The University of Toledo recently published the results of a study finding that blue light transforms vital molecules in the eye’s retina into cell killers, which can accelerate age-related macular degeneration.
The study’s conclusions have been disputed; check out the criticisms here, notably that the study did not specifically look at light emitted by computerized devices.
The study’s author issued a clarification here on exactly what the study concludes:
Our Scientific Reports article recently captured media attention. We caution the public that our study does not show that light from mobile devises or other digital screens causes blindness. What we demonstrate is that, in the presence of the photoreceptor chromophore “retinal”, the molecules that photoreceptor cells in the eye utilize to sense light, blue light perturbs cell signaling and induces cells death. Whether blue light from mobile devises and digital screens induces similar toxicity levels is an unanswered question and is currently under investigation. Even if such a scenario is found, since the studies are done in cultured cells, that would not indicate that these devises can cause similar damages to the vision. Nevertheless, some literature reports suggest that removal of blue component from intense light can reduce vision damages.
