The emergence of new light sources has given rise to a lot of controversy about the dangers of their radiation for human vision. Fluorescent lamps, like LED lamps, have both supporters and opponents in our time. Many generally believe that any artificial lighting device is a threat to the eyes. But is it really so and how dangerous can this or that shade be?
The article will consider in detail the question of whether cold white light harms a person, is there a difference between it and a warm shade for the body, and which emitters should be used in everyday life.
Varieties of lamps and their effect on humans
There are three main groups of known light sources:
- radiators with filament;
- fluorescent;
- LED.
In order to more fully reveal the topic, you should study them in detail, having de alt withadvantages, disadvantages and features of each separately.
Ilyich's bulbs and devices that work on a similar principle
The times when there were no alternatives to incandescent filament emitters are gradually fading away. They have been modernized. So there were halogen lamps, DRL, HPS. However, such emitters had a rather short service life with high electricity consumption and low efficiency. Most of the energy was spent on generating heat.
It is heating that can be called the main drawback of such emitters - quite often they caused a fire. However, their temperature hue was closest to sunlight, called warm.
Fluorescent tubes and CFLs
Almost a breakthrough for their time were lamps that consume several times less electricity without losing the strength of the luminous flux. Such emitters quickly gained popularity. We are talking about fluorescent emitters. Initially, these were long tubes. However, their use was mainly limited to offices and stairwells of entrances. In residential areas, such devices were quite rare. However, everything changed with the advent of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), which are popularly called energy-saving lamps. In order to install them in place of conventional ones, no equipment replacement was required. It was enough to unscrew the old ones and screw new ones in their place.
The main problem of fluorescentlamps is the need for special disposal. They must not be disposed of with household waste. The point is the mercury vapor contained inside the flask, which is poisonous. But this is not the only minus of fluorescent lamps (LDS) or CFLs. When heavy metal vapors are ignited during the passage of an electric current through them, an ultraviolet glow occurs, which is converted into a visible to humans using a special layer that covers the tube from the inside. The same phosphor protects a person from harmful radiation. However, over time, this layer begins to crack, as a result of which the infrared glow begins to affect vision.
Today, energy-saving cold white light bulbs, simple LB-type fluorescent lamps, and warm-colored emitters are produced.
LEDs and their features
A relatively new and safest type of artificial lighting. The minimum power consumption and long service life of these emitters contribute to the increasing popularity of such elements. The range of color temperatures of such devices is quite wide, which allows you to choose any shade of LED lamps from cold white light to natural warm.
The positive quality of such emitters can be called the fact that they can be disposed of like ordinary household waste. These are environmentally friendly devices, the production of which does not use harmful substances.
Dependence of shades on the color temperature of the luminescentlamps
The unit of this parameter is Kelvin (K). If we talk about the general indicators of color temperatures, then the following indicators can be noted:
- cold white light - 5,000-6,600 K and above;
- neutral - 3 600-4 800 K;
- warm - 1 800-3 400 K.
However, these figures can only be attributed to fluorescent light sources. As for LEDs, the range here is much wider.
Separation of LED color temperatures
Here, each of the three standard shades can be divided into several separate ones. If we draw parallels with natural phenomena, then they can be compared with:
- cloudless sky (10,000-15,000 K), which is called the temperature of cold white light;
- light shadow from the clouds (7 000-7 500 K);
- cloudy weather (6000-6500K);
- midday sun (4500-5500K);
- morning/evening sun (3500-4500 K);
- sunset (2,800-3,200 K).
But the shade of a candle flame, which has a color temperature of 1,000 K, is considered the most pleasing to the eye. It turns out that the radiation of a cold white fluorescent lamp can only be in one range, while LEDs differ from one another in degrees. This allows you to expand the choice and purchase a lamp of a shade that will be more comfortable for the eyes.
In the next video you can see the difference between warm and cold glow.
Flickering light source and what it affects
One moreThe positive quality of LED-elements is an even glow. Cool white LEDs, or any other tint, will not flicker harmful to humans unless connected to incompatible equipment. We are talking about installing dimmers on LED lamps that are not intended for regulation. As for cold white fluorescent lamps, their flickering often occurs due to the “fatigue” of the tube itself or the electronic ballast (electronic ballast).
