Personal preferences for fluorescent tubes with and without UVA

Abstract

Lay persons whose eyes were without any diagnosed pathology or symptom were divided into six age groups and asked to choose between light from an unshielded fluorescent tube and from a similar tube surrounded by a UVA absorbing filter. Judgements were based on three simple tasks. Over 50% of observers preferred the unshielded light, but the preference for filtered light amounted to some 40%. There was a small but significant variation with age.