Energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps, or ECL, are popular and are purchased both for use in private homes and in offices, when people are looking for ways to reduce their electricity bills.
But researchers from Stony Brook University (New York) have found that compact fluorescent lamps also have a dark side: the lamps emit an amazingly high level of ultraviolet (UV) radiation that can damage skin cells and cause cancer at high levels of exposure.
To test the safety of light bulbs, the researchers exposed healthy human skin cells to light with an energy-saving compact fluorescent lamp and compared the effect that ordinary incandescent bulbs had on healthy skin cells.
The analysis showed that skin cells that had been exposed to compact fluorescent lamps were significantly affected. "The results showed that the process of cell death actually began," said Marcia Simon, a professor of dermatology. In skin cells that experienced incandescent light, no significant damage was observed.
The researchers believe that they know the cause: ultraviolet radiation seeps through tiny cracks in the inner surface of the ECL.
ECL manufacturers refute the findings of scientists from Stony Brook, arguing that "UV levels are acceptably low," and light bulbs are safe.
ECLs also contain small amounts of mercury, which can cause damage to the nervous system, birth defects, and other undesirable health effects. Thus, despite the energy efficiency of such lamps, green credentials are questionable for them, which makes energy-saving LED lamps a more attractive option for consumers.
