Night Lights Cause Leukaemia

[securespark]

Seen this report?

My boys have a 25 or 15W lamp lit all night, now they tell me it is dangerous, and that I should use yellow or red, as low a wattage as possible.

Anybody got any links to ultra-low wattage yellow lamps with BC caps? Or shall I just use a 25W GLS in yellow. The problem is, when somebody says use "Low Wattage" lamps, how low do they mean? Compared to 60/100W lamps, 25W IS low, but the lowest wattage lamp with a BC cap I can find is 3W, but that is a CFL....

Am I being paranoid?

The missus BTW turned off the kids lights last night saying that if it was dangerous, we had better stop straight away. But they've been on for (in the elder kids case) the last five years.......

 

[kendor]

Do you know where the research article that suggests this is located?
It does smack of the same theories behind overhead lines and such the wattages you quote suggest tungsten lamps and if the research is genuine then we all will be in danger!
i wonder if the electroluminescent ones fall in the same category?
As most of these theories seem to suggest that electromagnetic radiation is the danger then we are all in the same boat what with constant albeit low radiation from radio and television broadcasting, mobiles, microwaves etc.
I think as the average human lifespan has increased over recent times as opposed to decreased that a lot of it is scaremongering, that's not to say a section of the populace aren't susceptible but on average we live longer these days again statistics need to be put in perspective yes cancer is one of the big killers but the amount of people that die from it compared to those that escape it is on a small scale relatively.

 

[2scoops0406]

Personally if the light helps your kids to sleep, then this is far less dangerous than the reverse situation, whereby you will probably cheerfully throttle the little angels Why not just use a dimmer switch ? that's what we do. I can't really believe the original article, sounds mighty suss to me

 

[nelsy]

I've heard about the same problem being caused by clock/radios, which many people have plugged in next to their bed (including me!)

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

Is this the same theory that meant we would all become sterile whilst using microwave ovens to cook our chicken korma???

Did anyone see that prog on the Beeb last night... Kept harping on about information etc. Christ, like we need more contradicionary information to overload our microwaved brains!!!

It seems that common sense is dying out... Seems obvious to me that being subjected to prolonged doses of radiation isn't going to help you any... But life is a lottery, so even if you do have a mobile cemented to your head 24/7 doesn't necessarily mean your going to die of radiation.

The cigarette smoking drunk in his 4x4 taking the children to school whilst texting is more likely to run you over first!!!

 

[2scoops0406]

It seems that common sense is dying out...

The trouble with common sense is that it's not a common

 

[waran]

I believe there was a committee set up to investigate the effect of low freq electric and magnetic fields - ICNIRP (International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection). On the whole, there did seem to be a strong association between postnatal exposure to magnetic fields of greater than 0.3 microT and the development of childhood leukaemia. although the link appeared quite strong it's quite a difficult subject to study and is open to bias.
The association between light at night and leukaemia is even more difficult to study effectively and the results the Reiter quoted in his conference haven't been published yet so it's difficult to comment on it's validity. There is some evidence on the effect of radiation on the ability of the body to produce a hormone melatonin which may help in the prevention of some cancers. Again there are a lot of steps in the lick between causality and effect and so it's difficult to be sure as to what to believe at the moment.
It's been reported that the age group most at risk is up to five - six months so I would have thought that any risk is probably quite small to your sons.
I'd personally wait for the evidence to be properly reviewed before being too hasty with the lights.
It is an interesting theory though and I'll keep you up to date if it is found to be correct.

 

[securespark]

See here for news article: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/13038428?source=Evening Standard

Have yet to find any research.

Update! Here: http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ca...kaemia+caused+by+night+lights+melatonin&hl=en

Basically, it says that darkness is essential for the production of melatonin, which in turn (it is alleged!) helps to ward off cancer.

 

[waran]

Sorry SS, when I said published, I meant in the peer reviewed scientific journals. The newspapers will publish anything and will give it a slant depending on what their own particular agenda is and what they think will sell newspapers. Most reputable scientific journals have more rigorous criteria on what they deem publishable. Also they are subject to scutiny and criticism by reviewers and the wider scientific community.
Whilst I don't completely discount the science that I read in the general newspapers, it is often misreported and not placed in the right context. As with most health related research there are often several caveats that preclude it being applicable to the general population.