Could be ultraviolet? Several types of fluorescent light emit low
levels of UV rays. In most cases this causes no discernible harm
whatsoever (ordinary sunlight contains lots of UV too). However, I
know that there are people with a rare medical condition who have no
cancer defence mechanism, and they cannot go in the sunlight or
expose themselves to light from several types of electric lighting,
because they will develop skin cancers.
-Michael.
Could be ultraviolet? Several types of fluorescent light emit low levels of UV rays. In most cases this causes no discernible harm whatsoever (ordinary sunlight contains lots of UV too). However, I know that there are people with a rare medical condition who have no cancer defence mechanism, and they cannot go in the sunlight or expose themselves to light from several types of electric lighting, because they will develop skin cancers. Michael.
Please don’t take this lightly. UV is dangerous, whatever the source,
and it is accumulative: your DNA will mutate after the exposure of
a certain amount of UV, and ‘oridinary sunlight’ causes a lot of
melanoma from which quite a lot of people die each year - and each
year more people die from melanoma in the US as well as in Europe and
in Australia. I do not know about the medical condition you refer to.
UV, while dangerous to everyone, is esp. critical for people with a
white (milky) skin and for people with a white skin and with
freckles and with red(ish) hair (type A persons). Will
With regard to Halogen lighting and full-spectrum fluorescent
lighting and the skin issue, my mother was on an experimental drug
for 4 years in a study to treat a specific type of macular
degeneration. This drug’s effect included a suppression of the
production of melanin (the chemical that colors your skin and makes
you tan) in the skin, and a dramatically increased effect of light on
cells in the body.
During that time, she had to wear a MedicAlert warning about
lighting sources, including Halogen and high-intensity full-spectrum
fluorescents, and also had to completely avoid exposure to sunlight
(going outside only in gloves, hat, scarf and dark glasses). The
reason for the MedicAlert was that if she were in an accident
requiring medical attention or surgery, the intense lighting used in
an emergency room or surgery would have caused severe burning and
cellular damage that could lead to rapid development of certain
cancers to any body tissue exposed.
It was explained to us by the medical people we were working with
that Halogen (even with the protective glass), full-spectrum
fluorescent (even with its glass covering), and natural sunlight
(even through a glass window) all are full-spectrum lightings and
contribute to cellular changes in the skin. So it’s not just U.V.
(which is generally filtered out by the glass) that can be a problem.
As I had always believed the issue was one of U.V., I was surprised
to learn this.
Hope this helps!
Karen Goeller
@Karen_Goeller
http://www.nolimitations.com
Handcrafted and Unique Artisan Jewelry
The recent discussion about potential hazards of fluorescent
lighting has me concerned. I just installed a couple of fluorescent
lights in a new work area, the two bulb kind that are mounted to the
bench. I have worked with incandescent lighting for a long time. My
previous set up was not fully adequate and I was looking forward to
having a well lit work space. But if there really are potential
dangers associated with this type of lighting, especially at such
close proximity to me the worker, maybe I should install a different
type of light. I am very fair skinned and have skin cancer in the
family. I have also recently been battling asthma and sinus problems
and have a polyp in my nose. So the reference to cancer of the nose
really got my attention. Even if the chance of this occurring might
be small or take a long time to accumulate, I would prefer to make
the safest choice now. Can anyone make a suggestion for making my work
area well lit as well as healthy? Thank you-Carrie Nunes
Carrie, There is no need for you to freak out over this, but better
be safe than sorry. Perhaps I am somehow paranoid about this, having
had a case of melanoma in my family too, but I wouldn’t use
fluorescent lightning if I would be working in close proximity to the
bulbs for many hours a day. What is the alternative? I use several
incandescent efficiency lights. They are not cheap compared to the
traditional incandescent ones, but they pay back in the consumption
of energy. I do not see any disavantage in them. The brightness is
sufficient. All the jewelry supply houses sells lightning systems but
most of them are very expensive. Perhaps they are very neat, but
perhaps you do not need them to do a good job. Fluorescent bulbs,
metal-halide, and, of course, high pressure mercury bulbs, emit alot
of UV. By the way, it is estimated that the human race consumes over
than 2.2 quadrillion of watt hours of electricity a year for
lightning purposes only. The cost is some $ 200 billion. Experts say
this consumption could be cut in half if people would use efficiency
lights, if things got better designed and if appropriate light levels
would be respected. Best, Will
Can anyone make a suggestion for making my work area well lit as well as healthy?
Full Spectrum lighting. The best light to work by is natural light,
so anything approximating that is okay. I haven’t read all the
posts in this thread, but when it comes down to it, it is a fact that
offices across the board have problems with workers getting strained
eyes from the glare and flicker of flourescents–not to mention
staring into a tv tube at close range (I now have an LCD monitor and
have noticed a huge difference in how long I can work/play at my
computer!).
In making my miniature chainmail (rings in the mesh are 1.2mm
diameter using 26 gauge wire), I rely not only on natural or
incandescent lighting, but I also depend on the use of shadows on the
piece (rings aren’t closed when…) as well as touch.
also, as a matter of safety, lighting in work spaces of any sort
should have some sort of screen or cage on them to a) prevent
possible shrapnel from blown bulbs coming down and b)prevent possible
items coming up and striking the bulb.
Oh, by the way, I just remembered… the Gargoyle safety glasses I
wear in the studio (almost constantly) have 99%+ UV protection.
Won’t keep my nose from falling off, but will most likely protect my
eyes.
Dave
Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio and
Carolina Artisans’ Gallery
Charlotte, NC (USA)
dave@sebaste.com