, Enouf O, Garcia M, Picaud S, Attia D. Light-emitting diodes (LED) for domestic lighting: any risks for the eye? Progress Retinal Eye Res 30:239–257; 2011.
Brainard GC, Hanifin JP, Greeson JM, Byrne B, Glickman G, Gerner E, Rollag MD. Action spectrum for melatonin regulation in humans: evidence for a novel circadian photoreceptor. J Neurosci 21:6405–6412; 2001.
Cheung LK, Eaton A. Age-related macular degeneration. Pharmacother 33:838–855; 2013.
Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE). Photobiological safety standards for lamps. Vienna: CIE; Report of TC 6-38; CIE 134-3-99; 1999.
Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE). Calculation and presentation of united glare rating tables for indoor lighting luminaires. Vienna: CIE; 190; 2010.
Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE). ILV: international lighting vocabulary. Vienna: CIE; DIS 017/E; 2016.
Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE). CIE S009 photobiological safety of lamps and lamp system. Vienna: CIE; 2002.
Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE). CIE position statement on non-visual effects of light. Recommending proper light at the proper time. Vienna: CIE; 2019.
Cruickshanks KJ, Klein R, Klein BEK, Nondahl DM. Sunlight and the 5-year incidence of early age-related maculopathy. Arch Ophthalmol 110:246–250; 2001.
Darzins BM, Mitchell P, Heller RF. Sun exposure and age-related macular degeneration: an Australian case-control study. Ophthalmol 104:770–776; 1997.
Delcourt C, Carriere I, Ponton-Sanchez A, Fourrey S, Lacroux A, Papoz L. POLA Study Group. Light exposure and the risk of age-related macular degeneration: the Pathologies Oculaires Liées à l’Age (POLA) Study. Arch Ophthalmol 119:1463–1468; 2001.
Duchene AS, Lakey JRA, Repacholi MH. IRPA guidelines on protection against non-ionizing radiation. New York: MacMillan; 1991.
Figueiro MG, Steverson B, Heerwagen J, Kampschroer K, Hunter CM, Gonzales K, Plitnick B, Rea MS. The impact of daytime light exposures on sleep and mood in office workers. Sleep Health 3:204–215; 2017.
Garcia-Saenz A, Sánchez de Miguel A, Espinosa A, Valentin A, Aragonés N, Llorca J, Amiano P, Martín Sánchez V, Guevara M, Capelo R, Tardón A, Peiró-Perez R, Jiménez-Moleón JJ, Roca-Barceló A, Pérez-Gómez B, Dierssen-Sotos T, Fernández-Villa T, Moreno-Iribas C, Moreno V, García-Pérez J, Castaño-Vinyals G, Pollán M, Aubé M, Kogevinas M. Evaluating the Association between Artificial Light-at-Night Exposure and Breast and Prostate Cancer Risk in Spain (MCC-Spain Study). Environ Health Perspect. 2018 Apr 23;126(4):047011. doi: 10.1289/EHP1837. PMID: 29687979; PMCID: PMC6071739.Alim-Marvasti A, Bi W, Mahroo OA, Barbur JL, Plant GT. Transient smartphone “blindness”. NEJM 374 (25);2502–2504; 2016.
Gillespie JB, Maclean M, Given MJ, Wilson MP, Judd MD, Timoshkin IV, MacGregor SJ. Efficacy of pulsed 495 nm light-emitting diodes for antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation: effects of intensity, frequency, and duty cycle. PhotoMed Laser Surg 35:150–156; 2017.
Ham WT Jr. The photopathology and nature of the blue-light and near-UV retinal lesion produced by lasers and other optical sources. In: Wolbarsht ML, ed. Laser applications in medicine and biology. New York: Plenum Press; 1989: 191–246.
Ham WT Jr, Mueller HA, Ruffolo JJ Jr, Guerry RK, Clarke AM. Ocular effects of GaAs lasers and near-infrared radiation. Appl Opt 23:2181–2186; 1984.
Ham WT Jr, Mueller HA, Sliney DH. Retinal sensitivity to damage by short-wavelength light. Nature 260:153–155; 1976.
Health Council of the Netherlands. Advisory Letter “Health risks associated with LEDs”. Nr. 2015/02E, January; 2015.
Houser K. Human centric lighting and semantic drift, editorial. LEUKOS 14:213–214; 2018.
IEEE. Recommended practices for modulating current in high-brightness LEDs for mitigating health risks to viewers. New York: IEEE; Std 1789; 2015.
Illumination Engineering Society of North America. Recommended practice for photobiological safety for lamps—risk group classification & labeling. New York: IESNA; ANSI/ IESNA RP27. 3–1996; 1996a.
