[Answered] Are LED Grow Lights Harmful to Humans?
LED grow lights are getting more and more popular for indoor gardening and farming, thanks to the many benefits they bring. With the help of grow lights, we can mimic the sunlight with ideal light spectrums of all wavelengths for the light needs of different plant growth stages.
However, are grow lights bad for your eyes? Many growers are concerned about the potential health risks associated with these lights. If you are one of those who are troubled by this issue, you’ve come to the right place. In this following article, we will clear all your doubts and answer most of the questions that arise about the safe use of LED grow lights.
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Do Grow Lights Have UV rays?
Yes, most LED grow lights emit UV rays, also known as ultraviolet light. Unlike other growth light spectrum, this type of light has a short wavelength that is not visible to human eyes.
Although plants do not necessarily require UV rays to grow, adding UV light can have multiple advantages on your plant growth. For example, the most significant impact is to boost crop yield with high nutrients. Additionally, growing with UV light can speed up the germination stage, enhance the root system, increase resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, etc.
That’s why most LED grow lights are designed to carry out the UV spectrum, and so are other grow lights such as HID (high-intensity discharge) lights.
In short, LED grow light emits a strictly calculated amount of UV light that offers great benefits to commercial gardeners.
Are LED Grow Lights Bad for Your Skin?
It’s true that overexposure to intensive UV rays can cause skin cancer and is definitely bad for your skin. Actually, overexposure to any light, even natural sunlight can be dangerous. However, the UV light produced by most indoor growing is not harmful to human skin.
Still, you should stay cautious about the high intensity of grow lights’ UV radiation, especially when you have a family history of skin diseases.
Are Grow Lights Bad for Your Eyes?
To answer this question, we would like to ask another one about the devices you use daily. That is, do you think smartphone or laptop screens poses danger to your eyes?
The most common answer would be Yes. We all know that smartphones and laptop screens emit blue radiation that is harmful to human eyes, but if we limit the duration and intensity of blue radiation exposure, we can reduce the danger to our eyes to a measurable level. And so is the case for grow lights.
Indeed, LED grow lights producing UV and blue radiation can harm our eyes, but once we take preventive approaches, the damage will be much less than expected.
Measures to Take While Working under LED Grow Lights
To help you better protect both your skin and eyes when working with a LED grow light, we’ve gathered some necessary measures to take.
To protect your eye from UV and blue radiation:
- Wear protective grow room glasses. There are protective glasses designed exclusively for use with LED grow lights to protect your eyes. Those glasses are often UV-resistant and are able to block out blue radiation. You can find them at most gardening stores or online.
- Don’t stare at lights directly. If you are using a LED grow light with a mixture of blue and UV diodes, avoid staring at them directly to protect yourself from the powerful light intensity.
- Limit your exposure duration. Try to limit the amount of time you spend under the grow lights each day, and take frequent breaks to give your eyes a rest, which is helpful to reduce eye strain and fatigue.
To protect your skin from UV light:
- If you are a commercial grower or passionate gardener, you should try to cover most of your body parts. For example, it’s suggested to wear long-sleeve shirts and even hats, if the grow light is placed overhead.
- Use sunscreen, particularly for those who are under intense UV light. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 to any exposed skin, including your face, neck, and hands to protect your skin from harmful UV light.
- Control the time you spend working under these grow lights. Similarly to the above, you should only use the lights for the recommended amount of time to avoid overexposure.
Conclusion
Are grow lights safe for humans? LED grow lights are way safer as compared to other high-intensity grow lights like HPS. However, there are still some risks and cautions, which can be easily overcome if handled with care. So, keep all things mentioned above in mind and stay fully safe.
FAQs about Are Grow Lights Safe for Humans
- Is it safe to be around LED grow lights?
Yes, it is generally safe to be around LED grow lights. Although the grow lights do emit potentially harmful light such as UV light and blue radiation, as long as you take appropriate precautions when working around them, it’s a safe practice.
- Is it safe for me to sit next to a grow light?
Yes, it’s safe to sit next to grow lights in most cases. However, if you stay way much close to a grow light for an extended period of time, your skin may get hurt and your eyes can also be damaged.
- Can you have grow lights in your room?
Yes, having grow lights in your room will not do any bad to your health once they are handled with caution. When they are shut down, the grow lights will not emit any harmful radiation.
Can a human sit under it to help their hair grow
LOL. I’m not sure if our grow lights grow hair but they definitely grow your plants.
Do these UV rays pre-acclimate plants to regular sunlight or do I still need to slowly get my indoor Spider-Farmer grown plants used to direct contact from full sunlight when moving them to a full-sun garden?
Don’t hold me to it, but I had no issues going directly outside from starting inside using an SF1000 and SF2000
It depends on the temperature and light intensity outside. For example, I live in San Antonio and the temperature/ light intensity is much higher outside, so I have to harden my plants before transplanting them. If you’re in a more mild environment I think you can get away with a direct transplant. To be on the side of caution, I would leave them outside for a day if they can make it that long without overstressing, if they’re happy then you’re good to go. Happy Growing 🙂