Ultraviolet (black) lights and eye damage
Discussion
I've had blacklights before, maybe I'm a bit retro, I don't know, but I like relaxing to some music with a blacklight on, but someone's trying to convince me that they can damage your eyes.
I've looked up different UV rays (A, B and C), but can't find anything saying which type of light will be coming out of a fluorescent UV tube and whether it'll be enough to have any negative effects.
Can anyone shed any light on the situation?
I've looked up different UV rays (A, B and C), but can't find anything saying which type of light will be coming out of a fluorescent UV tube and whether it'll be enough to have any negative effects.
Can anyone shed any light on the situation?
I had to do a risk assement on this for work (nightclub)
They produce UVA. Only one phosphor is used and the glass is a special dark glass (woods glass) to filter out the rest of the light spectrum and to allow the 400nm and below wavelenght out.
I used mercury vapour black lights and apart from the vapour the only risk concerned was the heat of these things. Off course you wouldn't sit up against them all night but these things were around 400w.
That's about it. A small UV tube is fairly harmless
IMO.
ETA the tube gives off the same amount of light as a normal tube with the other light filtered out. Although it doesn't seem as bright just as with ANY OTHER light bulb you don't look straight at it.
They produce UVA. Only one phosphor is used and the glass is a special dark glass (woods glass) to filter out the rest of the light spectrum and to allow the 400nm and below wavelenght out.
I used mercury vapour black lights and apart from the vapour the only risk concerned was the heat of these things. Off course you wouldn't sit up against them all night but these things were around 400w.
That's about it. A small UV tube is fairly harmless
IMO.
ETA the tube gives off the same amount of light as a normal tube with the other light filtered out. Although it doesn't seem as bright just as with ANY OTHER light bulb you don't look straight at it.
Edited by V8A*ndy on Friday 13th February 02:19
Edited by V8A*ndy on Friday 13th February 02:20
AL...Ease said:
Cheers Andy, is this the case with all fluorescent UV lights?
Tubes of the type in a sunbed/insect zapper etc is a different thing altogether. I found this.....HTH http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet
I got chatting to a chap from an aquarium about this, as I noted the trend in the UV (purple) lighting in tanks which looks great.
He told me that contrary to popular belief, this type of lighting is not UV (for safety reasons), so the bulbs you buy with this purple colour temperature (that makes dandruff stand out!!) are actually safe.
Obviously, the true UV bulbs you see in sunbeds are a different kettle of fish, and can be very dangerous.
BTW - I don't suffer from dandruff myself
He told me that contrary to popular belief, this type of lighting is not UV (for safety reasons), so the bulbs you buy with this purple colour temperature (that makes dandruff stand out!!) are actually safe.
Obviously, the true UV bulbs you see in sunbeds are a different kettle of fish, and can be very dangerous.
BTW - I don't suffer from dandruff myself
cataracts, not sure what frequency the light needs to be for this.
also, stare at one for a while and then turn back on the normal lights. Everything will look red. You have bleached the blue-detecting (green really i suppose) pigments in your eyes. takes a while for your eyes to make some more.
also, stare at one for a while and then turn back on the normal lights. Everything will look red. You have bleached the blue-detecting (green really i suppose) pigments in your eyes. takes a while for your eyes to make some more.
AL...Ease said:
bobda said:
AL...Ease said:
I don't know, but I like relaxing to some music with a blacklight on
STONER ALERT!!!Cheers for the info Andy.
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