Illumination Engineering Society of North America. Photobiological safety for lamps and lighting systems—general requirements. New York: IESNA; ANSI/IESNA Standard RP27. 1; 1996b.
Illumination Engineering Society of North America. Recommended practice for photobiological safety for lamps—risk group classification & labeling. New York: IESNA; ANSI/IESNA RP27. 3; 2017.
Illumination Engineering Society of North America. Photobiological safety for lamps and lighting systems—general requirements. New York: IESNA; ANSI/IESNA Standard RP27. 1; 2015.
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes: implications for hazard assessment. Health Phys 78:744–752; 2000.
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. Guidelines on limits for laser radiation of wavelengths between 180 nm and 1,000 nm. Health Phys 71:804–819; 1996.
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. Guidelines on limits of exposure for broadband incoherent optical radiation (0.38 to 3 μm). Health Phys 73:539–597; 1997.
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. Guidelines on limits of exposure to incoherent visible and infrared radiation. Health Phys 105:74–91; 2013a.
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. Guidelines on limits of exposure to ultraviolet radiation of wavelengths between 180 nm and 400 nm (incoherent optical radiation). Health Phys 105:74–91; 2004.
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. Guidelines on limits of exposure to laser radiation of wavelengths between 180 nm and 1000 um. Health Phys 105:271–295; 2013b.
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. Measurement of optical radiation hazard: a reference book based on presentations given by health and safety experts on optical radiation hazards. Matthes R, Sliney DH, eds. Oberschleissheim, Germany: ICNIRP; Vienna: CIE Central Bureau; 1998.
International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. Adjustment of guidelines for exposure of the eye to optical radiation from ocular instruments: statement from a task group of the International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Applied Optics 44:2162–2176, 2005.
International Electrotechnical Commission. LED modules for general lighting—safety specifications. Geneva: IEC; 62031; 2018.
International Electrotechnical Commission. Photobiological safety of lamps and lamp systems. Geneva: IEC; 62471; 2006.
International Electrotechnical Commission. Technical Report—application of IEC 62471 for the assessment of blue light hazard to light sources and luminaires, Ed. 2.0. Geneva: IEC; TR 62778; 2014.
International Electrotechnical Commission. Household and similar electrical appliances – Safety – Part 2-113: particular requirements for cosmetic and beauty care appliances incorporating lasers and intense light sources, Ed. 1.0. Geneva: IEC; 60335-2-113; 2016.
James RH, Landry RJ, Walker BN, Ilev IK. Evaluation of the potential optical radiation hazards with LED lamps intended for home use. Health Phys 112:11–17; 2017.
Jerigova V, Zeman M, Okuliarova M. Circadian Disruption and Consequences on Innate Immunity and Inflammatory Response. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Nov 8;23(22):13722. doi: 10.3390/ijms232213722. PMID: 36430199; PMCID: PMC9690954.
Khan JC, Shahid H, Thurlby DA, Bradley M, Clayton DG, Moore AT, Bird AC, Yates JRW. Genetic factors in AMD Study. Age related macular degeneration and sun exposure, iris colour, and skin sensitivity to sunlight. Br J Ophthalmol 90:29–32; 2006.
Klein BEK, Howard KP, Iyengar SK, Sivakumaran TA, Meyers KJ, Cruickshanks KJ, Klein R. Sunlight exposure, pigmentation, and incident age-related macular degeneration. Invest Ophtalmol Vis Sci 55:5855–5861; 2014.
Klein R, Klein BE, Jense SC, Cruickshanks KJ. The relationship of ocular factors to the incidence and progression of age-related maculopathy. Arch Ophthalmol 116:506–513; 1998.
Klein R. Epidemiology of age-related macular degeneration. In: Penfold PL, Provis JM, eds. Macular degeneration. Berlin-Heidelberg, Germany: Springer-Verlag; 2005: 79–102.
Klein R, Klein BE, Lee KE, Cruickshanks KJ, Gangnon RE. Changes in visual acuity in a population over a 15-year period: the Beaver Dam Eye Study. Am J Ophthamol 142:539–549; 2006.
Kremers JJM, van Norren D. Retinal damage in macaque after white light exposures lasting 10 minutes to 12 hours. Invest Ophthalmol vis Sci 30(6):1032–1040; 1989.
Krigel A, Berdugo M, Picard E, Levy-Boukris R, Jaadane I, Jonet L, Dernigoghossian M, Andrieu-Soler C, Torriglia A, Behar-Cohen F. Light-induced retinal damage using different light sources, protocols and rat strains reveals LED phototoxicity. Neuroscience 339:296–307; 2016.