Such disturbances in the operation of the light source lead to rather unpleasant consequences, including chronic fatigue, irritability, frequent headaches and depression. With prolonged exposure, eye problems are possible, which is especially dangerous for people over 40-45 years old. This is exactly the milestone after which doctors do not recommend making a correction, which means that restoring vision is almost impossible.
Cold white light lamps: effects on the body
Many people think that warm shades are more pleasing to the eye and have less negative impact on vision. In fact, everything is not so simple. Here, a lot will depend on the lamp - what type it is. LED cold white light affect the human body much less than fluorescent. However, it is worth noting that neither one nor the other (when working correctly) does not cause much harm to he alth. Another thing is that the shade affects the mood on a subconscious level.
Sunshine for normalhuman life is necessary - it is inherent in nature. It is for this reason that people are more pleasant to be under artificial radiation of warm shades. However, numerous surveys have revealed an interesting trend. Those who first installed emitters with a color temperature of cold white light in their apartment or private house are dissatisfied with the result. However, if more than 10 days have passed since the replacement of the lamps, users no longer want to change them to warmer colors.
Household use of devices in various colors
When organizing lighting in a home, it is not necessary to install emitters of one specific color temperature. Various variations on this parameter will allow you to highlight individual areas of the room. For example, using a combination of cold white LED strip and warm-colored spotlights, you can divide the living room into a work area and a relaxation area. In this case, no one will interfere with each other. One person will work quietly without straining his eyes, the second will watch TV in a soft warm light.
Before purchasing emitters, it makes sense to consider in which rooms it is necessary to install lamps with a high color temperature, and where it is better to install devices with a warmer shade. This will determine how good the rest from everyday work will be, what atmosphere will prevail in an apartment or private house.
Some tips for choosing emitters
Cool white light bulbs are suitable forhallway, office, lighting the working area of the kitchen. It is allowed to install such emitters in the pantry, bathroom. For the bedroom, living room and dining area of the kitchen, it is better to choose warmer colors. It will also be useful to install a special regulator - a dimmer, which allows you to dim the light. But it should be understood that not all lamps can work with such a device. Therefore, if a dimmer is installed instead of a switch in the apartment, you need to make sure that the LED lamp box has the appropriate marking.
As for ordinary and compact fluorescent lamps, they will not work through such a regulator. If an LED strip is used, then a special controller with a remote control can be used to control the strength of its luminous flux. With it, you can adjust not only the intensity of the glow, but also (when using an RGB tape) change the color.
Special attention should be paid to the type of lamps. No matter how profitable the purchase of a luminescent emitter may seem, it is better to dwell on LEDs. This statement is supported by the fact that all over the world CFLs in kindergartens and educational institutions are being replaced with LED elements.
Psychological state of a person: dependence on color temperature
Scientists have proven that cool white light improves performance and reduces eye strain when reading or writing. However, this statement is true only under the condition of its short-term impact.per person. The body is designed in such a way that it needs certain cycles of work, rest and sleep. This means that with an excess of cold white light, a person first begins to quickly get tired, as a result of which sleep disturbances and irritability appear.
Warm tones in the morning and evening normalize body cycles, promote relaxation and rest. Scientists recommend turning on such a soft backlight even when watching TV in the evening.
Due to the fact that artificial LED lighting does not contain ultraviolet radiation, it is also used for medical purposes. The name of this healing is light therapy. Today, this treatment is widely used. Something similar to the effect of light therapy can be observed at home, when a person comes home from work completely without mood. However, if he sits in a chair for literally half an hour in warm, soft lighting, he feels better.
Color rendering index: what is it
This term refers to the coefficient of change in color perception under artificial lighting. For example, if warm-colored lamps are installed, bluish objects will appear greenish in their glow, dark blue ones will appear black, and violet ones will appear red.
Incandescent lamps have a reference color rendering index. In their light, the shades of objects are not distorted at all. For modern LEDs, this parameter is at the “very good” mark and differs slightly from the reference. A couple of steps below are occupied by fluorescent emitters. But DRL and HPS have the worst color rendering index -the distortion in their glow is quite significant.
Final part
Don't worry and think that lamps with a high color temperature are more harmful to the body than warm-colored emitters. You just need to properly organize the lighting, distribute the elements in different zones that are more appropriate for them. This is the only way to be sure that the lighting will contribute to the normal cycles of the body, if necessary, maintaining performance or allowing you to fully relax.
