Do You Work Inside Most of the Day?
In today’s world, it’s easy to take natural sunlight for granted. If you happen to be living in the northern hemisphere this time of year you’ll sympathize with what it’s like to go to work in the dark and drive home from work in the dark.
Nearly everybody works inside especially while the days are getting shorter and colder. Unfortunately, the way we receive and produce light in our enclosed environments can have a range of effects on our health. LED lights are making groundbreaking improvements in this exact scenario.
Let’s take a look at how LED lighting solutions can have positive effects on both public and personal health.
Effects of LEDs on Public Health
The environment obviously has a huge affect on the health of every single person. And a staple of LED technology comes from the lack of effects LED has on the environment compared to other lighting technology. LEDs benefit public health because they use much less energy than incandescents, halides and fluorescents.
Your building uses energy every time you flip on a light switch. So, if less power is needed to turn the lights on at your facility, then there will be a reduction in the amount of greenhouse gas emissions at the local power plant that powers your facility.
Here’s a crazy fact: One LED light bulb reduces greenhouse gas emissions by ½ ton over the lifespan of that bulb. Considering that reduction comes from only one light bulb, think about the reduction that would come from every light in your facility being switched to LED lights. In fact, the use of LEDs to illuminate buildings and outdoor spaces reduced the total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of lighting by an estimated 570 million tons in 2017.
Every fluorescent and CFL light uses small amounts of mercury to emit light. Mercury is a poisonous substance. So, if CFLs and fluorescents are not recycled properly and end up at landfills, mercury from the lights can make its way into the ground, leading to vegetation, air, and possibly water pollution. This hazard can be completely avoided by just using LED lights.
Effects of LEDs on Personal Health
LED’s have a positive effect on the state of the environment and in return, a positive effect on the overall health of the public. They also have a positive effect on the individuals receiving the blue light LED’s emit.
The color temperature of light is measured on a spectrum with daylight being the highest (blue light). The blue light emitted by the sun contributes to our Circadian Rhythm. In humans, the circadian rhythm synchronizes certain behavioral and biological processes through a daily cycle, partly regulated by sunlight. The processes that the circadian rhythm regulates include sleep-wake behavior, hormone secretion, cellular function, and gene expression.
Being in the office all day can throw your system into a downward spiral by creating a disruption in your circadian rhythm. Since LED bulbs contain a lot more blue light than compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and incandescent bulbs, they more accurately mimic daylight without chaotically disrupting our circadian cycle.
Therefore, LEDs provide the benefits that come from having a healthy circadian rhythm. Ideally, sunroofs and lots of large windows would suffice for our daylight needs, but for those who aren’t lucky enough to have that daylight access in the office, LED’s are a sufficient and the best substitute.
Conclusion
LEDs help provide a safer environment for the general public and can help promote health for all your employees or coworkers in the office, classroom or gym everyday. Stay tuned for our next blog post when we’ll disclose how LEDs can help improve mental health and avoid the causing of headaches and migraines in your indoor spaces.
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