Kuse Y, Ogawa K, Tsuruma K, Shimazawa M, Hara H. Damage of photoreceptor-derived cells in culture induced by light emitting diode-derived blue light. Sci Rep 4:5223; 2014.
Lawwill T, Crockett S, Currier G. Retinal damage secondary to chronic light exposure. Doc Ophthalmol 44:379–402, 1977.
Lund DJ, Edsall PR, Fuller DR, Hoxie SW. Ocular hazards of tunable continuous-wave near-infrared laser sources. SPIE Proc 2674:53–61; 1996.
Lund DJ, Stuck BE, Edsall P. Retinal injury thresholds for blue wavelength lasers. Health Phys 90:477–484; 2006.
Lunn RM, Blask DE, Coogan AN, Figueiro MG, Gorman MR, Hall JE, Hansen J, Nelson RJ, Panda S, Smolensky MH, Stevens RG, Turek FW, Vermeulen R, Carreón T, Caruso CC, Lawson CC, Thayer KA, Twery MJ, Ewens AD, Garner SC, Schwingl PJ, Boyd WA. Health consequences of electric lighting practices in the modern world: a report on the National Toxicology Program’s workshop on shift work at night, artificial light at night, and circadian disruption. Sci Total Environ 607-608:1073–1084; 2017.
Marshall J. The blue light paradox: problem or panacea [online]. 2017. Intl Rev of Ophth Optics.
McKinlay AF, Harlen F, Whillock MJ. Hazards of optical radiation: a guide to sources, uses and safety. Bristol: IOP Publishing, Ltd.; 1988.
Miller SA, James RH, Landry RJ, Pfefer TJ. Optical characterization of cutaneous transilluminators for eye safety. Biomed Opt Exp 1:771–779; 2010.
Mitchell P, Liew G, Gopinath B, Wong TY. Age-related macular degeneration. Lancet 392:1147–1159; 2018.
Mortazavi SAR, Tahmasebi S, Parsaei H, Taleie A, Faraz M, Rezaianzadeh A, Zamani A, Zamani A, Mortazavi SMJ. Machine Learning Models for Predicting Breast Cancer Risk in Women Exposed to Blue Light from Digital Screens. J Biomed Phys Eng. 2022 Dec 1;12(6):637-644. doi: 10.31661/jbpe.v0i0.2105-1341. PMID: 36569561; PMCID: PMC9759638.
Mukai R, Akiyama H, Tajika Y, Shimoda Y, Yorifuji H, Kishi S. Functional and morphologic consequences of light exposure in primate eyes. Inv Ophth Vis Sci 53:6035–6044; 2012.
Obana A, Brinkman R, Gohto Y, Nishimura K. A case of retinal injury by a violet light-emitting diode. Retinal Cases Brief Reports 5:223–226; 2011.
Ogawa K, Kuse Y, Tsuruma K, Kobayashi S, Shimazawa M, Hara H. Protective effects of bilberry and lingonberry extracts against blue light-emitting diode light-induced retinal photoreceptor cell damage in vitro. BMC Complement Altern Med 14:120; 2014.
O’Hagan J, Khazova M, Price LL. Low-energy light bulbs, computers, tablets and the blue light hazard. Eye 30:230–233; 2016.
Osborne NN, Li GY, Mortiboys HJ, Jackson S. Light affects mitochrondria to cause apoptosis to cultured cells: possible relevance to ganglion cell death in certain optic neuropathies. J Neurochem 105:2013–2028; 2008.
Pfefer TJ, Mehrabi A, James R, Landry R, Weininger S, Chang I, Kaufman D, Miller S. Optical-thermal characterization of cutaneous transilluminators. Phys Med Biol 54:6887–6880; 2009.
Pitts DG, Cullen AP. Determination of infrared radiation levels for acute ocular cataractogenesis. Graefes Arch Klin Exp Ophthalmol 217:285–297; 1981.
Point S. Blue light hazard: are exposure limit values protective enough for newborn infants? Radioprotect 53:219–224; 2018.
Public Health England. Human responses to lighting based on LED lighting solutions. London: CHE; CRCE-RDD; 01-2016; 2016.
Schierz C. Is light with lack of red spectral components a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD)? CIE Proceedings of the 29th CIE Session. Vienna: CIE 2019; 58.
Schulmeister K, Stuck BE, Lund DJ, Sliney DH. Review of thresholds and recommendations for revised exposure limits for laser and optical radiation for thermally induced retinal injury. Health Phys 100:210–220; 2011.
