THE INFLUENCE OF LED LIGHTING

ON PEOPLE AND ANIMALS

Ryann Thomas

Professor Nofzinger
OPTI 200
 Abstract
LED lights are the most common light source of today both residentially and

commercially. The process of their development started 115 years ago and the development of

finding new uses for the lights continues to this day. With this development and popularity,

impacts of the light source, both positive and negative must be explored through the context of

animals and people. For animals, negative impacts can be seen with a loss in biodiversity of

insects, disrupted sea-finding for sea turtles, and vision impairment in rats. Positive impacts of

LED’s for animals can be seen through increased mating behavior in birds and light therapy for

pets. People face the negative effect of a disrupted circadian rhythm. However, for people

positive impacts of LED are the reason for the light source’s popularity. The economic and

energy saving benefits are large positive effects of LED’s for people. There are also health

benefits of LED lights for people such as vision assistance. Overall, this paper explores the

history and impacts of LED lighting on both people and animals.

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 The Influence of LED Lighting on People and Animals
LED lighting has become increasingly popular since its introduction. Today, LED’s are

the main source of lighting both residentially and commercially. However, due to the popularity,

it is important to consider what impact the lighting may have. The transition to LED’s could be

more problematic or beneficial when compared to older lighting. This paper will explore the

scientific history behind LED lighting, how it impacts animals through attraction or detraction,

health, and the environment and its influence over human health, economics, and psychology,

LED stands for “light-emitting diode.” They are semiconductor light sources that emit

light as a current of electricity flows through them. According to the Department of Energy, the

light-emitting diode is an energy-efficient lighting technology that lasts longer, is more durable,

and is more cost effective than other sources of lighting (LED Lighting). To understand how

today’s LED lights work, it is important to first look at the history of how they were developed.

LED’s have been around for over half a century. The first working LED that could be practically

used was created by Nick Holonyak Jr. in 1962. Holonyak was working as a scientist for General

Electric at the time (LED Bulb). He was experimenting with Gallium Arsenide Phosphide as a

semiconductor following research that had started in the 1950’s. His research led to the invention

of the first LED that could produce visible red light.

Prior to Holonyak’s invention, the idea of electronically produced lighting was already

around. The term “electroluminescence” was created almost 30 years before the LED was

invented, and the phenomenon was observed for the first time almost 60 years before (LED

Bulb). George Destriau came up with the term electroluminescence while observing the

phenomenon of light using Zinc Sulphide powder and an electric current as a conductor. Before

him, in 1907, Henry Joseph Round observed the emission of yellow light from Silicon Carbide

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and an electric current. (LED Bulb). Only 11 years before Holonyak’s invention, an infra-red

LED invisible to humans was accidentally invented by Robert Biard and Gary Pittman while

they were experimenting on laser diodes. However, the light from all three experiments was too

faint to be usable. Holonyak is considered the “Father of the LED” because his invention of the

red diode was the first that had practical usage.

After Holonyak’s first LED, experimentation continued to produce more efficient LED’s.

In the 1960’s, the first generation of LED’s became popularized. Using Gallium Phosphide,

Monsanto Company created brighter LED’s and produced them for mass consumption. These

lights were durable and energy efficient, but they still had a low light output. They were used as

indicator lights on small electrical equipment. The 1980’s was when the second generation of

LED’s began to transform into the super- bright lighting used today. Indium Gallium Aluminum

Phosphide was the semiconductor used to make bright yellow, orange-red, orange, red, and green

LED’s (LED Bulb). They were brighter, more reliable, and could be strung together into a

circuit. Gradually, bright blue LED’s were invented in 1990 by Shuju Nakamura with Gallium

Nitride (LED Bulb). These lights were the foundation for the LED’s that are now used

extensively residentially and commercially.

Leading into the 21st century, the blue light emitters were coated in fluorescent phosphors

to produce white LED’s, which are the ones used today. According to the Department of Energy,

LED’s use “at least 75% less energy, and last up to 25 times longer” (LED Lighting). The

Department also listed differences LED’s have from previous lighting sources. They emit light in

a range of colors and in a specific direction, emit very little heat, are safer and sturdier, and last

longer than any other lighting type. Because of these benefits the list of uses for LED lighting

and the development of products increases every year. LED’s uses consist of industrial and

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commercial lighting such as streetlights and refrigerator lights. Residentially, LED’s are used as

recessed downlights in kitchens, hallways, and bathrooms. The Department of Energy estimates

more than 600 million recessed downlights exist in United States homes and businesses. LED’s

are also used as replacement bulbs and in string lights (LED Lighting).

