By all accounts, the first fluorescent light was created in 1934 by a physicist in Great Britain. Fluorescent lighting systems spread quickly throughout the United States during World War II, and by 1951 more light was produced in the U.S. by fluorescent light than by incandescent. What made fluorescent lighting so desirable over incandescent lighting was that they:

  • Use one-fourth (1/4) the energy of an incandescent bulb
  • Don't produce the heat that incandescent bulbs do
  • They last four (4) times longer than incandescent bulbs


Even though fluorescent lamps have these distinct advantages over incandescent bulbs, that doesn't mean they are perfect! The inherent problems associated with fluorescent lighting include:

  • Glare, with its associated headaches and eyestrain
  • Poor Color Rendering (color matching ability)
  • Emission of ultraviolet (UV) radiation

Glare, as we will discuss later, is produced when the level of light in the visual environment is significantly greater than the level to which the eyes have adapted. Glare is responsible for the headaches and eyestrain suffered by millions of people everyday. 

Color rendering is an important part of everyday life. Whether you find yourself in a beauty salon, a print shop, a grocery store or even at home sorting socks while doing laundry - the ability to accurately discern colors is important. If you work under a blue light, everything appears blue; if your lighting appears yellow, everything you look at has a yellow cast to it, etc. 

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:

  • Lupus flare-ups
  • Sunburns
  • Melanoma and non-melanoma cancers
  • Yellowing of paper products
  • Damage to painting, photographs, clothing, drapes, carpets, etc.
  • 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, absorb the UV and increase the perceived brightness?  We invite you to acquaint yourself with our NaturaLux™ Filters for fluorescent lighting.  Remember, only NaturaLux™ Filters can transform ordinary fluorescent light into color-balanced, glare-free, UV-safe light.

     

    *A 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.


    Copyright © 1999-2018 Kevin A. Kirschner All rights reserved

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