Erythema and tumor formation in methoxsalen-treated mice exposed to flourescent light.

Abstract

There has been considerable concern over the possibility of injury to tissues and eyes following prolonged exposure to fluorescent lamps in view of the energy output of these lamps in the longer ultraviolet spectrum. 1 Nevertheless, there has been no direct evidence, up to this time, of harm to normal eyes or skin resulting from fluorescent lighting. 2 Recently, it has been reported that exposure to this type of lighting may produce polymorphic light-sensitive eruptions. 3 Kline and Rusch 4 have reported that albino mice placed under fluorescent lights four to six hours a day, six days a week, for one year developed no signs of erythema or neoplastic changes of the skin. Griffin et al., 5 studying the effects of fluorescent light in conjunction with quartz mercury vapor, found that albino mice exposed to the total energy of quartz mercury vapor lamps and subsequently housed under fluorescent light developed