CFLs and Cancer: Recent Studies that Link the Two

Most people are aware that compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) contain carcinogenic mercury, but you may be surprised to learn they have been linked to cancer in other ways, such as harmful UV radiation, release of carcinogenic toxins, and disruption of the body’s melatonin production. What follows is a brief summary of three different studies that point to some disturbing carcinogenic risks associated with CFLs.

CFLs and Cancer – the research:

Researchers at Long Island’s Stony Brook University conducted a study examining the impact of CFLs on healthy human skin tissue, published in the journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology. Researchers purchased CFL bulbs from several different locations and found each one to have deficiencies in the phosphor coating, which is supposed to help prevent the transmission of harmful UVC and UVA rays. They then took those same bulbs and studied exposure effects on healthy human skin tissue cells. According to study co-author and adjunct professor, Miriam Rafailovich, “…the response of healthy skin cells to UV emitted from CFL bulbs is consistent with damage from ultraviolet radiation.” It was further concluded that prolonged exposure at a distance of eight inches or less could cause skin and retinal damage.

CFLs work by stimulating and producing mercury (Hg) vapors and emission lines that, in turn, produce visible light. It’s these mercury emission lines that also produce UVC and UVA rays that should be effectively absorbed by the phosphor coating on the bulb’s exterior. The study concluded that because CFLs typically consist of tightly coiled tubes, this contributes to “larger stresses in the fluorescent coating, and causes cracks or uncoated areas… Closer examination of some of these bulbs showed multiple defects in their coating, thus allowing UV-light emission.

In a second study conducted by Peter Braun at Berlin, Germany’s Alab Laboratory, it was discovered that CFLs release carcinogenic toxins when left on for extended periods of time. These harmful toxins include phenol, naphthalene and styrene.

• Phenol was first extracted from coal tar and is found in industrial paint strippers.
• Naphthalene is a key ingredient of many fumigants including mothballs and is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Group 2B carcinogen—in other words, possibly carcinogenic to humans and animals.
• Styrene is used in materials like insulation and fiberglass, and is largely metabolized in humans as styrene oxide, which is considered “toxic, mutagenic, and possibly carcinogenic.” The U.S. National Toxicology Program has stated that styrene is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” and is currently evaluating its potential toxicity.

Abraham Haim, a professor of biology at Haifa University in Israel, also found a link between CFLs and a potential for higher breast cancer rates. Haim suggests that the bluish light that some CFLs emit closely mimics daylight. When the bulbs are used at nighttime, which is generally when lights are on, the bluish light can disrupt the body’s production of the hormone melatonin resulting in the potential for higher rates of breast cancer. So, not only is that bluish light unflattering and dreary, but it could also be harmful to your health.

It’s hard to ignore the current research showing CFLs are not the best answer to improving energy efficiency in your home. CFLs not only fall short in terms of optimal energy savings, when compared to LEDs, but they also carry with them substantial health risks that cannot be ignored.