LED products billed as eco-friendly contain toxic metals, study finds

News Release

UC Irvine Release: LEDs contain lead and other toxics. :: UC Irvine TODAY

Those light-emitting diodes marketed as safe, environmentally preferable alternatives to traditional lightbulbs actually contain lead, arsenic and a dozen other potentially hazardous substances, according to newly published research.

LEDs are touted as the next generation of lighting. But as we try to find better products that do not deplete energy resources or contribute to global warming, we have to be vigilant about the toxicity hazards of those marketed as replacements,” said Oladele Ogunseitan, chair of UC Irvine’s Department of Population Health & Disease Prevention.

The diodes are widely hailed as safer than compact fluorescent bulbs,
which contain dangerous mercury. But, he said, they weren’t properly
tested for potential environmental health impacts before being marketed
as the preferred alternative to inefficient incandescent bulbs, now
being phased out under California law.