RADSAFERS:
The "full spectrum" indoor lighting concept is highly questionable. In the mid-1980's when health claims for full spectrum lighting were rampant, the FDA issued a health fraud notice on such claims by one company using the description "gross deception of the consumer."
A symposium sponsored by the National Research Council Canada (NRCC) was held in 1993, and presentations were made by both those advocating advantages and those who found no scientific support for full spectrum lighting. Quoting from the conference summary by Dr. Veitch, "(T)he scientific evidence reviewed above (Veitch & McColl, this volume) does not support the claims that have been made for full-spectrum fluorescent lamps. For most people, and most tasks, there is no evidence that any particular lamp type is better than any other in its effects on people." The symposium proceedings (available from NRCC) are titled FULL-SPECTRUM LIGHTING EFFECTS ON PERFORMANCE, MOOD, AND HEALTH, June 1994, Internal Report No. 659.
There still is a lot of hype out there in advertising literature and elsewhere promoting full spectrum lighting, but this does not necessarily mean that advantages exist.
A few cogent questions and answers on this topic can be found on the NRCC website of the Institute for Research in Construction at http://www.nrc.ca/irc/ie/light/faq.html
Robert E. Levin, Ph.D.
Corporate Scientist
OSRAM SYLVANIA
71 Cherry Hill Drive
Beverly, MA 01915 USA
phone: (978) 750-1594
fax: (978) 750-1794
e-mail: robert.levin@sylvania.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Cowdrey [mailto:Eric.Cowdrey@CANCERCARE.MB.CA]
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2002 10:51 AM
To: muckerheide@attbi.com; radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
Cc: rad-sci-l@ans.ep.wisc.edu
Subject: Re: Sunshine hormesis - 'Ecological' Study!? :-)
RADSAFERS:
The generation of vitamin D in the skin is the main known benefit of
exposure to ultraviolet radition (UVR). See, for example, item 15 in the
Executive Summary of a substantial NRPB report:
---- SNIPPED -----
This sort of reasoning may have been the stimulus for "full spectrum"
indoor lighting (i.e., the bulbs would also produce some UVR to mimic
the sun's spectrum). I don't think this idea has got very far, though.
I would like to know if anyone has further information about it.
Eric Cowdrey, M.Sc. (Physics)
Radiation Protection Officer
Department of Medical Physics
CancerCare Manitoba
675 McDermot Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 0V9
Canada
Tel (204) 787-2166
Fax (204) 775-1684
mailto:Eric.Cowdrey@cancercare.mb.ca