The ministry based its recommendations on the UK Health Protection Agency, which has studied the matter seriously. It said that compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) can emit both the B and A type of ultraviolet light, which when above a certain limit can trigger melanoma skin cancer as well as basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. Melanoma has higher death rates than the other types.

The fact that UVA and UVB emitted by standard CFLs can pose a health danger has been known for a decade, but environmental health agencies and experts have not issued official recommendations until recently.

In addition to the skin cancer threat from close and frequent exposure, the non-encapsulated bulbs vibrate at 100 Hz, which may cause over sensitivity in the side field of vision of the eye in a small fraction of people who look directly at them, the ministry said.



Keep Your Distance from Fluorescent Bulbs