With more cities than ever implementing LED streetlights, the American Medical Association has issued new guidelines to ensure the lights are as safe as they are energy-efficient.
It’s a well-known fact that LED lighting saves money, energy, and time spent on maintenance, so it’s no wonder cities all over the world are installing the bulbs in their street lighting. But new research has shown these new energy-efficient streetlights may be doing more harm than good.
In an official statement released earlier this month, the American Medical Association issued guidelines to help communities choose LED streetlights that will “minimize potential harmful human health and environmental effects,” while still delivering the valuable environmental and financial benefits LED lights are known for.
Most cities that have adopted LED streetlights use bulbs with a color temperature between 4000K and 5000K, which contains a high level of blue light. Though this light brightly illuminates dark streets and neighborhoods, many have complained that the light is too harsh. Bright, blue-toned light at night can cause uncomfortable glare to those driving or walking down streets at night, as well as more serious effects such as sleep deprivation.
Exposure to bright blue light at night can suppress the human body’s release of melatonin--the hormone that helps us wind down and relax in order to sleep. And as we all have experienced at some point, sleep deprivation can have many crippling effects at home, work and everywhere in between. Bright nighttime lighting can even have negative effects on local wildlife, disturbing the patterns of migratory animals like birds and sea turtles.
With all of these factors taken into account, the AMA has recommended that cities interested in LED streetlights should use lights with a color temperature of 3000K or less. This color temperature is warmer than traditional LED streetlights, but still brighter and whiter than the warm color of incandescent bulbs. The AMA also recommends that streetlights use shields to protect against glare. With these recommendations in place, the AMA hopes that cities will continue to implement LED technology, but with caution shown to the people and animals who live within them.
