LED technology comes with dozens of advantages like energy saving, long life, maintenance free and reliable. Let’s put those advantages on side, and measure led in terms of health. As the health is gaining biggest consideration in life style, people are also valuing each product in terms of health.
For Skin:
Recent study shows CFL bulb emits harmful level of UV rays. It might damage human skin cells and can be reason behind skin cancer. Mass production of CFL bulb can’t guarantee even phosphorus coating and may allow UV rays to transmit through glass. It may not be much harmful in many cases, but Dr. Miriam Rafailovich suggests to avoid close contact and maintain as much distance as possible.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1751-1097.2012.01192.x/abstract
However this situation is only risky for closer than 25 cm distance and more than 8 hours of exposure. But things get changed in cheap and unbranded bulbs, where it is critical to reduce cost at expense of quality.
Metal halide flood lights are even worse than others.
LED lights source doesn’t emit UV rays. It can be also used as table lamp which is very close to human skin.
For Eyes:
If we talk about quality of lights, incandescent bulb wins, as the light it gives is near to natural sun lights. But it is not viable in current energy crisis. High pressure mercury, sodium bulb and metal halide bulbs are creating light pollution as their color rendering indexes are very low. It is not suitable for human eyes to see in such light source for long time. In this term CFL and LED both stands in equal position. Both sources are available in low to high CRI. Consumer should ask and know the CRI before purchasing LED bulb also.
Another point to consider is flickering. Most tube light and CFL creates flickering with AC frequency. It causes headache, eye strain and discomfort.
LED lights don’t flicker, as it runs on DC voltage. LED lights are also available in various color temperature according to requirements as well as comes with high CRI also.
For Breath:
CFL bulb contains small amount of mercury and heavy metal. It should be disposed with special care. Same problem is there with mercury vapor lamps, Sodium-vapor lamps, High intensity discharge (HID) lamps and Incandescent light bulbs. When they get broken, heavy metals spread in environment. Also their manufacturing involves dangerous polluting substances.
LED light sources are free from heavy metals. It also comes in ROHS standards.
Explosion & Injury:
All light sources other than LED, can explode in a few cases. Broken glass as well as explosion is injurious to health.
LED lights are free from explosion and injury chances.
Long term:
If we consider energy saving, green house gas emission, resource usage and pollution, LED bulb provides green and healthy future for next generation.
