Blue light and tuneable LED light health effects

I recently attended a talk on the effect of light on “State of the Science: Effects of Light on Human Health with Focus on Blue Light” by William Mills III Ph.D. from Northern Illinois University. He spoke at our annual local industrial hygiene conference in Roseville, Minnesota.

Standard LED lights produce light with more intensity in the blue spectrum than florescent or incandescent light. Newer LED lights will be tunable and dimmable to start the morning in the blue spectrum and shift in the afternoon and evening into the red spectrum.  Small preliminary studies by the Department of Energy these tunable lights in senior care units have shown a positive benefit.

Some brands of orange tinted glasses are much more effective at filtering blue light than others with no relationship between price and effectiveness. I ordered the Uvex Skyper Blue Light Blocking Computer Glasses with SCT-Orange Lens (S1933X) for under $10 as he mentioned that these glasses performed very well.

Many workplace accidents occur due to sleep deprivation. Using intense lighting during the evening shift can improve alertness. Late or evening shift work is now listed by the IARC as a probable human carcinogen

 I talked with professor Mills during a break. He impressed me with his energy, intense curiosity, and willingness to experiment. He and his students build their own wireless wearable monitors using available sensors, chips, and a 3D printer at their BEEEAM Laboratory.

Phillips - All in one tuneable dimmable light - 2 min. 

HI LED tuneable LED project