Since LED’s are so commonplace today, any impacts the lighting source has are

maximized. Any source of artificial light placed in an animal’s environment can have an impact.

Outdoor artificial lights can attract, detract, or even disorient animals. The difference between

LED lights and other forms of artificial lighting has to do with the spectrum of light that comes

from specifically LED’s. Light-emitting diodes have a greater range of spectral profiles of light.

Certain colors can impact certain animals in positive and negative ways. The wide array of

negative effects spans from health issues to disrupted migration patterns. Most of the negative

impacts LED’s have on animals are from either the full spectrum of lighting or specifically blue-

light LED’s. These two forms of LED lights have negative impacts on several species of

animals. As outdoor environments are becoming illuminated by LED’s it is important to explore

the potential negative outcomes of altering these places. There are negative impacts of LED

lighting on the environment that harm three animals. Some examples that have been assessed and

proven to suffer from LED lighting are insects, sea turtles, and rats.

The environment is negatively impacted by LED lighting through light pollution.

According to UK Research and Innovation, LED streetlights pose the threat of biodiversity loss

specifically with insects (LED Streetlights). This negative impact has to do with detraction.

Douglas Boyes, co-author of a study for the UK Centre of Ecology & Hydrology, said “The

effects observed on local abundance, development, and feeding behavior were more pronounced

for white LED’s. The rapidly increasing prevalence of LED lights, which are often much brighter

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as they are so energy-efficient and cheap to run, is likely to increase the negative impacts of light

pollution on insects” (LED Streetlights). LED streetlamps lead to smaller populations of insects

by 50% compared to unlit areas and 40% compared to areas with older lighting sources (LED

Streetlights). This decrease in population leads to biodiversity loss, specifically with the insect

population. However, losing insect abundance will also have a larger effect as they are a food

source for many other species. Thus, light pollution on environments and biodiversity loss are

two negative impacts of LED lighting on animals. Luckily, there are simple solutions for light

pollution which include ensuring that lighting is switched on and off and designed well and away

from animal habitats (LED Streetlights).

There are also negative impact of LED lights on sea turtles. These impacts have to do

with attraction. According to a study by Costal Management, the lights lure turtle hatchlings

inland (Long). Along costal highways full-spectrum streetlights interfere with turtle hatchling

natural orientation cues and incorrectly attract them towards the lights instead of towards the

water. Hatchlings are aided towards the water by visual cues called phototaxis. Phototaxis,

according to Oxford Dictionary, is the bodily movement of a motile organism in response to

light, either toward the source of light or away from it (Oxford). In the case of these turtles, they

experience positive phototaxis meaning they are attracted towards the light. Without the artificial

lighting, this means they move towards the horizon into the sea and away from the dark land

behind them. However, lighted costal highways interfere with this. Costal Management found

that the lights negatively impact the turtles through attraction. Their sea-finding is disrupted and

they either crawl towards the light or become completely disoriented. This causes hatchlings to

fall victim to predators, exhaustion, and can lead to death. Even in the case where turtles find the

sea, they can experience slower swimming speeds, alter paths, and even occasionally come back

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out of the water to move towards the light. The full-spectrum LED lights near the coasts are a

large stressor of these events, more so than other lights. Fortunately, there has been some

progress made to try to correct this negative impact LED’s have. Since sea turtles are an

endangered species, threats to them can violate laws all the way up to the federal level. The

exsanguination of lights during nesting season is one solution that has been found to be effective.

The second solution is long-wavelength LED lights which have been found to be less attractive

to the hatchlings than high intensity full spectral lights (Long).

The third animal negatively impacted by LED lights is impacted by the blue-lights.

