Specialty and Architectural Lighting — Health

Years ago, we published an article on the harmful effects of ultraviolet light from the sun. This article is a follow-up discussing the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation from artificial sources like light bulbs. Ultraviolet light is naturally-occurring, and most of it reaching earth originates from sunlight. While it can...

Ceramic xenon light bulbs provide enhanced precision for specialty applications. These bulbs are designed for applications such as endoscopy, video projection, microscopy, spectroscopy, solar simulation and machine vision. With their unique construction and powerful illumination, ceramic xenon bulbs play a pivotal role in improving the quality and efficiency of tasks...

With the cost of employing people orders of magnitude more expensive than the cost of operating a lighting system, it is important to strike the right balance between energy efficient lighting and the productivity of employees. It is no secret that light affects people in a multitude of ways. Some...

Have you ever wondered why your eyes and head sometimes hurt after sitting in your office for awhile? Look up at the lights for a possible answer. You may not notice anything other than a fluorescent fixture. But what's happening inside the fluorescent tubes is fluctuating light output. Input power...

Everyone knows that the only thing more annoying than sitting in an office without a window is sitting in an office with a window in a cold, featureless basement after being demoted. And not surprisingly, the government has made it a practice of shunting inconvenient employees into windowless, basement offices....

While summer is fast approaching in the US, Canada, Europe, and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, the other half of the globe is entering its colder, darker months. And with less sunlight means more risk of being sad and getting SAD, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD was...

The idea that light can have a biological effect on humans first appeared with research on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). People living in northern parts of the U.S., where hours of daylight are significantly reduced in winter months, reported tired, depression-like symptoms. When sufferers of SAD made an effort to...

For some people, the seasonal onset of fewer hours of daylight means dealing with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Since the early 1970's when some initial research was done, many studies have confirmed that, in some people, there is a bio-chemical connection between exposure to daylight and depression. The Science of...

For you and me, the number of hours during summer, winter, autumn and spring might not make any difference at all. Daylight hours can be much longer than night hours, as happens during certain times of the year. But believe it or not, some people actually suffer because of the...

Interest in indoor air quality in public buildings such as offices, schools and other institutions has increased as the demand for lower energy consuming buildings has resulted in tighter building envelopes that reduce uncontrolled leakage of heated or cooled air. Tight buildings place a premium on the importance of ventilation....

Blacklights are not merely for special effects and lighting up cool posters. They also have an important clinical use by veterinarians. These bulbs are very common for diagnosing ringworm in cats, dogs, and other animals. The most common tool veterinarians use to diagnose ringworm on pets is a Wood's Lamp,...

Most of the impact of ultraviolet disinfection is in the UV-C range. UV-B has a much lower lethality rate for microbes than UV-C. However, a phenomenon called "photoreactivation" can impact disinfection. And UV-B can help prevent photoreactivation of pathogens. What Is Photoreactivation? Photoreactivation is the process whereby microorganisms are exposed...

Over the last 6-8 months, the use of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation to combat pathogens, specifically COVID-19, has skyrocketed in popularity. Many homeowners, businesses, schools, and government institutions have purchased UV disinfection devices for air, surface, and water sanitation. But while COVID-19 has been an unintentional pandemic, the risk for bioterrorism...

Schools are attempting to figure out how to reopen to the public in the fall. From daycare and kindergartens, to junior and high schools, to colleges and universities, students and parents are going to expect a higher level of cleanliness. Unfortunately, pandemics do not end in a matter of months,...

Large naval vessels are compact environments where microbes can thrive, circulating through the ventilation system. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVC) lighting systems can reduce incidence of harmful bacteria and viruses, and mitigate the risk of respiratory and airborne illnesses spreading throughout a navy vessel, cruise ship, yacht, or smaller boat.