CORVALLIS, Oregon. — Constant exposure to blue light from phones and computers is very harmful to people. Researchers at Oregon State University say the harmful effects of daily blue light exposure worsen as a person ages.
Natural light is essential for a healthy circadian rhythm, which is important for a person’s eating and sleeping habits. However, being constantly subjected to blue light disrupts sleep and causes circadian disorders. Jaga Giebultowicz, a researcher at the OSU College of Science who studies biological clocks, notes that people are exposed to increasing amounts of light in the blue spectrum because LEDs emit a high fraction of blue light.
“This technology, LED lighting, even in most developed countries, has not been used long enough to know its effects throughout human life,” Giebultowicz explains in an academic statement. “There is growing concern that prolonged exposure to artificial light, particularly blue-enriched LED light, may be detrimental to human health. Although the full effects of blue light exposure throughout are not yet known in humans, the accelerated aging observed in a short-lived model organism should alert us to the potential for cellular damage caused by this stressor.
Oregon State researchers analyzed the survival rates of common fruit flies kept in the dark and then moved at older ages to an environment of constant blue light from LEDs. The fruit fly was used because it shares cellular and developmental mechanisms with other animals, including humans.
Flies moved from dark to light at 2, 20, 40 and 60 days of age. The study looked at the effect of blue light on the mitochondria of fly cells. Researchers say mitochondria act as a cell’s powerhouse, creating adenosine triphosphate, a source of chemical energy.
Previous research has shown that prolonged exposure to blue light affects the longevity of flies, including whether or not it shines in their eyes. Flies had a shorter lifespan after being exposed to daily cycles of 12 hours in light and 12 hours in darkness, compared to flies kept in total darkness or those kept in light with lengths d filtered blue waves.
The researchers say the flies had impaired locomotion because the blue light damaged their retinal cells and brain neurons. They had a reduced ability to scale the walls of their enclosures.
“The novel aspect of this new study shows that chronic exposure to blue light can alter energy-producing pathways even in cells that are not specialized in light sensing,” says Giebultowicz. “We determined that specific responses in mitochondria were significantly reduced by blue light, while other responses were decreased with age, independent of blue light. You can think of this as blue light exposure adding an insult to injuries in aging flies.
Researchers suggest that to combat blue light, people should get glasses with amber lenses. This filters blue light and protects your retinas. You can also configure your phones, laptops and other devices to block blue emissions.
The study is published in Nature Partner Journals Aging.