According to Environ Health Perspect’s study on LED’s at domestic lighting levels, the light

source causes retinal injury in rats (Shang). They found that because blue light is delivered to the

retina at higher levels from LED’s than other light sources, chronic exposure results in retinal

injury in rodents. They tested the rodents using the most popular LED lighting product which

they found to be a phosphor-conversion. Compared to rats that were not exposed to LED, rats

that were had swelling, decreased thickness, nucleolar damage of photoreceptors, and oxidative

damage (Shang). They found the results of their study to prove that blue-light LED exposure

causes retinal injury in as little as 9 days and further deterioration with longer exposure.

Therefore, as LED’s have increasing use in residential lighting, this animal may be comparative

to retinal damage humans may face from light exposure. Retinal damage is one negative impact

of LED lighting; however, it does depend on the illuminance levels, wavelength, and duration of

exposure.

Despite these consequences of LED’s, there are some positive impacts the lighting has on

animals. Using the same idea that the lights attract and detract, these properties can be used in

beneficial ways. Maximizing the research done on the lights impact means that the properties on

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behavior can be used for a purpose to draw animals towards where they should be or away from

where they should not be. Also, looking at the spectral output, certain colors not yet explored

have even further positive impacts psychologically on animals. Two animals positively impacted

by the usage of LED’s are birds and pets.

Applied Animal Behavior Science found that birds treated with LED lights, specifically

white and red light, show increased mating behavior (Shi). They also found that these two colors

of light increased completed mating and fertility. This is a positive impact of LED lighting on

animals that could potentially be used in other species with small populations to help with

breeding. The study was done in China where natural mating colonies are preferred for poultry

breeding on commercial farms. According to the study, the conventional way to breed is through

artificial insemination. However, this process causes a large amount of stress and damage to the

animals and has more expensive labor costs. In hens, reproductive performance is largely

centered around vision, meaning that illumination needs to play a central role. LED lights can

emit monochromatic colors which is what was the focus of this study. Under red light LED’s

hens had higher frequencies of positive behavior such as ground pecking and scratching, and tail

wagging. This is a psychological benefit of LED’s for animals. The hens also suffered from less

stress under the red lights which was shown behaviorally through the absence of feather pecking,

cannibalism, and distress calls (Shi). Thus, the red LED’s had a positive impact behaviorally on

the animals. Through the lens of breeding, the red light also improved egg quality and increased

the production off egg laying hens (Shi). Further exploration into the possibilities of LED light

on mating behavior and fertility may prove to be a crucial positive benefit of the light source on

animals.

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 The type of animal that benefits from LED lights is pets. Dogs,, horses, and cats can all

benefit from red light LED therapy. According to Platinum LED, a company that produces

therapy lights, alternative therapies such as light therapies can provide treatment for animals

(Veterinary Benefits). Red Light therapy provides potent treatment for muscle, joint, and

ligament injuries and pains, as well as inflammation, infections, and cuts (Veterinary Benefits).

Red wavelengths within the range of 600 nm to 1000 nm increase the production of cellular

energy which then allows cells to perform their functions more efficiently (Veterinary Benefits).

This in turn allows faster recovery and healing, thus allowing LED lights to have the positive

benefit of increasing overall health in pets. A study by Veterinary and Comparative Orthopedic

Traumatology, found that red light therapy can support the recovery of dogs with bone injuries

and dermatological issues (Schatteur). The study found that the red wavelengths accelerated the

recovery of dogs with herniated disks, pododermatitis, and lesions. The same has been found

with horses. Those treated with LED light therapy had alleviated back pain to such a degree that

the animals could begin training and competing (Veterinary Benefits). Soft tissue injuries were

also found to be healed significantly faster with the LED treatments. There have also been no

negative side effects found for red light therapy since it is safe and non-invasive. Rapid tissue

regeneration, reduced inflammation, and reduced pain in pets are all positive impacts of LED

lighting.

Despite the negative and positive impacts of LED’s on animals’ environments, health,

and migrations, it is also necessary to look at how people respond to the light source. LED’s

have different benefits for people than for animals because economics must be considered for

people. The energy saving aspect of LED’s is a large reason of why they are so popular and

common today. However, like with animals, there are physical positive and negative effects as

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well. For people, the major negative effects of LED lighting have to do with health specifically

on mental health and sleep cycles. The light that induces these negative effects is blue-light

LED’s.

