Any type of light, as long as the intensity is strong enough, can do harm to our eyes. If you’ve ever looked directly at a powerful light source with the naked eyes, you’ll know this. However, some certain types of light which at modest levels can hurt our eyes. In short, the shorter the wavelength of light, the more harmful it is to us. Therefore, the wavelengths of light we need to worry about most are blue light and ultraviolet light, and the latter being more dangerous than the former.
Are LED Grow Lights Harmful To Humans?
According to the wavelength, LED grow lights with lots of blue and UV diodes can be harmful. The type of injury an LED grow light can cause depends on the color and intensity. Any bright light can hurt our eyes if we look directly at it, but it’s easy to avoid. Just don’t stare at your lights. Beyond that, let’s take a look at the actual effects of blue light and ultraviolet light that are harmful to the human body.
- Effect Of Blue Light On Our Eyes
There is data to suggest that too much blue light can hurt the light-sensitive cells in the retina, which can cause changes similar to macular degeneration and, in severe cases, permanent vision loss. However, this is uncommon unless exposed to a lot of blue light. But it’s always good to be cautious, blue light can negatively affect our vision anyway, and our corneas can’t block blue light very well. So it makes sense to take steps to protect our eyes.
- Effect Of UV Light On Our Eyes
There are three types of UV rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVA is not blocked by the cornea and thus passes directly to the retina. In serious conditions, it can lead to cataracts and some studies suggest that it also helps with macular degeneration. While UVB is blocked by the cornea, it can hurt the outer layers of your eyes. Photokeratitis, for example, may be the result of exposure to intense UVB light. UVC has the shortest wavelength, which means it has the potential to cause the most damage to our eyes, however luckily our atmosphere filters out most of the UVC so it doesn’t harm us.
What Can We Do to Protect Our Eyes?
I believe that most growers who work long hours under grow lights are worried about the safety of their eyes, so follow these tips to protect your eyes from harmful effects.
- Do not look directly at the light with naked eyes
The amount of damage from grow lights depends on the intensity and exposure of the light. Any light is more harmful when you look directly at it. So the solution is simple, don’t stare at it.
- Wear growth glasses
If you are a professional grower, we recommend that you use professional eye protection glasses, because they are specially designed according to the LED spectrum and can provide some protection.
- Ordinary Sunglasses
If you don’t use a lot of grow lights for your houseplants, regular sunglasses can somehow protect you from the effects.
No matter what questions you have about LED grow lights, you are welcome to come to Spider Farmer for guidance, Spider Farmer will provide you with the most satisfactory service and advice on the risks associated with your LED grow lights.
