Light + Health

The XL-500 Meter by NanoLambda is an ultra-compact, wearable, wireless battery-operated Spectral Power Distribution or Spectroradiometer (SPD) measurement tool. It uses Bluetooth to upload data and has an internal memory to store over 8,000 measurements on a single battery charge. It captures 340-1,010 nanometer wavelengths in a single reading. The device is groundbreaking in its small [...]

Kudos to Al Uszynski of inside.lighting for breaking this story about the Canadian government’s proposal to ban the sale of most mercury-containing lamps. Fluorescent lamp bans are already occurring in California and Vermont, and are under consideration in other US states. The Canadian proposal goes significantly further, to ban most HID lamps. It’s noteworthy that [...]

Tony Esposito and Kevin Houser published a new study in Scientific Reports demonstrating that CCT is not suitable for predicting the biological potency of light. The experiments utilized a 5-channel LED lighting system to show that significant variation in CS and EML/mEDI exists at any fixed value of CCT and photopic illuminance. For many years, [...]

By 2050, the number of older adults aged 50 and older is expected to double, comprising 20% of the total US population. The overwhelming majority want to age in place, but experts say the current housing stock is ill-equipped to handle those desires. Lighting can be controlled based on motion through simple solutions that only [...]

The US Green Building Council and the International WELL Building Institute have formed a partnership to simplify certifying buildings for both health and sustainability. The USBGC’s LEED certification rates a building’s sustainability credentials, while WELL ratings consider a building’s impact on the wellbeing of people who use it. Both LEED and WELL building certifications have [...]

Artificial Sky offers a product, Virtual Sky, that utilizes LED luminaires which appear to be a blue sky with passing clouds overhead, birds flying, and sunrise and sunset effects. Virtual Sky can remotely change from overhead dimmable white task lighting to an ultra-realistic blue sky with moving clouds that mimic daylight entirely.

ETi Solid State Lighting Inc. has introduced a new line of LED light fixtures proven to kill bacteria and viruses, including SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The SilentAire Plasma Disinfection Lighting product line provides innovative and safe air disinfection technology.

University of California, Irvine (UCI) researchers conducted a thorough examination of peer-reviewed literature on the most prevalent mental health disorders and found that circadian rhythm disruption (CRD) is present in nearly all of them. However, correlation is not causation, so it is not clear if the mental disorders cause circadian disruption, if circadian disruption causes mental disorders or both in a positive feedback loop.

The Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (JAMDA) recently published a research study showing long-term care facility falls were reduced 43% by changing light spectrum and intensity throughout the day for residents.