Blue-light LED’s have a negative impact on the circadian clock. The circadian clock uses

light to train the brain into a sleep cycle. The way that the blue-light interferes with this sleep

cycle is because it interferes with the production and release of the chemical melatonin. The

human brain produces melatonin in response to darkness, thus helping to regulate the timing of a

persons’ circadian rhythm. Being exposed to any light source can suppress melatonin, however

the response to blue-light, specifically, at night does so for twice as long (Zerbini). Throwing off

the circadian rhythm and reducing the production of melatonin are two negative impacts LED

lights have on human health. These factors lead to continued health effects than come from a

lack of sleep. Fatigue is a major negative side effect of LED lighting stemming from blue-light

exposure. According to the CDC, when the circadian rhythm is disrupted, the human body may

fail to fall into R.E.M sleep which is the deepest form of sleeping. Without this, there is a greater

risk for fatigue impairs mental functioning. During sleep, the body is also busy repairing tissues,

fighting infections, and forming memories (Vital Body Processes). All these processes get

disrupted with the disruption of the circadian clock that comes from LED exposure at night. The

list of adverse health effects continues. The CDC states that without adequate sleep there is a

disruption of insulin and the blood glucose system. This leads to insulin resistance. In general,

the negative impact of losing sleep from blue light LED’s weakens the immune system and

mental functioning which are serious health issues. There are ways to limit these negative effects

through limited use of the light source at least three hours before bed and by using blue-light

blocking glasses when looking at screens at night (Vital Body Processes).

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 However, LED lights have a large amount of positive effects for people spanning from

economic cost savings to psychological treatment. The array of uses for LED lights has led to

their rise as the main light source today. The energy saving benefits are immense. There are also

a wide array of uses for the light source to help human health despite the negative impact the

blue-lights can have.

The Department of Energy outlines the energy savings benefits and the economic benefits

of the lighting. They expect that by 2035, most lighting installations will use LED technology. In

turn, this will save an amount of energy equal to the annual output of more than 921,000 MW

power plants (LED Lighting). LED’s are also much more efficient because they reduce the need

for reflectors. Previous sources of lighting would lose nearly half of the light in the process of

trying to direct it. LED’s also save energy with heat. Incandescent and CFL lights release over 80

percent of their energy as heat (LED Lighting). LED’s on the other hand emit very little heat

which is part of the benefit they have in energy saving. LED bulbs also last thirty times longer

than incandescent bulbs, preventing the need for replacement as often, and thus saving costs and

disposal. The Department of Energy also states, “The cost of LED light bulbs has decreased

dramatically since they entered the market and prices are expected to come down further.”

According to Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, the transition from incandescent and

CFL lighting to LED lighting is economically and environmentally beneficial. LED lighting

reduces greenhouse gas emissions and is more cost effective (Enongene). Thus, LED’s are

beneficial as a superior source of lighting compared to the other competitive light sources. The

energy and economic savings of LED lights is a large positive effect the lighting has on people.

Finally, the last benefit that LED’s have on people is on health. Building and

Environment did a study and found that LED lighting can have immense positive impacts on

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individuals with vision impairment. Three experiments were conducted to test whether LED

lighting solutions were more effective at improving mobility of low vision individuals

(Katemake). They used individuals with various conditions of vision impairment such as

cataracts and blurred vision. They discovered that LED’s can be a tool for vision enhancement.

Increasing mobility through assisting vision is a positive impact LED lighting can have on the

health of people.

Overall, the light source of LED’s dominates any other competition of previous light

sources. Due to the energy saving impact, the light source will not be going away anytime soon;

in fact, it is year by year doing the opposite. Despite this, it is important to ensure that as much is

known as possible about the light source, including the impact it has on different organisms. For

animals, limiting lights in important habitats a solution to the negative aspects. For people,

blocking out the blue-light LED’s at night or turning them off before bed corrects negative

impacts. The positive health attributes LED can have in breeding, physical therapy, and vision

enhancement are all future uses to be explored even more as the technology progresses. Because

there are positives and benefits for both people and animals, coming up with the simple solutions

as LED’s advance is necessary to prevent damage to both life forms.

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