How Is Fluorescent Light Different From Other Forms of Natural & Artificial Light?

Efficiency

• Fluorescent lights use a method of electrifying mercury vapor that requires less energy to create visible light. A fluorescent bulb needs 13 watts to provide the same lighting ability as a 60-watt incandescent. This is partially due to the type of energy created by the incandescent bulb -- the tiny tungsten-based filament inside has electricity run through it until it becomes bright hot. Similar to a candle, much of the bulb's energy is heat, which is lost through the process of creating light.

Filtering

• The energy produced by an incandescent bulb or the sun, with the exception of those utilizing special effects, is unfiltered from its source. This means that all the non-visible spectrum, such as UV and infrared rays, are radiated from the bulb. A fluorescent bulb, however, is coated with a phosphor material that absorbs the UV energy and sends forth only visible spectrum. This can be problematic in instances such as art displays, where some UV energy is necessary in accurately recreating color.

Cost

• Fluorescent bulbs are considerably more expensive than incandescent bulbs. A compact fluorescent bulb, designed to provide the same benefits of a fluorescent bulb while fitting into a standard incandescent light socket, can cost nearly six times as much. Traditional fluorescent bulbs also require fixtures called "ballasts," which vary in cost, but are oftentimes more expensive than a standard incandescent lighting fixture.

Impact on Health

• Different light spectrums have impacts on health. Many claim that fluorescent bulbs can cause various ailments, including eyestrain and headaches. However, these claims have been refuted by researchers such as Wayne Kondro of the Canadian Medical Association.

  Excessive time spent indoors without access to natural sunlight can, however, have a impact on our health. Natural sunlight -- and to a lesser degree, "full-spectrum" incandescent light -- stimulates our bodies to synthesize vitamin D. One study from Dr. Gregory Plotnikoff of the University of Minnesota Medical School found that people with unexplained bone and muscle pain were found to be deficient in vitamin D, some to an extreme degree. Some experts, such as Dr. Michael Holick of Boston University Medical Center, go as far as to say vitamin D deficiencies can also be linked to an increased chance for cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

  On the other hand, excessive exposure to natural light can be detrimental to health. The UVA and UVB rays found in natural sunlight and full-spectrum bulbs, such as those found in tanning beds, can cause skin cancer.