Installation of Korrus circadian light technology reverses the harmful effects of blue-rich LED light at night
The Issue with Blue Light
The timing of exposure to blue light 490-495 nm is critical for human health & well-being.
- Blue light exposure during the day is good: It entrains our circadian rhythms and gives us energy
- Blue light exposure at night is bad: it causes circadian disruption, jet-lag like malaise, fatigue, and an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and breast and prostate cancers
The Korrus Technology Solution
Korrus circadian light technologies are spectrally engineered to automatically transition from blue-rich white light (in the critical circadian wavelengths of 440-495nm) during the day time, to blue-depleted white light at night (UL verified <2% blue content at night), without compromising visual experience. These technologies have been deployed in 65 around-the-clock facilities, and data collected from long-term installations shows improvements in health, well-being, and performance.
Controlled lab studies showed that these technologies were able to reverse the harmful effects of conventional blue-rich LED light at night, including:
- Circadian disruption, suppressed melatonin and impaired performance
- Elevated markers of obesity and diabetic risk (including increased
appetite, insulin resistance at night)
One Year Assessment: Korrus Technologies in 24/7 Operation
To validate our lab results in real world conditions, we installed Korrus technologies in a 24/7 mission-critical control room of a global energy company. The control room was previously illuminated by conventional blue-rich light during day and night. All Control Room Operators worked rotating 12 hour-day and 12-hour night shifts.
- To evaluate the impact of Korrus Technologies, a pre-installation and a post-installation “Shiftworker Health & Performance Assessment” was given to the Control Room Operators The assessment evaluated alertness, fatigue, and performance as well as health risk parameters
- One year after installation, the Control Room Operators were given the same Shiftworker Health &
Performance Assessment Conducting the assessments at the same time of year avoided any seasonal effects - The impact of Korrus Technologies in the Control Room was compared for all employees who participated in both pre- and post-installation health assessmentsTest subjects included 12 Control Room Operators: 9 males aged 29-33 (mean 30. 1 years) and 3 females aged 27-28 at time of installation; comparison of each subject’s own pre- and post-installation data provided the most accurate assessment
Part One: Alertness, Fatigue and Operator Errors
Circadian disruption caused by inadequate unhealthy lighting is associated with reduced alertness, increased fatigue and increased errors at work. Test subjects saw a reduction in errors and improved alertness one year after Korrus technologies were installed.
Part Two: Obesity, Eating & Gastrointestinal Disorders
Circadian disruption caused by inadequate unhealthy lighting is associated with increased appetite, increased risk of obesity, diabetes and gastrointestinal disorders. Test subjects saw a dramatic reduction in these markers one year after Korrus technologies were installed.
Conclusion
One-year after Korrus Technologies were installed in a 24/7 mission-critical control room, test subjects reported measurable improvement in work performance and health:
- 50% reduction in excessive sleepiness
- 50% increase in employees alert and fresh at 5 a.m.
- 67% reduction in employees making mistakes and errors
- 28% reduction in obese or overweight employees
- 20% reduction in gastrointestinal disorders
- 43% reduction in frequent use of OTC pain medication
