Daily exposure to blue radiation from smartphone screens shortens lifespan and damages neurons in the brain, researchers from the University of Oregon have found. They conducted an experiment on fruit flies.
Scientists exposed Drosophila to 12 hours of blue light daily. The flies were in the dark for the remaining 12 hours. Flies from the control groups were either kept in the dark at all times, or received light, from which blue was filtered out.
Flies that were irradiated with blue LEDs had a shorter lifespan than insects from the control groups. Over time, flies that were exposed to blue light became less mobile and less likely to cling to walls. An autopsy after their deaths revealed that they had damaged retinal cells and brain neurons.
The experiment involved not only ordinary flies, but also fruit flies, which were born without eyes. Despite this, their neurons also collapsed under the influence of blue light. Scientists suggest that radiation from smartphones knocks down the body's circadian rhythms and affects the genes responsible for the development of inflammatory processes.
The study authors stressed that the long-term effects of daily exposure to blue light on humans are not yet known.
Natalia Barkhatova