Health Archives - All Things Lighting® Association https://www.allthingslighting.org/category/academic-articles-and-research/health/ Illuminating the Complicated! Fri, 16 Aug 2024 04:02:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.allthingslighting.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/cropped-ATLA-favicon2-32x32.jpg Health Archives - All Things Lighting® Association https://www.allthingslighting.org/category/academic-articles-and-research/health/ 32 32 Modeling Spherical Irradiance for UV-C Air Disinfection https://www.allthingslighting.org/modeling-spherical-irradiance-for-uv-c-air-disinfection/ https://www.allthingslighting.org/modeling-spherical-irradiance-for-uv-c-air-disinfection/#respond Fri, 20 May 2022 13:29:02 +0000 https://www.allthingslighting.org/?p=2791 We have been using ultraviolet radiation as a means of disinfection for over a century. However, it has been the unfortunate events of the past year that have led to an explosion of interest in ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) systems. From mercury vapour and pulsed xenon lamps to excimer lamps and ultraviolet LEDs, there have […]

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]]> https://www.allthingslighting.org/modeling-spherical-irradiance-for-uv-c-air-disinfection/feed/ 0 Visible Light Disinfection https://www.allthingslighting.org/visible-light-disinfection/ https://www.allthingslighting.org/visible-light-disinfection/#respond Thu, 19 May 2022 19:45:38 +0000 https://www.allthingslighting.org/?p=2760 In summary, visible light disinfection technology may be useful in some applications, but it is by no means a panacea. When designing or specifying a disinfection system, both the lighting designer and the client will need to thoroughly understand the capabilities and limitations of the technology, and agree upon its purpose.

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]]> https://www.allthingslighting.org/visible-light-disinfection/feed/ 0 Defining Far-Ultraviolet https://www.allthingslighting.org/defining-far-ultraviolet/ https://www.allthingslighting.org/defining-far-ultraviolet/#respond Fri, 12 Nov 2021 00:00:49 +0000 http://test.allthingslighting.org/?p=2302 In these uncertain times, there is increasingly persuasive evidence that “far-UV” radiation is effective in inactivating the SARS-CoV-2 virus and other pathogens, but without the health risks of germicidal ultraviolet radiation. Unfortunately, this technology has some of the hallmarks of a “miracle cure,” which has become an irresistible attractant for charlatans and hucksters of all […]

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]]> https://www.allthingslighting.org/defining-far-ultraviolet/feed/ 0 Ultraviolet Radiation & Viral Misinformation https://www.allthingslighting.org/ultraviolet-radiation-and-viral-misinformation/ https://www.allthingslighting.org/ultraviolet-radiation-and-viral-misinformation/#respond Mon, 04 Jan 2021 04:19:44 +0000 https://www.allthingslighting.org/?p=1907 Let me begin with a smorgasbord of headlines: 99.9% of Covid-19 virus dead in 30 seconds with UV LEDs, says Tel Aviv research (www.malaysianow.com) UV-emitting LED lights found to kill coronavirus (www.sciencedaily.com) Study reveals UV LED lights effectively kill a human coronavirus (www.medicalnewstoday.com) You can kill Covid with a flick of a switch, study shows […]

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]]> https://www.allthingslighting.org/ultraviolet-radiation-and-viral-misinformation/feed/ 0 Ultraviolet Radiation Terminology https://www.allthingslighting.org/ultraviolet-radiation-terminology/ https://www.allthingslighting.org/ultraviolet-radiation-terminology/#respond Mon, 14 Sep 2020 05:03:03 +0000 https://www.allthingslighting.org/?p=1894 A word of caution: I am going to be annoyingly pedantic here, but with good reason. The lighting industry has a century-long history of introducing unfamiliar technologies using familiar terminology. We later come to regret our choice of words when it becomes necessary to express precisely what we mean. Consider, for example, the term luminance. […]

