LED danger

jlylec · 02/13/2011, 11:34 PM

I'm assuming people may be talking about this already but I couldn't find it in search. I have to say I'm not good at searching in RC!

I wonder what affect, if any, this will have on the LEDs in this hobby? Seems to me that if there really IS something to be concerned about (I'm thinking not...hoping anyway!) we're way more exposed than most with 96 LED arrays over our heads for hours a week. Any thoughts on this? I guess if you don't break them no bubbles, no troubles. Right? Tell me that's right.

http://inhabitat.com/study-finds-led...ogenic-toxins/

kgk · 02/13/2011, 11:52 PM

This might be an issue if you're grinding up LEDs and snorting them, or making tea from them. Otherwise, not so much.

reefcam · 02/13/2011, 11:53 PM

wow interesting articles. I wonder how much toxin is leached out on the LED during normal operation? Nothing is safe anymore.

MH use a lot of energy and uses more fossil fuel to light them. LED uses less so we say they are green, but they contain toxin level higher than normal. What to do? What to do?

kgk · 02/13/2011, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefcam

I wonder how much toxin is leached out on the LED during normal operation?

Let me answer that: None.

Acrotrdco · 02/14/2011, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kgk

Let me answer that: None.

+1

On the contrary, this happened to a local reefer I know last December.

He replaced his 9 months old MH bulb with a brand new one, turned it on and left the house for a few hours, came home to see the UV shield cracked and his tank crashed, killing all but 2 small colonies of his SPS's.

He probably didn't wear a glove when he install the new bulb, the oil from his finger left on the bulb caused the UV shield to crack, or it's just the poor qulity of construction of the bulb he installed.

We figured it's probably between the UV shield falling into the tank (and whatever is coated on the UV shield leaked into the water column) + too much light from new bulb + exposure to too much UV that killed his corals.

He's building his new tank with T5HO now (yes he's a non-believer in LED).

Midnightsun · 02/14/2011, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kgk

This might be an issue if you're grinding up LEDs and snorting them, or making tea from them. Otherwise, not so much.

Crap, now I have to come up with something else to do in my spare time.

davocean · 02/14/2011, 12:39 PM

Eh, I'm not too concerned.
Metal halides have a small amount of mercury as well.
I don't think either of our lamps would be too cool broken and intro'd to tank, so don't do that!

redfishblewfish · 02/14/2011, 02:51 PM

Having worked on a joint venture with a plastics company in China, and knowing that most LEDs (certainly the bipin ones they are showing in the article picture), come out of China, I can almost guarantee that the contaminants are actually from the plastic encasing the electronics. China could not give us clean plastic. We would typically find high levels of lead or cadmium in the plastic. Not overly surprised about the findings in this article.

If it is plastics related, there is surface contamination that can transfer to the skin.

wwu123 · 02/14/2011, 03:03 PM

I'll bet there are more toxins in the electronics that are used to control the LED's than in the LED's themselves.

Mustang Boy · 02/14/2011, 04:41 PM

there are more toxins in T5HO bulbs than in LEDs, T5's have quite a bit of mercury in them which is why we have to recycle them.

it seems everytime something comes out to turn people away from LEDs it is something that is equally or more prominent in the other forms of lighting used by us

jlylec · 02/14/2011, 09:09 PM

great points by all...and good to hear that the other forms of light are just as bad if not worse. i really want to go LED and am trying not to be talked out of them!

big ups to the bubba army, mustang!

02/13/2011, 11:34 PM	#1
jlylec Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 559	LED danger I'm assuming people may be talking about this already but I couldn't find it in search. I have to say I'm not good at searching in RC! I wonder what affect, if any, this will have on the LEDs in this hobby? Seems to me that if there really IS something to be concerned about (I'm thinking not...hoping anyway!) we're way more exposed than most with 96 LED arrays over our heads for hours a week. Any thoughts on this? I guess if you don't break them no bubbles, no troubles. Right? Tell me that's right. http://inhabitat.com/study-finds-led...ogenic-toxins/

02/14/2011, 12:39 PM	#7
davocean Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 14,655	Eh, I'm not too concerned. Metal halides have a small amount of mercury as well. I don't think either of our lamps would be too cool broken and intro'd to tank, so don't do that! __________________ There's a fine line between owning your tank and your tank owning you! Current Tank Info: SCA 120g RR Starfire, Tunze silence 1073.02 return, 40g sump w/ fuge, SWC Extreme 160 cone skimmer,Geismann reflexx 4xT5, 2x Panorama Pro LED strips, Vortech MP40QD

02/14/2011, 03:03 PM	#9
wwu123 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 100	I'll bet there are more toxins in the electronics that are used to control the LED's than in the LED's themselves. __________________ 50G Cadlights Artisan mixed reef rimless cube, Maxspect Razor 420R LED, Cadlights PLS100 skimmer

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02/13/2011, 11:52 PM	#2
kgk Purveyor of Cool Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: The Woodlands, TX Posts: 191	This might be an issue if you're grinding up LEDs and snorting them, or making tea from them. Otherwise, not so much.

02/13/2011, 11:53 PM	#3
reefcam Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 800	wow interesting articles. I wonder how much toxin is leached out on the LED during normal operation? Nothing is safe anymore. MH use a lot of energy and uses more fossil fuel to light them. LED uses less so we say they are green, but they contain toxin level higher than normal. What to do? What to do?

02/14/2011, 02:51 PM	#8
redfishblewfish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Central New Jersey Posts: 716	Having worked on a joint venture with a plastics company in China, and knowing that most LEDs (certainly the bipin ones they are showing in the article picture), come out of China, I can almost guarantee that the contaminants are actually from the plastic encasing the electronics. China could not give us clean plastic. We would typically find high levels of lead or cadmium in the plastic. Not overly surprised about the findings in this article. If it is plastics related, there is surface contamination that can transfer to the skin.

02/14/2011, 04:41 PM	#10
Mustang Boy Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Tampa, Fl Posts: 1,088	there are more toxins in T5HO bulbs than in LEDs, T5's have quite a bit of mercury in them which is why we have to recycle them. it seems everytime something comes out to turn people away from LEDs it is something that is equally or more prominent in the other forms of lighting used by us

02/14/2011, 09:09 PM	#11
jlylec Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 559	great points by all...and good to hear that the other forms of light are just as bad if not worse. i really want to go LED and am trying not to be talked out of them! big ups to the bubba army, mustang!