Cities respond to AMA warning on LED lighting

Some cities are looking closer at LED lighting after a warning from the American Medical Association, reports The Washington Post.

The AMA's warning, issued in June, cautioned that while there are energy efficiency benefits associated with LED lighting, some LED lights may be harmful when used as street lighting. The AMA said high-intensity LED streetlights — such as those in places like Seattle, Los Angeles, New York City and Houston — emit a large amount of blue light that appears white to the naked eye and create worse nighttime glare than conventional lighting. "Discomfort and disability from intense, blue-rich LED lighting can decrease visual acuity and safety, resulting in concerns and creating a road hazard," the group said.

Additionally, the AMA cautioned that this unseen blue light can also disturb sleep rhythms and possibly increase the risk of serious health conditions, including cancer and cardiovascular disease, according to the article.

Here are four takeaways on cities' actions related to LED lighting.

• The AMA's warning did not convince New York City to get rid of first-generation bright LED lights, though resident complaints did prompt the city to replace the high-intensity, white LED bulbs with a lower-intensity bulb that the AMA considers safe, reports The Washington Post.
• Lake Worth, Fla., after a year and a half of discussion, has decided to replace its sodium streetlights with about 4,150 LED lights with an amber glow, according to the article.
• Mark Hartman, Phoenix's chief sustainability officer, told The Washington Post the city may choose a mix of the intense lights for major intersections and ballpark areas and a softer light for residential areas.
• Seattle, which installed about 41,000 new lights since 2010, is happy with their higher-intensity LED streetlights, according to the article. Scott Thomsen, a spokesman for Seattle City Lights, told The Washington Post initial complaints from residents about the new lights were due to surprise at the sharp difference in brightness between the old sodium lights and the new LEDs.

For more on this story and the impact of LED lighting, read Michael Ollove's full report in The Washington Post.

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