How the fluorescent lighting ban in 2023 will improve people’s health

We are starting the new year with good news in lighting: the phase-out of fluorescent lighting from August 2023 in the EU. The last changes in the RoHS directive concerning hazardous substances in electric and electronic equipment ban fluorescent lamps because of their mercury content. 

The amount of mercury contained in a single light bulb can contaminate up to 190.000 liters of water. Mercury poses a severe threat to human health as it can cause both acute and chronic side effects, especially to children and pregnant women. Changing lights to LED will reduce the emission of mercury into the environment and at the same time help save a lot of energy.

It is estimated that 20-30% of the energy used in commercial buildings and public spaces is devoted to lighting, and the majority of this lighting is produced by fluorescent bulbs. Replacing these lamps with more efficient LED solutions will have an important initial cost. However, LEDs have fast payback times (two to four years), since they last for up to 20 years or even more and are around 80% more efficient than traditional lighting technologies, which means they use less electricity and thus produce less CO2 emissions.

In addition, LEDs are available in different light intensities and different color temperatures (warmer or cooler light). They even allow dimming the brightness and regulate the color temperature from warm to cold white (tunable light).

According to studies about the effects of light on health, the color temperature of the light received throughout the day affects our body’s inner clock (circadian rhythm). These light characteristics influence hormone release, heart rate, body temperature, and sleep cycles. Receiving the most similar light to healthy sunlight helps balance our circadian rhythms and reduce the risk of suffering from diabetes, metabolic, cardiovascular, and mental disorders. 

KUMUX circadian lighting simulates sunlight automatically throughout the day, using the existing tunable LED technology, to bring the benefits of natural light indoors. Our algorithm is based on scientific data and research about the effects of light on people, to set the most suitable lighting settings for each activity all day and improve people’s wellness. 

If you want to take advantage of this LED retrofitting, go further and replace fluorescents with circadian lighting for a more positive effect on the users’ health and well-being.