Cautions about blue and UV light and macular degeneration

Question (appropriate for an admin to decide)

Some years back I started a thread (for old people like me) with some cautions about blue and UV light and macular degeneration. That old thread is long gone in the old archives and out of date.

The issue has beeni much better covered in general health news since then.

Youngsters not aware of the risks, I think, deserve some warning in and around using bright LEDs -- and all modders, to keep kids safe from them.

The damage is painless. You don't feel a thing, or notice 'til your macula starts failing.

But in what forum, here? Suggestions welcome.

Here's where I'd recommend people read up on the issues:

http://www.mdsupport.org/library/hazard.html

http://www.macular.org/bluelite.html

http://www.agingeye.net/pdffiles/maculardegeninformation.pdf

Good point to bring up. It's so easy to power up a UV LED - especially a very short wavelength unit - and think to yourself, "man that's dim" and not realize how much light is actually coming out of it because the majority of the optical power is outside the range of the human eye.

I'm sure that we're going to see a lot of inexperienced people end up with some form of eye damage in the near future.

Re: The new CPF!

Yeah, even though blue light doesn't bother me like some people (headaches) I'm still carefull about my RB luxIII light.

Re: The new CPF!

Hmm. All those nights with black light posters, and I had more than a few...

So this is blue LEDs and UV LEDs? What about white?

Thank for posting this...

Hmm. No mention of cyan 490nm light. Blast away!!

Re: The new CPF!

TorchMan said:

What about white?

Click to expand...

I suppose it depends upon how you get white. Most white LEDs have a large spectral lump in the blue area, a dip around cyan, and bigger lump that peaks in the green-yellow-red area.

Most incans tail off in the blue, and have the vast majority of their emissions in the yellow-red end.

Scott

I hadn't known about this either. I have a Dlink DGL-4300 wireless router that has super bright blue LED's on it.

You know, this is probably why I'm glad that I don't shine my RB LuxIII in my face, or use it often except at some distance, so the reflected light isn't quite so... bright.

I thought that was a rather fact free article. Its my assumption that UV light causes cataracks. Most eye glasses come with UV protection, but I would wear a pair to be sure.

I dont know about you guys, but the two blue leds Ive played with are too freaking bright to take a hit in the face with. White and red are ok.

Excellent reminder, thanks for posting it

Brightnrm

I am an optometrist, and IMHO, infrequent exposure to UV flashlights would not pose a threat to macular integrity.

I'll give a "not always" thing here.

If you are heavily on PCB, or snorting something worse, and sit for hours staring into a deep UV light, OK, you've got a problem. The problem is much worse than UV exposure.

Our uses pale in comparison to everyday exposure to the sun's UV rays.