Potential Health Risks Linked to Artificial Lights

Potential Health Risks Linked to Artificial Lights Prof. Doctor Habil Ana Proykova Vice-chair SCENIHR TU-conference, Sozopol, September 19-21, 2015

Health and Consumers

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The three independent non-food Scientific Committees ensure systematic assessment of risks, based on best practice for EU policy needs on health, consumers and environment. Other EU risk assessment bodies are European Food Safety Authority (EFSA); the European Medicines Agency (EMA); the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC); and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Health and Food Safety

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•  SCHER: advice on toxicity and eco-toxicity of chemical, biochemical and biological products, chemicals in toys, waste, environmental contaminants, drinking water quality, indoor and ambient air quality, endocrine disrupters •  SCENIHR: advice on emerging risks, newly identified risks, complex or multidisciplinary issues requiring comprehensive assessment, issues not covered by other bodies •  SCCS: advice on risks related to consumer products (nonfood) mostly on cosmetics but also on toys, textiles, clothing, household products, non-chemical risks (mechanical, physical, biological), consumer services (for example, tattooing, tanning devices) Health and Food Safety

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SCENIHR = Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (2013-2016)


Health Effects of Artificial Light SCENIHR opinion (March 2012)

Co-authors: Mats-Olof Mattsson (SE/AU), Thomas Jung (CH), Ana Proykova (BG), Francine Behar-Cohen (FR), Frank de Gruijl (NL), James Ferguson (UK), Johnni Hansen (DK), Harry Moseley (UK), Georges Zissis (FR)


SCENIHR is requested (terms of reference) A. To explore and report scientific evidence on potential health impacts on the general public caused by artificial light of which the main purpose is to radiate in the visible range (as opposed to artificial light where the invisible part of the radiation is the main purpose, e.g. suntanning lamps or infrared lamps). The impacts of the light from all available electrical lighting technologies should be studied, both in the visible and invisible range (with specific analyses of the ultraviolet radiation subtypes UVA, UVB and UVC). Health and Food Safety

Terms of reference – cont. B. To update the SCENIHR report on Light Sensitivity (23 September 2008) in the light of further evidence, and to examine the aggravation of the symptoms of pathological conditions in the presence of lamp technologies other than compact fluorescent lamps (including conventional incandescent and halogen lamps, halogen lamps with improved efficiency and light emitting diode lamps). Health and Food Safety

Terms of reference – cont. C. If health risks are identified under points A or B, to estimate the number of EU citizens who might be at risk and identify the level of emission/ exposure safeguarding the health of citizens and/ or means to mitigate or entirely prevent the impact of the problematic parameter of the lighting technology in question. D. To identify potential research needs related to the areas where the lack or scarcity of scientific evidence prevents SCENIHR from drawing firm conclusions. Health and Food Safety

Coverage of the opinion scenihr_o_033.pdf •  Technical characteristics of lightening technologies - a challenge due to the variation of manufacturing parameters •  Standards for emission measurements: lamps are classified according to the “Risk Group” (RG) to which they belong


Content •  Health effects for: •  general population •  photosensitive persons •  Different hazards: Actinic UV-hazard for eye and skin, UVA-hazard for the eye, Blue-light hazard for the retina, Thermal retina hazard, IR-hazard for the eye Health and Food Safety

Light Sensitivity (2008) The impact of one type of modern light technology, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), on human health: main conclusions from that opinion were that there were no direct scientific data on the relationship between this specific form of energy saving light bulb and a number of symptoms in patients with various conditions It was identified that either flicker and/or UV/blue light could exacerbate the effects on (epilepsy,migraine, retina disease) Health and Food Safety

Scientific rationale The purpose of the scientific rationale is to take into account relevant scientific data from the fields of physics, engineering, biology, and medicine, and assess whether optical irradiation from all types of common light sources can cause disease conditions or aggravate already existing conditions.


