Health warning over energy-saving lightbulbs » Health » 24dash.com

Some energy-saving light bulbs emit ultraviolet radiation that could be harmful if placed too close to the skin, health experts warned today.

New research has found that some unencapsulated fluorescent light bulbs - where the shape of the coil is clearly visible - emit UV radiation that could make the skin red if used for long periods of time closer than 30cms (one foot) to the body.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) issued the warning to people who use a reading lamp or desk lamp close to their body and the tens of thousands of people suffering from medical conditions that make them sensitive to UV light.

People whose work involves close work with their hands under a light bulb, such as jewellery makers, could also be affected.

The HPA said people should not use the light bulb closer than 30cms to the body for more than one hour a day or should switch to an encapsulated style of energy saving light bulb, where the outer layer of glass looks more like a traditional bulb.

But it said families should not remove energy saving light bulbs from their homes, adding that there was no risk of skin cancer.

The agency's chief executive Justin McCracken said: "We are not saying these could cause cancer.

"At the exposure levels we are talking about the worst effect that we believe there is as result of our investigation is that people could have some short-time reddening of their skin.

"We do not believe that these lights pose any significant risk in terms of skin cancer.

"This is precautionary advice and people should not be thinking of removing these energy saving light bulbs from their homes.

"We are advising people to avoid using the open light bulbs for prolonged close work until the problem is sorted out and to use encapsulated bulbs instead.

"In other situations, where people are not very likely to be very close to the bulbs for any length of time, all types of compact fluorescent light bulbs are safe to use."

The HPA's experts believe they are the first in the world to spot the problem and the agency is calling on the EU, manufacturers and the bodies which set standards related to the bulbs to work on tightening rules around their creation and use.

The HPA study, which is due to be published in an academic journal, did not focus on one particular manufacturer.

Around one in five unencapsulated bulbs was found to have UV radiation emissions from a pool of 20 encapsulated and 53 unencapsulated which were tested.

Mr McCracken said employers would need to do a risk assessment in light of the new evidence.

The study found that people would have to spend four hours a day at almost 8in (20cm) from the bulb before they went over existing guidelines on exposure.

Agency scientists found that exposure at 0.8in (2cm) gave a UV level equivalent to being outside in the UK on a sunny day in the summer.

But at distances of more than 11.8in (30cm) the UV level was found to be safe and was less than being outside on a sunny day in winter.

The issue came to light after some patient groups representing people with light-sensitive conditions raised concerns about the bulbs.

Dr John O'Hagan, head of labour and optics at the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, said his research had suggested the problem may be caused by issues such as phosphor, bends in the glass or the quality of the glass.

The energy-saving light bulbs in question have been available in the UK since the mid-1980s.

Mr McCracken said: "As far as we know, we are the first country to raise this issue but obviously these light bulbs are very widely used around the world.

"We are the first to raise the issue but we are not the only one to have the issue."

Traditional light bulbs are gradually being phased out in the UK in favour of energy-saving bulbs (also called compact fluorescent lights or CFLs) as part of a strategy to tackle climate change.

The bulbs contain mercury, which is used to produce the UV light.

According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), even if a light bulb is broken, the very small amount of mercury contained in a single one "is most unlikely to cause any harm".

However, it says that people should avoid unnecessary contact with mercury.

If a bulb is broken, Defra recommends vacating the room and ventilating it for at least 15 minutes.

Rubber gloves should be used to clean up rather than a vacuum cleaner and people should avoid inhaling the mercury.

All fragments should be put in a plastic bag and a damp cloth should be used to wipe the area, which should then be put in the bag and sealed.

Mercury should not be disposed of in the bin but at a council hazardous waste or recycling centre.

There have been concerns raised that use of the energy-saving light bulbs could cause an increase in attacks in migraine sufferers, while some people with epilepsy have also complained of problems relating to the bulbs.

Defra says the new generation of low-energy bulbs operate at a higher frequency than older ones, and the flickering is now less than would be experienced by watching a TV or computer monitor.

Professor Brian Diffey, emeritus professor of photobiology at Newcastle University, said of the HPA research: "To put this in context, the ultraviolet exposure limit that has been used to trigger this warning is equivalent to no more than a few minutes of summer sun exposure around the middle of the day - appreciably less than the exposure time necessary to cause sunburn.

"Consequently to link the use of these lamps to a warning about an increased risk of skin cancer would be irresponsible and alarmist.

"If the very simple precautions advised by the HPA are followed (and there is no practical reason not to), then there really is no risk of any significance whatsoever to health.

"Certainly there is no reason not to use these types of lamps as there are very real energy-saving benefits in doing so."

Professor Harry Moseley, consultant clinical scientist at the University of Dundee, said: "We are concerned about risks to patients who have severe light-sensitive skin disorders.

"The small levels of ultraviolet emitted by some low-energy light bulbs could be harmful to these patients.

"I recommend use of lights with a protective shield to absorb the UV."