In a recent statement, the group shares guidelines designed to minimize harm by exposure to the lights — and notes that today's lights are not as healthy as they could be.
The trouble with the newer LED bulbs, which tend to run at higher color temperatures and produce a whitish or bluish glow, is that they can cause discomfort and glare, and the high levels of blue light can even damage human retinas. In some cases, the group suggested, the glare produced can cause practical problems, such as difficulty safely negotiating sidewalks or streets. As such, the AMA recommends that public streetlamps have a color temperature no greater than 3000 Kelvin, which is closer to a warmer or more neutral white (as opposed to the yellow or orange color produced by incandescent bulbs).
The group also suggested that newer LEDs pose a potential physiological problem rooted in human evolution: CNN reported that circadian rhythm, the sleep clock, can be influenced by LED, as the light emitted by newer lamps is as much as five times more effective at suppressing melatonin.
These facts, the group said, should be considered as governments seek a balance between practical use and public health.
