3 Myths Surrounding LEDs

An article in a recent issue of the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology detailed a study in which the effects of LED light on human retinal cells were examined and concluded that LEDs can harm human eyes. The authors of this article came to this conclusion based on an experiment that exposed human retinal cells to 5 mW per cm2 of light from an LED for 12 hr. This equates to staring at a 100-W-equivalent light bulb from four inches away for 12 hr. Light at that intensity and duration would likely damage anyone’s retinas and is one reason parents tell kids not to stare at the sun. And if scientists ever do discover a real danger from LEDs, future LEDs can be tuned to emit a spectrum of light similar to that from ordinary incandescent bulbs