Health Concerns with Grow Lights?
 

Okay, please forgive me if this is a ridiculous question. I am a newbie!

I am very proactive about wearing sunscreen to prevent skin cancer and aging. I have had a few moles removed, and I want to reduce my chance of getting skin cancer within reason.

I have recently discovered that my orchids need additional sunlight. More than what is already provided by my SW window. I'm doing research about grow lights, and I'm wondering if it's healthy to have them in the household. Do they increase the risk of cancer, or contribute to additional aging? All my orchids are in my bedroom, which I obviously sleep and spend time in. Do they even need to be on during the night?

If there is a concern, is there a healthier type? I am considering getting two architect lamps and using CFL bulbs.

I have included a picture of my current setup. If anyone has any info on the health effects or setup ideas, I would sincerely appreciate it!

There's nothing ridiculous about your question! The use of grow lights should be extremely safe for you, even with the plants in your bedroom. I've never heard of any sort of radiant problem with them for people, and while you may spend a bit of time admiring your orchids you aren't going to be climbing under the lights with them. I could be missing something, but have grown most of 40 years using lights and neither have skin cancer nor glow in the dark.

In so far as running the lights, plants need a night to sleep just as we do. I tend to run mine for about 13 hours in the winter and move up to 14 in the summer, but am considering cutting back an hour on both extremes.

Okay! I tend to worry about nothing! I'm guessing most of the UVA/UVB radiation is focused on the plant?

The glass in bulbs or tubes absorbs the dangerous UV. LEDs are designed to emit certain wavelengths, and UV is not there unless that is the plan.

What orchids do you have? From what I can make out, you might be fine without lighting, what city/state are you in?

Your supplemental lighting should be very safe. As estacion seca said, if you use LEDs the light emitted will only be in certain wavelengths designed into the lamp; the only way they would emit UV is if the lamp was designed to do so.

You will want the lights off when you are sleeping anyway, further decreasing a very miniscule risk.

I have three cattleyas, two phals, a dendrobium aggregatum mini and a schoenorchis fragrans. I'm in RI, but the leaves on my cattleyas are pretty dark.

Thanks guys, I feel confident purchasing LEDs or a CFL bulb. Thank you! I've just joined this forum, and it already seems to be a great community. I think I'll be around here for a while.

It is a good question. I have wondered the same but I would hope that they would have a warning if there was a potential for cancer.

I love my fluorescent lights and have begun growing all kinds of other plants under them, too. :)

Yeah, lighting would certainly help in that case... the fact the fittonia isn't burning in that spot is telling, didn't notice till looking at pics on my cp just now... the catts and the den would need the most lighting for sure... what catts are they? some can handle less light than others.

UV is emitted from some fluorescent bulbs, but not a lot. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluore...mps_and_health

White LEDs don't emit UV, but majority of white LEDs emit lots of blue light (especially the cooler white ones). Some people are concerned about the effects of blue light. Blue light influences many aspects of health because circadian rhythm can be influenced by blue light. So it might be better to avoid it at night if you are sensitive.