The Study Linking Fluorescent Light to Malignant Melanoma

May 9

The Light That Hurts

There’s a certain kind of tired that lives behind the eyes.
I used to chalk it up to long days, too much screen time, the ordinary wear and tear of modern life.
But somewhere along the way, I started to wonder:

Why do I feel so drained in certain places?
Why does the light in some rooms feel like a headache waiting to happen?

The answer came slowly. Then suddenly.
It was buzzing overhead the whole time.
Fluorescent lighting.

And once I saw what it might be doing to my body…what it might be doing to all of us…I didn’t just change my lightbulbs.
I changed how I see the world.

The Study They Didn’t Want You to See

Back in 1982, a study slipped into existence like a whisper.

It linked fluorescent lighting to malignant melanoma, a dangerous and increasingly common form of skin cancer. Not sun exposure. Not genetics. Lighting. Indoor. Artificial. Everyday.

The researchers (J.W. Beral, L.A. Robinson, and F.C. Alexander) examined over 900 melanoma cases across the U.K. and found a correlation between extended exposure to fluorescent lights and higher melanoma risk. Particularly among office workers and those under flickering tubes for hours a day.

But here’s the kicker:

The study didn’t make waves.

It didn’t end up on the nightly news.
It didn’t prompt a manufacturing recall.
It just...disappeared into dusty archives. A forgotten footnote.

Until now.

How Fluorescent Lights Might Harm Us

Fluorescent bulbs work by sending an electrical current through mercury vapor, which then emits ultraviolet (UV) light. This UV light hits a phosphor coating on the inside of the bulb, creating visible light.

The problem?

Not all that UV stays inside the bulb.

Over time, the phosphor coating can degrade. Cracks and imperfections in the bulb allow low-level UV radiation to leak out. Not enough to tan your skin. Just enough to sit with you, day after day, year after year, like an uninvited guest in your mitochondria.

Some studies suggest this chronic, cumulative exposure:

Damages DNA
Accelerates skin aging
Suppresses the immune system
And, yes…may contribute to malignant melanoma

The Personal Wake-Up Call

I didn’t switch my lighting overnight.

It started with noticing how I felt at work…foggy, irritable, sensitive to sound and light. The hum of fluorescent tubes felt like a mosquito in my brain. Then I started seeing stories. Hearing whispers of studies from decades ago. And finally, I found the 1982 research.

I read it three times.
Then I unscrewed every fluorescent bulb in my home.

The Incandescent Glow of Safety

There’s something comforting about the soft, amber hue of an incandescent bulb. It doesn’t hum. It doesn’t flicker. It doesn’t bathe you in cold, blue fatigue.

Incandescents produce light by heating a metal filament until it glows. No UV radiation. No flickering. No vaporized mercury.

Are they less energy efficient? Sure.
But are they kinder to your biology? I believe so.

Now when I turn on a lamp, I feel like I’m inviting warmth…not warfare.

If you’re considering making the switch, I recommend this dimmable pack of incandescent Edison-style bulbs (I use these). They’re beautiful, safe, and make every room feel like a storybook.

Why Did We Bury the Science?

That 1982 study didn’t vanish by accident.

It’s expensive to rewire society.
It’s inconvenient to admit a technology we adopted en masse may have side effects.
And in the 80s, fluorescent lights were the future…cheap, bright, efficient.

So we ignored the risks. We normalized the flicker.

And in doing so, we lit our offices, hospitals, and schools with an experiment we never consented to.

Now melanoma is on the rise.
And no one’s asking what’s overhead.

Instead, we blame the sun. We tell each other to buy more sunscreen and avoid sunlight, even though sunlight for just 20 minutes a day has been linked to your body producing over 200 different helpful peptides!

Modern Science Has Picked Up the Trail

Since the original study, others have quietly reinforced the concern:

A 2012 study in Photochemistry and Photobiology found compact fluorescent lamps emit UVB and UVC radiation, particularly at close range.
Research from Stony Brook University found that certain CFLs cause skin cell damage under prolonged exposure.
The American Medical Association has warned about the health impacts of artificial light, particularly blue-rich LEDs and fluorescents, on circadian rhythm and cellular stress.

But still...silence.

The hum continues.

What We Can Do Instead

Here’s what I’ve done, and what you can do, too:

Switch to Incandescents or Halogen Incandescents

They’re safer, warmer, and still available online even if stores stop stocking them.

Avoid CFLs and Cheap LEDs

Especially in spaces where you spend long hours…bedrooms, offices, nurseries.

Use Natural Light Whenever Possible

Let sunlight be your main source of brightness during the day. It supports melatonin, improves mood, and helps your body keep time.

Consider Full-Spectrum, Flicker-Free Lighting

If you need LEDs, look for high CRI (Color Rendering Index) bulbs that mimic sunlight and don’t flicker. These are more expensive, but your health is worth more than your electric bill.

If You’ve Already Been Exposed

You don’t need to panic.
But you do need to pay attention.

Skin exams are crucial. So is watching for:

New moles
Changes in shape, color, or border
Persistent irritation or sensitivity on exposed skin

Melanoma can hide in plain sight.
But it also speaks…if you know how to listen.

The Bigger Picture: How Many Things Are Like This?

This story made me question everything:

What else have we normalized that harms us?
What’s humming in the background of our lives, slowly altering our biology while we scroll and sip and forget to look up?

We live surrounded by conveniences with consequences.
And the light overhead is only the beginning.

That’s why I write.
To keep myself…and you…awake to the silent things.

Light, But Make It Gentle

Since switching to incandescent bulbs, I’ve noticed:

My migraines are rarer
I sleep more soundly
My mood stays more stable at night
Rooms feel like home, not hospital wings

And maybe most importantly?
I don’t feel like I’m sitting under a sun I didn’t choose.

You Deserve Better Light

Light is not neutral.

It enters your eyes, your skin, your brain.
It tells your cells what time it is.
It whispers to your DNA.

Choose light that honors you.

Choose light that supports your biology.
That wraps you in gold instead of glare.
That doesn’t hum its own secret experiment behind your back.

You deserve illumination, not intrusion.

And if something makes you feel tired, buzzy, wrong…
It might not be all in your head.

It might be in the bulb.