The Problem With...
Fluorescent lighting has been in use for over 50 years in the workplace, our homes, the bank, and virtually everywhere we shop. The reason fluorescent lighting is so popular is that it uses one-fourth the energy that incandescent lighting does. Another reason for their popularity is that standard fluorescent lamps don’t get hot like incandescent or quartz halogen lamps. However, even though fluorescent lighting is known to be the most cost and thermal efficient form of lighting, it still has its flaws.
The inherent problems with fluorescent lighting include:
- Glare with its associated headaches and eyestrain
- Poor Color Rendering
- Emission of ultraviolet (UV) radiation
Glare is produced by having an overabundance of light in the environment. Glare is responsible for the headaches and eyestrain that millions of people complain of annually. These symptoms occur whether a worker is typing on a computer terminal, filing papers, or performing general office tasks. Glare has been shown to affect a worker's level of productivity, absenteeism, performance and overall job satisfaction.
Accurate color rendering is a must. In fact, normal color vision is a prerequisite for over 100 different occupations. You cannot have normal color vision without color-balanced light in the environment. Color matching is a task that millions of people perform on a daily basis. Whether it is used to properly match sock colors while doing laundry, while shopping for a new sweater to match a pair of slacks, accurate color rendering is essential!
The UV radiation emitted by fluorescent lights has been the subject of numerous health studies. One study, reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found that fluorescent lights emit "10-30 times" more UVB radiation than the sun!
UV radiation has been known to cause:
- Sunburns
- Melanoma and non-melanoma cancers
- Yellowing of paper products
- Damage to colored pigments in paintings
- Fading of photographs, clothing, drapes, carpets
- Premature spoilage of dairy products*, meats, vegetables, fruits, and baked goods
Since fluorescent lighting technology is still the best overall choice for artificial lighting, wouldn’t it make sense to eliminate the glare, correct the color, and absorb the UV? We invite you to acquaint yourself with our new NaturaLux™ Filters for fluorescent lighting. Remember, only NaturaLux™ Filters can transform ordinary fluorescent light into color-balanced, glare-free, UV-safe light.
*A recent study performed at Cornell University demonstrated that bottled milk in the dairy case under fluorescent light for 24 hours, suffered a 50% loss of vitamin A and riboflavin.
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