14 DAY TRIAL // According to the conclusions of a new study conducted by researchers at the Stony Brook University, in New York City, compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs release moderate amounts of ultraviolet (UVA and UVB) radiation, which may affect the human skin.
The research group suggests that an additional layer of glass may protect against these radiations. This can be accomplished by enclosing the CFL in protective casings, which may also serve a decorative function. The study was conducted after experts learned about the conclusions of a European research.
The previous work on light sensitivity found that this type of efficient light bulb might pose some danger to human skin. The US investigators wanted to double-check the results, so they set out and purchased several types of CFL from two different counties.
After investigating the devices in the lab, they discovered that the integrity of the phosphorus covering the light bulbs was compromised in all tested light bulbs. SBU experts found tiny cracks in this protective shielding that allowed radiation to escape.
Details of the research appear in a paper entitled “The Effects of UV Emission from CFL Exposure on Human Dermal Fibroblasts and Keratinocytes in Vitro,” which is published in the June issue of the esteemed scientific journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology.
The investigation was conducted in vitro, by exposing healthy human skin tissue to ultraviolet rays released by CFL. The team was led by the director of the SBU Garcia Center for Polymers at Engineered Interfaces, Miriam Rafailovich, PhD, also a professor of materials science and engineering.
Researchers say that they tested the effects of UVA and UVB radiation on skin cells such as fibroblasts and keratinocytes. The former are responsible for the production of collagen, whereas the latter are involved with producing a basic compound found in the outer layers of the skin, called keratin.
“Our study revealed that the response of healthy skin cells to UV emitted from CFL bulbs is consistent with damage from ultraviolet radiation, Skin cell damage was further enhanced when low dosages of TiO2 nanoparticles were introduced to the skin cells prior to exposure,” Rafailovich says.
“Despite their large energy savings, consumers should be careful when using compact fluorescent light bulbs. Our research shows that it is best to avoid using them at close distances and that they are safest when placed behind an additional glass cover,” she concludes.