Circadian Health Glossary
Blue Light Hazard
Blue Light Hazard refers to the experimentally observed photochemical damage to the retina (i.e. photic retinopathy) caused by exposure to abnormally intense blue light, typically in extreme scenarios such as sungazing or vitreoretinal endoillumination during medical procedures. It does not apply to typical ambient light exposure or specialized artificial lighting. It specifically assesses the potential for retinal harm and is not related to the impact of blue light on circadian rhythms.
Key Aspects of Blue Light Hazard
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Photoretinitis: Damage induced by high-intensity blue light exposure, particularly relevant in artificial lighting or devices with concentrated blue light emissions that operate outside safe levels of blue light hazard.
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Evaluation in Lighting: Used as a measure to assess the blue light content of domestic and industrial lighting systems to ensure safety.
Mitigating Blue Light Hazard
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Use lighting that meets safety standards for blue light emissions. For example, AYO is certified for photobiological safety that includes Blue Light Hazard evaluation.
- Avoid prolonged exposure to very high-intensityblue light.
- Bypass intenseblue lightsources if you suffer from macular degeneration.
Blue Light Hazard focuses solely on retinal safety and does not address the circadian or behavioral effects of blue light exposure. Blue light is essential for normal function of circadian rhythm and general health.