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Message: <blockquote data-quote="35years" data-source="post: 4902196" data-attributes="member: 60822">Has anyone thought about the possibility of long term eye or vision damage from having an IR light pointed directly into your eyes from 2 feet away for 10 hours a day?In that the IR light source is so close to the eye, and directly pointed at it, traditional measurements of "safe" levels of exposure may not apply. Anyway here is a quote from the Federal Government...<h3>Near‐Infrared Exposure and Cataracts</h3>The most common eye disease associated with near-infrared radiation is cataracts. Prolonged exposure to IR radiation causes a gradual but irreversible opacity of the lens. Other forms of damage to the eye from IR exposure include scotoma, which is a loss of vision due to the damage to the retina. Even low-level IR absorption can cause symptoms such as redness of the eye, swelling, or hemorrhaging.Cataracts caused by near‐infrared radiation have been noted historically in glassblowers and furnace workers. Radiation between 800 and 1,200 nm is most likely responsible for temperature increases in the lens itself because of its spectral‐absorption characteristics. Visible wavelengths may also contribute to the problem, since the heat absorbed by the iris could result in heat transfer to the lens.<h3>Acute Skin, Cornea, and Iris Injury</h3>IR radiation below 3,000 nm will penetrate into different depths of the cornea to varying degrees, depending on the specific wavelength. The iris can absorb energy only at wavelengths below approximately 1,300 nm.IR thermal injury may have significant biological effects on the human skin. The IR-A rays induce free radicals in the dermis and diminish the skin’s antioxidant capacity, the main cause of premature skin aging.Both the skin and the cornea are opaque to wavelengths >1,400 nm. Exposure to IR radiation in this region causes injury through thermal mechanisms, with absorbed radiation being converted to heat.</blockquote>

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