Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to study the impact of exposure to light emitting diode (LED) domestic lighting

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to investigate the biological impact of exposure on domestic light emitting diodes (LED) lighting using the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model. Nematodes were separately exposed to white LED light covering the range of 380–750 nm, blue light at 450 nm and black light at 380–420 nm for one life cycle (egg to adult) with dark exposure as the control. Each light range induced stress to the nematode C. elegans such as reducing the number of the hatched eggs and/or delayed the maturation of the hatched eggs to the adult stage. In addition, it lowered or prevented the ability of adults to lay eggs and impaired the locomotion in the exposed worms. The observed type of biological stress was also associated with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as compared to nematodes grown in the dark. It is concluded that the blue light component of white LED light may cause health problems, and further investigation is required to test commercial brands of white LEDs that emit different amounts of blue light.

KEYWORDS:

• Biophotonics
• egg hatching: LED
• locomotion
• oxidative damage
• progeny
• ROS: toxicity

Funding

This publication was made possible, in part, by research infrastructure support from grant number 2G12MD007605 from the NIMHD/NIH.