Rolf Sverre Bergman

Interlaboratory Evaluation of Ultraviolet Radiation Emissions from Compact Fluorescent Lamps

There have been many recent reports regarding the potential risks of UV emissions from compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). In some of these reports, the robustness of the measurements was difficult to discern. We conducted round‐robin measurements, involving three lamp manufacturers and two government research laboratories to gather reliable data on the UV emissions from commercially available CFLs. The initial sample of lamps consisted of 71 spiral‐shaped CFLs purchased from local retailers. From the initial sample, 14 “high UV emitting” CFLs were chosen for further evaluation. We compared the UV emissions at a distance of 20 cm with the UV exposure limits (ELs) published by the International Commission on Non‐ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). We found that the allowable exposure time for measured lamps ranged from 21 to 415 h. This indicates that the emissions would not exceed the short‐term ELs that have been established by the ICNIRP for healthy individuals. We also evaluated the potential long‐term risk and found it to be insignificant. There was a large variation in the UV emissions found, even for lamps from a single package, indicating that it is impossible to predict the UV output of a CFL based on its physical appearance and model designation.

Photobiological Risk Classification of Lamps and Lamp Systems—History and Rationale

ABSTRACT Current optical radiation safety standards for lamps and lamp systems were first published in the United States in the early 1990s but were the product of dozens of meetings held during the 1970s and 1980s. The development was tortuously slow because lamp scientists and engineers contended that because almost all lamps were perfectly safe—unlike lasers, which were generally hazardous—there was no need for an optical safety standard. They pointed to the rare instances of actual, reported injuries from lamps (except for sunlamps, for which there had been safety standards). Those rare lamps, such as sunlamps and germicidal ultraviolet lamps, that posed photobiological hazards were well recognized by all, and warnings were always provided. However, occupational health and safety experts and some photobiologists, ophthalmologists, and dermatologists thought that because laser safety standards then existed, there was a need for consensus documents for lamps and lighting systems. This led to the risk group (RG) designations that would distinguish those lamps that would pose a potential risk (if only in rare cases) from those that would always be safe and therefore exempt from any requirements. This article provides the historical, scientific bases for these RGs and measurement conditions now applied to both lamps and lamp products. It also documents specific issues related to the risk assessments for specific lamp applications.