Fluorescent lights emit a narrower spectrum of visible light than incandescents and can produce symptoms similar to seasonal affective disorder. Additionally, certain ballasts cause a 60hz flicker (50hz in Europe) which can trigger migraines or casue eyestrain; I know they can for me. Certain lights can also emit a high pitched whine on the edge of the audible spectrum, similar to the sound of a CRT's flyback transformer. This sound makes me feel sick to my stomach and makes my mind feel clouded and less sharp than usual.
As for health effects,
Quote:
Photochem Photobiol 1995 Apr;61(4):353-9 Related Articles, Links
Reversion profiles of coolwhite fluorescent light compared with far ultraviolet light: homologies and differences.
Cebula TA, Henrikson EN, Hartman PE, Biggley WH.
Molecular Biology Branch (HFS-235), CFSAN, FDA, Washington, DC 20204, USA.
General Electric and Sylvania 15 W coolwhite fluorescent lamps emit roughly 6% of their total irradiance as light in the UV spectrum. Illumination of sensitive Salmonella tester strains results in both lethal and mutagenic activities. In contrast, comparable Philips lamps emit lower levels of UV light, especially UVB, and exhibit no detectable lethal or mutagenic effects. The spectra of mutations induced by General Electric coolwhite lamps in histidine-requiring base substitution mutants hisG46 and hisG428 ("reversion profiles") resemble mutagenesis by far UV light (UVC) and differ quite markedly from the spectra of mutations that occur spontaneously. Coolwhite and UVC reversion profiles are not identical, however. The percentage of C to A transversion mutations induced in hisG46 are elevated over those found after UVC treatment, and a strong bias for one particular class of tandem base substitutions (TAA-->TGT) prevails after treatment of hisG428 with coolwhite light, a bias not observed with UVC. Increased attention needs to be given to minimization of exposure to UV light from fluorescent lamps commonly used in homes and workplaces.
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Unless you're a strain of bacteria, you should be fine as far as negative effects from the lights themselves.