Do LED Lights Cause Cancer?

LED is a type of light, and it stands for light emitting diode. They’re often used because they provide more efficient light – up to 90 percent more than other lighting. The other benefit is that they last much longer. Instead of burning out like other types of lights, they dim over time. They don’t suddenly burn out or fail to work. Sounds great, right? But a common question is – do LED lights cause cancer?

How LED Lights Work

According to Energy Star:

An electrical current passes through a microchip, which illuminates the tiny light sources we call LEDs and the result is visible light. To prevent performance issues, the heat LEDs produce is absorbed into a heat sink.

What Makes Them Unsafe?

The two main aspects of LED bulbs that make them unsafe are blue light exposure and EMF radiation exposure.

Blue Light Exposure

While blue light sounds more pleasant than yellow or orange, it comes with a caveat. This blue light not only fools your brain, but messes with melatonin production. The first part is that you think there is more natural light than you do with yellow or orange. The second part is more serious.

Melatonin is what regulates your sleep patterns. It’s a hormone that helps with restful sleep, along with regulating wakefulness. If your melatonin is out of whack, it can lead to obesity, diabetes, and depression. Along with all this, it also affects your eyes and decreases restorative abilities.

Dirty Electricity

The second issue is with dirty electricity. This refers to electricity that has been transformed or “corrupted.” This is due to variable amounts of electricity needed. Back in the day, homes needed 50 or 60 Hz. Now we have electronics that use variable amounts and this excess electricity is trapped in your wiring. That is what dirty electricity is, and it affects those sensitive to EMF radiation and even those who aren’t.

Do LED Lights Cause Cancer?

It seems that there are other dangers in using LED lighting. Along with blue light exposure and dirty electricity, some contain lead and arsenic. In fact, low-intensity red LEDs are the biggest offenders. These have up to eight times the safe amount of lead and even pose an environmental risk according to UC-Irvine and Ogunseitan researchers due to the amount of copper.

While many sites claim there is no risk, a study from Harvard found a greater risk of breast cancer in women who live in neighborhoods that have higher levels of outdoor light during the night. The higher the light level, the higher the risk.

Making a Choice

When it comes down to it, only you can decide if the research warrants not using LED lights. Yet, there are enough toxins in our vicinity – why add more? If you have concerns over EMF radiation, you may want to make a different choice in the type of lighting you use.