Eye Disease Resulting From Increased Use of Fluorescent Lighting as a Climate Change Mitigation Strategy

Bibliographic Data

ID11034345
AuthorsHelen Walls (0000-0003-0538-3859, Faculty of Design), Helen L Walls (At the time of this study, Helen L. Walls and Geza Benke were with the Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Kelvin L. Walls was with Building Code Consultants Limited, Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand.), Kelvin L Walls (At the time of this study, Helen L. Walls and Geza Benke were with the Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Kelvin L. Walls was with Building Code Consultants Limited, Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand.), Kelvin Walls (Faculty of Design), Geza Benke (0000-0001-9019-9364, At the time of this study, Helen L. Walls and Geza Benke were with the Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Kelvin L. Walls was with Building Code Consultants Limited, Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand.)
Year2011
Volume101
Issue12
Pages2222-2225
Publication date2011-12-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2011.300246
PMID22021286
PMCIDPMC3222423
OpenAlexW1981693900
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited19

Increased use of fluorescent lighting as a climate change mitigation strategy may increase eye disease. The safe range of light to avoid exposing the eye to potentially damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation is 2000 to 3500K and greater than 500 nanometers. Some fluorescent lights fall outside this safe range. Fluorescent lighting may increase UV-related eye diseases by up to 12% and, according to our calculations, may cause an additional 3000 cases of cataracts and 7500 cases of pterygia annually in Australia. Greater control of UV exposure from fluorescent lights is required. This may be of particular concern for aging populations in developed countries and countries in northern latitudes where there is a greater dependence on artificial lighting

Biology · Cataracts · Climate change · Environmental health · Fluorescence · Optics · Physics · Range (aeronautics) · Ultraviolet radiation · Air Quality and Health Impacts · Chemistry · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Ecology · Environmental Science · Impact of Light on Environment and Health · Materials Science · Medicine · Ophthalmology · Optometry

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