[ 2011-02-20 ]

Scientists claim that several carcinogenic chemicals are released when energy saving light bulbs are switched on

Energy saving light bulbs "contain cancer causing chemicals"
Fears have been reignited about the safety of
energy saving light bulbs after a group of
scientists warned that they contain cancer causing
chemicals.

London (UK) - 20 Apr 2011 – The Telegraph -
Their report advises that the bulbs should not be
left on for extended periods, particularly near
someone’s head, as they emit poisonous materials
when switched on.

Peter Braun, who carried out the tests at the
Berlin's Alab Laboratory, said: “For such
carcinogenic substances it is important they are
kept as far away as possible from the human
environment.”

The bulbs are already widely used in the UK
following EU direction to phase out traditional
incandescent lighting by the end of this year.

But the German scientists claimed that several
carcinogenic chemicals and toxins were released
when the environmentally-friendly compact
fluorescent lamps (CFLs) were switched on,
including phenol, naphthalene and styrene.

Andreas Kirchner, of the Federation of German
Engineers, said: “Electrical smog develops
around these lamps.

“I, therefore, use them only very economically.
They should not be used in unventilated areas and
definitely not in the proximity of the head.”

British experts insisted that more research was
needed and urged consumers not to panic.

Dr Michelle Bloor, senior lecturer in
Environmental Science at Portsmouth University,
told the Daily Express: “Further independent
studies would need to be undertaken to back up the
presented German research.”

The Department for the Environment insists the
bulbs are safe, despite the fact that they contain
small amounts of mercury which would leak out if
the glass was broken.

Advice on its website states: “Energy efficient
light bulbs are not a danger to the public.

“Although they contain mercury, limited at 5mg
per lamp, it cannot escape from a lamp that is
intact.

“In any case, the very small amount contained in
an energy efficient bulb is unlikely to cause harm
even if the lamp should be broken.”

The latest report follows claims by Abraham Haim,
a professor of biology at Haifa University in
Israel, that the bulbs could result in higher
breast cancer rates if used late at night.

He said that the bluer light that CFLs emitted
closely mimicked daylight, disrupting the body's
production of the hormone melatonin more than
older-style filament bulbs, which cast a yellower
light.

The Migraine Action Association has warned that
they could trigger migraines and skin care
specialists have claimed that their intense light
could exacerbate a range of existing skin
problems.

Energy saving light bulbs 'could trigger breast
cancer'
Energy saving light bulbs could result in higher
breast cancer rates if used late at night, an
academic has claimed.
London (UK) - 31 Jan 2011 – The Telegraph -
Abraham Haim, a professor of biology at Haifa
University in Israel, said that the bluer light
that compact flourescent lamps (CFLs) emitted
closely mimiced daylight, disrupting the body's
production of the hormone melatonin more than
older-style filament bulbs, which cast a yellower
light.

Melatonin, thought to protect against some breast
and prostate cancers, is produced and secreted by
the brain's pineal gland around the clock.

Highest secretion levels are at night but light
depresses production, even if one's eyes are
shut.

A possible link between night time light exposure
and breast cancer risk has been known for over a
decade, since a study was published showing female
shift workers were more likely to develop the
disease.

Prof Haim explained that a recent study by himself
and fellow colleagues had found a much stronger
association than previous research between
night-time bedroom light levels and breast cancer
rates.

'Green' light bulbs could damage the environment
if dumped in landfill 03 Apr 2010

Their study, published in the journal
Chronobiology International, found breast cancer
rates were up to 22 per cent higher in women who
slept with a light on, compared to those who slept
in total darkness.

They thought one of the reasons for this stronger
link could be that people had switched to using
energy saving lightbulbs.

They wrote: "In the past decade, light bulbs
emitting bluer light waves (~460 nm) have been
widely introduced to save energy consumption and
reduce CO2 emission."

They quoted another study which showed that
exposure to bluer, shorter wavelength light for
two hours in the late evening suppressed melatonin
production more than the same exposure to yellower
light (~550nm), which is more typical of filament
bulbs.

The bluer light also made people more alert and
increased their body temperature and heart rate.

Prof Haim thought this was because the bluer light
from eco-lightbulbs mimiced the stronger light of
midday closer than filament bulbs did.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, he said he had
subsequently removed eco-friendly lightbulbs from
his house, as he thought they caused "light
pollution".

He said: "Around the world the advice is to change
the lights to 'green' bulbs - but they are not
really green. They pollute much more light."

Because people thought they were so cheap to run,
they were turning on more lights at home, he
explained.

He emphasised that the study did not prove that
using eco-friendly light bulbs late at night or
overnight resulted in higher breast cancer rates
than using filament bulbs, and that it remained an
unproven theory.

British cancer charities echoed that point.

Jessica Harris, senior health information officer
at Cancer Research UK, said: "As this study
didn’t investigate low energy ‘eco’ light
bulbs and there isn’t any other evidence that
they have an effect on breast cancer risk we
can’t draw any conclusions about the risk of
breast cancer from low energy light bulbs.

"Although it’s far from settled, the evidence
that light at night – from any source - could
affect breast cancer risk is strengthening and the
World Health Organisation classify shift working
as a 'probable' cause of cancer."

Dr Sarah Rawlings, head of policy at Breakthrough
Breast Cancer, said the link was "purely
speculative".

"We know there are a number of lifestyle, genetic
and environmental risk factors associated with
breast cancer, which require more research," she
said.

Source - The Telegraph

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