Does the blue light from LED screens really hurt our eyes?

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Several articles surfaced this week warning about the dangers of blue light emitted by LED lighting. The flurry of warnings followed the release of a report by a French government agency that outlined the ill effects associated with blue lights.

The headlines should be a cause for concern given how the settings of our phones and computers can constantly expose us to blue light. LEDs are otherwise hugely popular for conserving energy as compared to traditional lights.

The report released by the Agency for Food, Environment, Occupational Health, and Safety claims that blue light is toxic for the retina. It also highlighted how blue light can disturb the body clock and the sleep cycle. It also points out the environmental risks that blue light from LED screens pose.

However, a report by Quartz claims that the warning over-stated facts. Here’s why:

There are multiple wavelengths of light that are not visible to the naked eye but can pose serious dangers. For instance, Ultra-violet (UV) rays and Infrared light. Blue light is far less dangerous than these.

Moreover, LED lights emit only as much blue light as any other lightbulb when they give off the same proportion of shorter and longer wavelengths. “Cooler” light, which is like daylight, has a blue undertone. In fact, sunlight is 10 times brighter than the usual LED light, meaning we are exposed to much more blue light outdoors.

Now, the risks of hurting the eyes really depend on the brightness. The retina has cells called photoreceptors which absorb light and too much light can damage them.

Ideally, all LED lights are safety rated on a scale of 0 to 3. Zero rating would mean that the light poses no danger to the retina. Most LED lights used indoors and in screens have such low-risk ratings.

The French agency was correct in stating that blue light can mess with the body’s natural hormone cycles that prompt us to sleep or stay awake. So, when the retina absorbs blue light it interprets it as daylight and tells the body to stay awake.

Also, light pollution is indeed a major problem. When LEDs light up the sky, they have an adverse effect on the local fauna, especially birds.