Focus The focus of this opinion is on possible effects from optical radiation emanating from artificial light sources Emissions of certain chemicals from energy saving lamps are not discussed in this opinion, but have been dealt with by other public bodies


Methodology The health risks of artificial light have been investigated through different approaches such as epidemiologic studies, experimental studies in humans, experimental studies in animals, and cell culture studies. A health risk assessment evaluates the evidence within each of these areas and then weighs together the evidence across the areas to generate a combined assessment. Health and Food Safety

Whether or not a hazard exists? Is there a causal relationship between exposure and some adverse health effect? The answer to this question is not necessarily a definitive yes or no, but may express the weight of evidence for the existence of a hazard.


Weight of evidence For each line of evidence, the overall quality of the studies is taken into account, as well as the relevance of the studies for the issue in question. The weighting also considers if causality is shown or not in the relevant studies. The following categories are used to assign the relevant weight of evidence:


Categories Strong overall weight of evidence: coherent evidence from human and one or more other lines of evidence (animal or mechanistic studies) in the absence of conflicting evidence from one of the other lines of evidence (no important data gaps).


Categories Moderate overall weight of evidence: good evidence from a primary line of evidence but evidence from several other lines is missing (important data gaps). Weak overall weight of evidence: weak or conflicting evidence from the primary lines of evidence (severe data gaps). Health and Food Safety

Physical characteristics of artificial light sources For layman (in the opinion) at about 5,000 K the emitted spectrum is similar to that of the sun’s radiation through clear skies at midday. Therefore each lamp (and each spectrum) can be associated with a “colour temperature”


Overview of different lamp types Annex to the Opinion Includes descriptions of the fundamental technologies and their areas of use as well as some examples of emission spectra when such are available. It should however be noted that there is such a diversity of products among each lighting technology available on the market, that it is, in many cases, very difficult to present emission spectra which are “typical” for a given lamp type. Health and Food Safety

Artificial light technologies Old (candles, fire) New Incandescent and Luminescent Lamps The latter category can be further divided into Discharge/Fluorescence Lamps and Solid State Lighting Devices Health and Food Safety






Blue light hazard The interaction of blue light with molecules constituting the retina or accumulating in the retina with age or in pathological conditions can induce damage to RPE cells, photoreceptor cells, and to ganglion cells. This “blue light hazard” was identified more than 40 years ago: studies on action spectra of photochemical damage to the retina


Precautions Attention needs to be given to the proper installation of those lamps which are sold by the manufacturer to be installed at larger distance. While it is unlikely that there would be a significant UV risk from halogen lamps for the general public, the UV content of these lamps can rise to levels which are of concern for patients with lightassociated skin disorders at close operating distances and long exposure times. Health and Food Safety

Be aware Although a second envelope un-doubtledly reduces the UV emissions, the currently available data show a high variability of UV and blue light emission due to different internal design parameters even for the same externally visible architecture, i.e. also in presence of a second envelope.


Opinion (very brief answers) •  A: Potential health impacts… •  There is mounting evidence suggesting that illtimed exposure to light (light-at-night) •  may be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, and can also cause sleep •  disorders, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular disorders.


Opinion B: Aggravation of the symptoms… •  The blue or UV components of light tend to be more effective than red components in •  aggravating skin disease symptoms related to pre-existing conditions such as lupus •  Erythematosus.


Opinion •  C: Risk estimates and mitigations The current standardization of lighting lamps and luminaires in four risk categories appears sufficient to reduce the personal risk, but Risk Group 0 should not automatically be taken to imply adequate protection of the general population as a whole. Small added risks can still translate into substantial numbers of afflicted people in the exposed population. Health and Food Safety

Opinion •  D: Potential research needs •  Several areas where relevant data are lacking regarding the effects of specific lighting •  technologies on medical conditions have been identified. The most important areas where •  knowledge gaps have to be filled in order to be able to draw firm conclusions are outlined •  in the opinion. Health and Food Safety

Disclaimer The opinions of the Scientific Committees present the views of the independent scientists who are members of the committees. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission. The opinions are published by the European Commission in their original language only. •  http://ec.europa.eu/health/ scientific_committees/policy/index_en.htm Health and Food Safety

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