Glow-in-the-darks…it’s a craze and they practically make everything in glow-in-the-dark versions now. I seriously do mean everything because I’ve seen it in beauty products like nail polish, home décor and appliances, automobiles accessories, clothing and linens as well as a wide range of toys and of course toilet paper!. Now I’m sure I’m not alone in my lack of support for glow-in-the-dark stuffs, but I probably am when I say that they don’t appeal to me because they:
- Seem tacky – seems to remind me of an alien theme
- Belong in search and rescue situations
- Glow in the dark and would cause unnecessary scares
- Give the impression that it’s all radioactive and toxic
So out of the 4 reasons above, the 3 are just my personal paranoia but the forth one makes perfect sense. I mean unless you’re a glow worm, a lightning bug or a form of deep sea-life you really shouldn’t be glowing in the dark…it’s just not normal or natural. Adults with fascinations for glow-in-the-darks I can’t explain but kids ah…well that one I can do.
Kids are like bugs, they are drawn to anything that is illuminated. It captures their attention and they are just suckers for it. So as a concerned parent, you’d probably want to know if my 4th concern is a valid one. Well let’s investigate shall we?
What is a glow-in-the-dark?
Anything that illuminates on its own (not help from light bulbs, LED or current of any sort).
How does it work?
Glow-in-the-darks work on the science of photoluminescence, specifically phosphorescence as opposed to fluorescence.
What’s the difference?
The main difference explained without the fancy scientific jargons is the duration of emission. Phosphorescent substances have the ability to store up light and release it gradually while fluorescence releases it almost immediately.
How does Phosphorescence work?
Simple you need a substance with the ability to radiate visible light after being energized- that’s usually phosphor.
Is phosphor dangerous?
Well yes and no. It depends on which kind you are referring to, but the ones you find used in glow-in-the-dark items are generally only minimally toxic and ‘medical’ experts believe that coming in contact with such items shouldn’t harm.
Are glow-in-the-darks safe?
If you thought we just covered that question, then think again because the item becomes truly dangerous if it employs a radioactive source. You can take a wild guess distinguishing something with radioactivity from another that is without through the intensity of glow that remains constant even for hours. But really the only way to be sure if something is radioactive is with the aid of a radiation detector because phosphor do degrade over time, hence reducing their ability to radiate but radioactivity doesn’t degrade so the absence of a glow doesn’t mean it isn’t radioactive/toxic.
Conclusion
Leave phosphor to the bugs (or emergency & rescue situations…)
