Students and workers are subject to environmental torture every day. Fluorescent lights are so harsh and constantly buzz, which is incredibly annoying and actually negatively impacts our health and productivity.
I first noticed this problem in high school, where the overhead lights would flicker and hum throughout the day. Sure, it was annoying, but I didn’t realize at the time how serious a health hazard the lights really were.
To my shock, the research against fluorescent lighting is overwhelming and comes from multiple angles.
A recent study at Ball State University found that teachers noticed changes in student behavior with fluorescent and LED lighting. 75% of K-12 teachers reported that students with anxiety disorders felt uncomfortable in fluorescent lighting.
A Cureus study supported this. They found that participants with anxiety disorders reported “headaches, negativity, and discomfort” when exposed to the lighting.
Fluorescent lights are also notorious migraine triggers, which I’ve experienced personally. Migraine attacks can last days and can be debilitating—honestly, I’ve started buying Excedrin in bulk just to get through my classes.
Constant flickering light, the specific wavelengths released by the bulbs, and the humming sound are the perfect mixture for a migraine. How can we expect students to learn well if their learning environment causes them pain?
In the Ball State study, 81% of the teachers reported that they adjust their classroom lighting to help students, whether it be fluorescent light covers, lamps, etc. If this many teachers are changing, it’s clear that even they know the problems created by standard fluorescent lighting.
LEDs have more dimming capabilities, which research shows improves student engagement and mood. Higher color temperatures boost alertness and focus, while lower temperatures encourage calm and relaxation. Continuous bright lighting from fluorescents can cause a fight-or-flight response. This stress ultimately lowers student performance in the long run.
It’s also important to note that fluorescent lights don’t even make sense from an energy standpoint. A study from the University of Michigan found that LED lights are 18-44% more efficient than fluorescent lights. LEDs are also easier to dim, get to full brightness much faster, and are mercury-free.
Yes, mercury! The neurotoxin! Fluorescent lights are not only anxiety-inducing and migraine creators, they’re also toxic. If a light bulb breaks and someone inhales elemental mercury, they could suffer neurological damage. This can include tremors, muscle atrophy, twitching, and chronic headaches.
While these issues are generally explained fiscally, fluorescent lights don’t even save schools money. Yes, the initial cost of switching to LEDs would be large; however, it would pay for itself. LED lights use 30% less energy and can reduce costs by up to 44% per year. LED bulbs also last much longer than fluorescents, which would mean reduced maintenance. After switching, schools would see immediate savings.
The most frustrating part of the situation is that although we have all of these alternatives, schools don’t switch. I beg the question—how is this different from switching out lead-painted walls and asbestos-filled ceilings? It’s time we applied logic to our lighting.
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7978391
https://record.umich.edu/articles/study-examines-switching-from-fluorescent-lamps-to-leds
https://www.epa.gov/mercury/health-effects-exposures-mercury
