American Medical Association Statement on Street Lighting (Abstract)

Volume 46 number 2 (2018)

Mario Motta

19 Skipper Way, Gloucester, MA 01930; mmotta@massmed.org

Abstract

(Abstract only) The American Medical Association (AMA) has adopted an official policy statement about street lighting: use low blue LEDs. I am the principal author. I will show my presentation that I gave to the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), who make the streetlight standards in the USA, and hope for change in their recommendations soon. The LED street lighting that the industry had originally proposed and still suggesting is too harsh and bright for optimum safety and health. This report was adopted unanimously by the AMA House of Delegates at its annual meeting in 2016. It states that outdoor lighting at night, particularly street lighting, should have a color temperature (CT) of no greater than 3,000 K. Higher CT (4,000 K) generally means greater blue content, and the whiter the light appears. A white LED at CT 4,000 K contains a high level (over 30%) of short wavelength, blue light. These overly blue harsh lights are damaging to the environment and have adverse human health effects. In some locations where they were installed, such as the city of Davis, California, residents demanded a complete replacement of these high CT street lights for lower CCT lighting. Cities that have followed the AMA recommendations and adopted 3,000 K or 2,700 K have seen much greater acceptance of LED lighting, and with much lower blue content which is better for human and environmental health, and reduces glare and is thus safer for driving. The AMA has made three recommendations in its policy statement: First, the AMA supports a “proper conversion to community based Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting, which reduces energy consumption and decreases the use of fossil fuels.” Second, the AMA “encourage[s] minimizing and controlling blue-rich environmental lighting by using the lowest emission of blue light possible to reduce glare.” Third, the AMA “encourage[s] the use of 3,000 K or lower lighting for outdoor installations such as roadways. All LED lighting should be properly shielded to minimize glare and detrimental human and environmental effects, and consideration should be given to utilize the ability of LED lighting to be dimmed for off-peak time periods.”