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]]> https://www.allthingslighting.org/ultraviolet-radiation-terminology/feed/ 0 Spherical Irradiance and Aerosols https://www.allthingslighting.org/spherical-irradiance-and-aerosols/ https://www.allthingslighting.org/spherical-irradiance-and-aerosols/#respond Thu, 20 Aug 2020 05:12:29 +0000 https://www.allthingslighting.org/?p=1879 Lighting designers will be familiar with the illuminance of a planar surface, which is measured in lumens per square meter (or foot). The irradiance of a planar surface by a germicidal radiation source is conceptually the same, except that it is measured in watts per square meter (W/m2). Most designers, however, will not be familiar […]

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]]> https://www.allthingslighting.org/spherical-irradiance-and-aerosols/feed/ 0 Designing an Ultraviolet-C Disinfection System https://www.allthingslighting.org/designing-an-ultraviolet-disinfection-system/ https://www.allthingslighting.org/designing-an-ultraviolet-disinfection-system/#respond Tue, 09 Jun 2020 22:59:59 +0000 https://www.allthingslighting.org/?p=1811 Recent germicidal light sources include UV-C light-emitting diodes and pulsed xenon discharge lamps, but there is a newcomer on the block that has gained considerable media attention: far-ultraviolet excimer lamps. What does it take to design a UV-C disinfection system using far-UV radiation?

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]]> https://www.allthingslighting.org/designing-an-ultraviolet-disinfection-system/feed/ 0 Ultraviolet Disinfection for Consumers https://www.allthingslighting.org/ultraviolet-disinfection-for-consumers/ https://www.allthingslighting.org/ultraviolet-disinfection-for-consumers/#respond Tue, 21 Apr 2020 23:16:38 +0000 https://www.allthingslighting.org/?p=1716 In these unfortunate times, it seems that everyone is looking for ways to help with the COVID-19 crisis. From a lighting designer’s perspective, one solution is obvious: ultraviolet radiation. We have known about the disinfectant properties of ultraviolet radiation for nearly 150 years (Downes and Blunt 1877), and we have been using low-pressure mercury arc […]

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]]> https://www.allthingslighting.org/ultraviolet-disinfection-for-consumers/feed/ 0 Circadian Lighting – An Engineer’s Perspective https://www.allthingslighting.org/circadian-lighting-an-engineers-perspective/ https://www.allthingslighting.org/circadian-lighting-an-engineers-perspective/#respond Fri, 15 Nov 2019 01:00:51 +0000 https://www.allthingslighting.org/?p=1254 Ian Ashdown, P. Eng, FIES, Senior Scientist, SunTracker Technologies Ltd. Published: 19/11/14. Whether you call it “circadian lighting,” “biologically effective lighting” or some other name, the principle is the same: the color and intensity of light can be used to regulate the timing of our biological clocks, or “circadian rhythms.” For architects and lighting designers, […]

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]]> https://www.allthingslighting.org/circadian-lighting-an-engineers-perspective/feed/ 0 The Science of Near-Infrared Lighting https://www.allthingslighting.org/the-science-of-near-infrared-lighting/ https://www.allthingslighting.org/the-science-of-near-infrared-lighting/#respond Thu, 14 Nov 2019 01:21:11 +0000 https://www.allthingslighting.org/?p=1229 Ian Ashdown, P. Eng., FIES, Senior Scientist, SunTracker Technologies Ltd. Published: 18/07/13 There is a common-sense argument being presented in the popular media that since humans evolved under sunlight, our bodies must surely make use of all the solar energy available to us. Given that more than 50 percent of this energy is due to […]