Schulmeister K, O’Hagan J, Sliney DH. Lamp and LED safety – classification vs. realistic exposure analysis. In: Proceeding paper 801; Orlando, FL: Laser Institute of America; International Laser Safety Conference 2019: 174–183.
Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks. Final opinion on “Potential risks to human of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDS)”. 2018.
Shang Y, Wang G, Sliney DH, Yang C, Lee L. Light-emitting-diode induced retinal damage and its wavelength dependency in vivo. Int J Ophthalmol 10:191–202; 2017.
Schick T, Ersoy L, Lechanteur YTE, Saksens NTM, Hoyng CB, den Hollander AI, Kirchhof B, Fauser S. History of sunlight exposure is a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration. Retina 36:787–790; 2016.
Seko Y, Pang J, Tokoto T, Ichinose S, Mochizuki M. Blue light-induced apoptosis in cultured retinal pigment epithelium cells of the rat. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 239:47–52; 2001.
Sliney DH, Wolbarsht ML. Safety with lasers and other optical sources. New York: Plenum Press; 1980.
Sliney DH. What is light? The visible spectrum and beyond. Eye 30:222–229; 2016.
Sliney DH, Bergman R, O’Hagan J. Photobiological risk classification and lamps and lamp systems—history and rationale. Leukos 12:213–234; 2016.
Sui GY, Liu GC, Liu GY, Gao Y-Y, Deng Y, Wang W-Y, Tong S-H, Wang L. Is sunlight exposure a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Ophthalmol 97:389–394; 2013.
Sykes SM, Robison WG Jr, Waxler M, Kuwabara T. Damage to the monkey retina by broad-spectrum fluorescent light. Inv Ophthalmol Vis Sci 20:425–434; 1981.
Taylor HR, West S, Munoz B, Rosenthal FS, Bressler SB, Bressler SB. The long-term effects of visible light on the eye. Arch Ophthalmol 110:99–104; 1992.
Thapa R, Bajimaya S, Paudyal G, Khanal S, Tan S, Thapa SS, van Rens G. Prevalence of and risk factors for age-related macular degeneration in Nepal: the Bhaktapur Retina Study. Clin Ophthalmol 11:963–972; 2017.
Thapan K, Arendt J, Skene DJ. An action spectrum for melatonin suppression: evidence for a novel non-rod, non-cone photoreceptor system in humans. J Physiol 535:261–267; 2001.
Tomany SC, Wang JJ, Van Leeuwen R, Klein R, Mitchell P, Vingerling JR, Klein BEK, Smith W, De Jong PTVM. Risk factors for incident age-related macular degeneration: pooled findings from three continents. Ophthalmol 111:1280–1287; 2004.
US Department of Energy. Solid-state lighting R & D plan. Washington, DC: US DOE; DOE/EE-1418; 2016.
Wengraitis S, McCubbin P, Wade MM, Biggs TD, Hall S, Williams LI, Zulich AW. Pulsed UV-C disinfection pf Escherichia coli with light emitting diodes, emitted at various repetition rates and duty cycles. PhotoChem PhotoBio 89:127–131; 2013.
Werner JS, Steele VG, Pfoff DS. Loss of human photoreceptor sensitivity associated with chronic exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Ophthalmol 96:1552–1558; 1989.
Whitehead LA, Osborne NN. Possible health implications of low infrared levels in indoor illumination. In: CIE Midterm Meeting 2017 – abstract booklet: 196-137; Vienna, Austria: CIE; 2017 http://files.cie/co.at/CIE%202017%20-%20Absract%20Booklet.pdf. Accessed 17 February 2020. CIE Proceedings 2017: 196–197.
Wilkins AJ, Nimmo-Smith IM, Slater A, Bedocs L. Fluorescent lighting, headaches and eye-strain. Lighting Res Technol 21:11–18; 1989.
World Health Organization. Lasers and optical radiation. Environmental Health Criteria No. 23. Geneva: Joint publication of the United Nations Environmental Programme, the World Health Organization, and the International Radiation Protection Association; 1982.
Zhong C, Wang R, Morimoto LM, Longcore T, Franklin M, Rogne T, Metayer C, Wiemels JL, Ma X. Outdoor artificial light at night, air pollution, and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the California Linkage Study of Early-Onset Cancers. Sci Rep. 2023 Jan 11;13(1):583. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-23682-z. PMID: 36631468; PMCID: PMC9834257.
Zhou H, Zhang H, Yu A, Xie J. Association between sunlight exposure and risk of age-related macular degeneration: a meta-analysis. BMC Ophthal 18:331–338; 2018.