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Eco-friendly LED light bulbs contain hazardous substances, research shows

Feb 21,2011
Small LED bulbs that are promoted as eco-friendly alternatives to traditional light bulbs contain high levels of lead, arsenic and a dozen other potentially hazardous substances that have been linked to various cancers, a new American study shows. Researchers at the University of California in Irvine and Davis crushed LED bulbs from strands of Christmas lights and found that the red ones had up to eight times the amount of lead allowed under California law, while the other colours bulbs had even more contaminants. White bulbs contained the least lead, but they had high levels of nickel, said researcher Oladele Ogunseitan, chair of the university's department of population health and disease prevention. "LEDs are touted as the next generation of lighting. But as we try to find better products that do not deplete energy resources or contribute to global warming, we have to be vigilant about the toxicity hazards of those marketed as replacements," he said in a statement. The report is the first to look for toxic chemicals in LEDs, he added. His team also studied larger LED bulbs in everything from traffic lights to headlights in cars. But the results, which are similar to the Christmas lights, have not been published yet. LED lights have been widely hailed as a safer, more green choice compared to fluorescent bulbs, which contain mercury. Ogunseitan said he sent his findings to U.S. health regulators to warn them of potential dangers consumers could be facing. LEDs are not classified as toxic products and there aren't any disposal regulations, although the scientists now urge consumers to use gloves, a mask and a broom when they handle broken LED lights. Manufacturers and emergency crews who clean broken traffic lights should treat the LEDs as hazardous waste, they said. The lead and other metals in the bulbs have been linked to hundreds of previous studies that look at cancer, neurological damage, kidney disease, skin rashes and other sicknesses, his team writes in their report, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. Inhaling the fumes of a single broken light would not lead to cancer, but it could be a "tipping point" on top of chronic exposure to other carcinogens, the report warns. It said that the copper used in some LEDs is also an ecological threat to fish, rivers and lakes. "Risks are present in all parts of the lights and at every stage during production, use and disposal . . . consumers, manufacturers and first responders to accident scenes ought to be aware of this," Ogunseitan said in the statement. The LEDs could be redesigned so they're made of safer materials, he said, calling the concern a "preventable risk."
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LED Bulb,Health,LED Harm

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