Our eye was designed to work with a light sufficient. A lack of light does not damage the eyes but causes fatigue, because our brain has to make an extra effort to compensate for the lack of light, ”explains Prof. Gilles Renard, ophthalmologist and scientific director of the French Ophthalmology Society.
Ceiling or indirect?
Depending on the rooms and the activity, the idea is to modulate the sources oflighting:
To read, direct lighting is required. “Be careful that the lamp does not come to illuminate the eye directly”, warns Professor Gilles Renard. Desk lamps with shades are therefore recommended.
To chat or relax, soft lighting, such as a living room lamp, is sufficient.
To watch TV, a light mood lighting is sufficient, taking care that it is not reflected on the TV screen.
To work on a computer, the ideal is to have good natural light, without reflection on thescreen. Also install an auxiliary lamp (adjustable halogen-type desk lamp) making sure that the bulb does not enter the field of vision and that it does not reflect.
Are low-consumption light bulbs dangerous?
Low-consumption compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) consume less energy (4 to 5 times less electricity and a lifespan of 6,000 to 10,000 hours, compared to 1,000 for conventional bulbs), but they contain in the form of vapor a substance extremely toxic to humans and the environment: mercury. In principle, bulbs cannot escape unless they are broken.
In the event of a low-consumption bulb breakage, the doctors of the Association Santé Environnement France (ASEF) recommend:
Leave the room and ventilate for fifteen minutes by opening the windows before cleaning the debris;
Do not use a vacuum cleaner at the risk of spreading the mercury throughout the room;
Collect the debris with gloves, clean the area then place the debris in an airtight container;
Continue to ventilate the room several hours later.
Choose your low-consumption bulb
Energy class: prefer a bulb of energy class A
Luminous flux: lumens are for low consumption bulbs what watts were for incandescent bulbs. Choose according to the activity: 1,300 to 1,400 lumens (100 watts) for reading and working,
400 to 750 lumens (40 to 60 watts) for mood light.
The quantity of mercury: it is obligatorily indicated in mg Hg (Hg being the chemical symbol of mercury). Since January 1, 2012, the regulations set the limit at 3.5 mg. But the less mercury, the better.
Low consumption light bulb and electromagnetic field
In 2007, the Center for Research and Independent Information on Non-ionizing Electromagnetic Radiation (Criirem) warned about electromagnetic radiation from these bulbs. The problem would arise especially at close range and at ignition. In an opinion of February 2013, Ademe advises to maintain a distance of 30 cm with the lamp during prolonged use (for example desk lamp or bedside lamp). The Criirem table, for more precaution, over a distance of 50 cm, even 1 m.
Low consumption light bulbs: for recycling
Because they contain mercury but also fluorescent powder, aluminum and glass, low consumption lamps are classified as hazardous waste. It is forbidden to throw them away in the household garbage! Bring your used bulbs to distributors (mobile phones, DIY stores), to waste reception centers, to waste collectors and electricians.
And the LEDs, harmful to the eyesight?
If LED lighting (light-emitting diode) has many arguments in terms of economy and ecology with an electricity consumption divided by 10 and a lifespan multiplied by 10, in terms of health, the question arises. Alerted on the subject, ANSES issued a report in 2010 on the health risks associated with the use of LEDs. First point: the too high luminance of certain LEDs can cause glare harmful to the eyesight. Second point, more problematic, the presence of blue light, because to produce white light, the most common process couples a blue LED to a yellow phosphor. However, “this blue light is toxic to the retina, on which it can cause photochemical damage”, explains Professor Renard. The risk is increased in children (their crystalline lens is transparent and therefore the retina is more exposed), people with certain eye diseases or professionals subjected to high intensity lighting. In practice, the ophthalmologist advises to avoid main lighting based on LEDs and to reserve them for auxiliary lighting.
