[Risk of non-coherent optical radiation in the operating room]

In this study, we evaluated the exposure of operating room personnel to non-coherent optical radiation by measuring the emission of blue light generated by operating lights. The values we obtained were largely below the exposure limit value of 100 W x m(-2) x sr(-1) provided by Legislative Decree no. 81/08 and European Directive 2006/25/EC, showing how workers can be exposed for longer than 8 hours without risk of acute health effects, confirming what was already said in literature. This work demonstrates, therefore, that the risk of acute nature of photochemical retinal damage, caused by exposure to blue light, is absent, if not exceeded the exposure limit values, on the basis of the current knowledge, however, respect for exposure level cannot protect against a possible retinal damage from chronic exposure, related to the total dose accumulated by the worker in the long-term.