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]]> https://www.allthingslighting.org/the-science-of-near-infrared-lighting/feed/ 0 Melanopic Green https://www.allthingslighting.org/melanopic-green/ https://www.allthingslighting.org/melanopic-green/#respond Tue, 12 Nov 2019 19:03:50 +0000 https://www.allthingslighting.org/?p=1206 Ian Ashdown, P. Eng. FIES, Senior Scientist, SunTracker Technologies Ltd. Published: 18/09/03 Numerous medical studies have shown that exposure to blue light at night suppresses the production of melatonin by the pineal gland in our brains and so disrupts our circadian rhythms. As a result, we may have difficulty sleeping. It is therefore only common […]

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]]> https://www.allthingslighting.org/melanopic-green/feed/ 0 Seeing Ultraviolet https://www.allthingslighting.org/seeing-ultraviolet/ https://www.allthingslighting.org/seeing-ultraviolet/#respond Fri, 15 Feb 2019 22:34:31 +0000 https://www.allthingslighting.org/?p=276 Ian Ashdown, P. Eng., FIES, Senior Scientist, SunTracker Technologies Ltd.   Published: 2015/10/26 UPDATE 15/11/08 – The following text briefly notes that some people can see near-ultraviolet radiation following cataract surgery due to the UV transmittance of their artificial intraocular lens. An example of this is reported in considerable detail here. What does it mean […]

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]]> https://www.allthingslighting.org/seeing-ultraviolet/feed/ 0 In the Blood https://www.allthingslighting.org/in-the-blood/ https://www.allthingslighting.org/in-the-blood/#respond Fri, 15 Feb 2019 21:36:50 +0000 https://www.allthingslighting.org/?p=256 Ian Ashdown, P. Eng., FIES, Senior Scientist, SunTracker Technologies Ltd.  Published: 2014/06/25 We most often think of lighting design in terms of lumens, color temperature, and CRI, but there are occasional situations where a deeper analysis is required. One such situation is as close as your doctor’s office: the examination room. An examination room is […]

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]]> https://www.allthingslighting.org/in-the-blood/feed/ 0 Entraining Circadian Rhythms https://www.allthingslighting.org/entraining-circadian-rhythms/ https://www.allthingslighting.org/entraining-circadian-rhythms/#respond Fri, 15 Feb 2019 21:13:13 +0000 https://www.allthingslighting.org/?p=236 Ian Ashdown, P. Eng., FIES, Senior Scientist, SunTracker Technologies Ltd. Published:  2015/04/21 There is a fascinating research paper called “Colour as a Signal for Entraining the Mammalian Circadian Clock” that has just been published in the open access journal PLOS Biology (Walmsley et al. 2015). While it is an exceedingly technical paper, the basic premise […]

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]]> https://www.allthingslighting.org/entraining-circadian-rhythms/feed/ 0 Blue Light Hazards and Television https://www.allthingslighting.org/blue-light-hazards-and-television/ https://www.allthingslighting.org/blue-light-hazards-and-television/#respond Wed, 13 Feb 2019 00:05:55 +0000 https://www.allthingslighting.org/?p=94 Ian Ashdown, P. Eng., FIES, Senior Scientist, SunTracker Technologies Ltd.  Published: 2017/05/19  If you have grandchildren, you may be old enough to remember “black and white” (that is, monochrome) televisions sets with rabbit ear antennae and some of the worst children’s television programming that has ever been produced. Iconic programs such as Captain Kangaroo, Mighty […]

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]]> https://www.allthingslighting.org/blue-light-hazards-and-television/feed/ 0 Blue Light Hazard… Or Not? https://www.allthingslighting.org/blue-light-hazard-or-not/ https://www.allthingslighting.org/blue-light-hazard-or-not/#respond Tue, 12 Feb 2019 03:03:21 +0000 https://www.allthingslighting.org/?p=51 Ian Ashdown, P. Eng., FIES, Senior Scientist, SunTracker Technologies Ltd.   Published: 2014/11/05 As a professional lighting designer, you will likely have read about the “blue light hazard” associated with white light-emitting diodes. You will have seen warnings like this (Willmorth 2014a): “… long term exposure to blue light at 441nm caused lesions on the […]

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