[Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: LED lights in collections

Wed Jan 29 07:54:15 EST 2025

Dear Nate,

It is quite possible that the LEDs are causing the damage because light
damage is not only caused by UV but also by visible light (and IR but
through other mechanisms).

Here's a good resource from the Canadian Conservation Institute about light
as an agent if deterioration:
https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/agents-deterioration/light.html

And I'm also including an image I took from the Internet a while back but
cannot find again (it has a Canadian Museum of Nature watermark, but I
cannot find the original source anymore). It is a great example of both UV
(right) and visible light (middle) affecting museum collections. Maybe some
of our Canadian colleagues can provide the resource.

Hope it helps,
Mariana

Mariana Di Giacomo, PhD
Natural History Conservator, Yale Peabody Museum
Associate Editor, Collection Forum, SPNHC

On Tue, Jan 28, 2025, 15:16 Shoobs, Nate <shoobs.1 at osu.edu> wrote:

> Question on this subject – our museum uses Phillips MASTER LEDtube
> InstantFit HF T8 bulbs in old fluorescent light ballasts. The building was
> converted from ancient 80’s GE fluorescent tubes (that emitted a
> significant amount of UV light) back in 2018.
>
>
>
> I’ve noticed that posters I’ve put on the wall near these new lights have
> faded significantly in the last 4 years, despite our collections spaces
> having no other light sources and no windows. It could be that the poster
> inks are not light fast, but this thread made me wonder if the LED bulbs
> are doing the damage.
>
>
>
> I can’t find a spec sheet that quantifies the amount of UV or IR emitted
> by these bulbs, but I see that Phillips’ marketing language claims that the
> bulb “Emits virtually no UV rays or IR”.
>
>
>
> Anyone know whether these bulbs actually emit UV that will damage
> materials over time?
>
>
>
> Best,
>
> Nate
>
>
>
> --
>
> [image: The Ohio State University]
> *Nathaniel F. Shoobs*
> Curator of Mollusks
> College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology
> Museum of Biological Diversity, 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212 <https://www.google.com/maps/search/1315+Kinnear+Rd,+Columbus,+OH+43212?entry=gmail&source=g>
> 614-688-1342 (Office)
> mbd.osu.edu
>
>
>
> *From: *Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> on behalf of Angela
> Hornsby <horns076 at umn.edu>
> *Date: *Thursday, January 23, 2025 at 3:44 PM
> *To: *Dirk Neumann <d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de>
> *Cc: *nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu <nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
> *Subject: *Re: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: LED lights in collections
>
> Thanks for the input and resources, everyone. This is really helpful,
> especially the CCI bulletin which I had not run across yet! Angela --
> Angela Hornsby, Ph. D. (she) Zoological Collections Manager (MMNH / JFBM)
> Bell Museum University of Minnesota
>
> Thanks for the input and resources, everyone.  This is really helpful,
> especially the CCI bulletin which I had not run across yet!
>
>
>
> Angela
>
>
>
> --
>
> Angela Hornsby, Ph.D. (she)
>
> Zoological Collections Manager (MMNH / JFBM)
>
> Bell Museum
>
> University of Minnesota
>
> https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/zoological-collections/
> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/zoological-collections/__;!!KGKeukY!ztpZgmv9y3v5wk9H77YsW9QuWVS0KqD3h4ENFEVkSnnPAhUhF9t6tB44ov33jvEcCfTyMwBUxk94EDQTNQ$>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 23, 2025 at 2:31 PM Dirk Neumann <d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de>
> wrote:
>
> .. depending on the quality of the LED bulbs, they can be a great
> opportunity to significantly reduce UV-emissions and UV-induced damage,
> e.g. compared to old neon lights. But not all are.
>
>
>
> Also, retrofitting old neon light sockets with modern LED bulbs however
> may create problems and should be considered with great care, because old
> and especially historic ballast units may fail and even start burning.
>
>
>
> This is also mentioned in the CCI Technical Bulleting Dee just shared
> (thanks for sharing!)
>
>
>
> All the best
>
> Dirk
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Am 23.01.2025 um 19:38 schrieb Callomon,Paul:
>
> Changing to LEDs makes sense in many ways. They consume a fraction of the
> energy used by incandescent or even fluorescent bulbs, and do not get
> anywhere near as hot. Both factors reduce stress on older light fixtures
> and thus the danger of sparking. They do not have ballasts, unlike
> fluorescents, and are a straight swap-out.
>
>
>
> The only possible issue is that their color temperature tends to be higher
> than that of incandescents. Some LED bulbs can be configured to “cool” or
> “warm” modes with a switch, but most are set at the factory. Cool LEDs can
> change the visual perception of colors in exhibits and shared spaces,
> though that can also be good – many dioramas and specimen displays look
> better with higher color temperature lighting, and up to now that has often
> been achieved with halogen bulbs that get very hot indeed and eat a lot of
> power.
>
>
>
> One caveat is that the optimistic durability figures many makers give –
> “lasts seven years!” are just that, optimistic. These bulbs are almost all
> made in China and to keep the price down, the QC is not all it might be.
> I’ve had them fail or start flickering (which can’t be fixed) in less than
> a year in some cases.
>
>
>
>
>
> *Paul Callomon*
> *Collection Manager, Malacology and General Invertebrates*
> ------------------------------
>
> *Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia*
> *callomon at ansp.org <callomon at ansp.org> Tel 215-405-5096 - Fax 215-299-1170*
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu>
> <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> *On Behalf Of *Angela Hornsby
> *Sent:* Thursday, January 23, 2025 1:29 PM
> *To:* nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> *Subject:* [Nhcoll-l] LED lights in collections
>
>
>
> *External.*
>
> Hi everyone,
>
>
>
> Our campus facilities management would like to change all of our general
> lighting in non-public collections spaces (dry and wet) to LEDs.  I haven't
> found any sources suggesting major negatives (e.g.,
> https://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/mhi/chap4.pdf
> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.nps.gov/museum/publications/mhi/chap4.pdf__;!!KGKeukY!ztpZgmv9y3v5wk9H77YsW9QuWVS0KqD3h4ENFEVkSnnPAhUhF9t6tB44ov33jvEcCfTyMwBUxk-bpUVs0Q$>
> ).
>
>
>
> Does anyone have experience with the change to LEDs, particularly any
> unanticipated effects?
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> Angela
>
>
>
> --
>
> Angela Hornsby, Ph.D. (she)
>
> Zoological Collections Manager (MMNH / JFBM)
>
> Bell Museum
>
> University of Minnesota
>
> https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/zoological-collections/
> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/zoological-collections/__;!!KGKeukY!ztpZgmv9y3v5wk9H77YsW9QuWVS0KqD3h4ENFEVkSnnPAhUhF9t6tB44ov33jvEcCfTyMwBUxk94EDQTNQ$>
>
>
>
>
>
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> ******
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>
>
> *Dirk Neumann*
>
> Collection Manager, Hamburg
>
>
>
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> Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
> Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/Adenauerallee+127,+53113+Bonn,+Germany?entry=gmail&source=g>
>
> Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
> Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian
> Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
> Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160
> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/Adenauerallee+160?entry=gmail&source=g>
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> society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
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