BUND – German Branch of the Friends of the Earth
2009 Background Paper: Die Energiesparlampe: Ein wichtiger Beitrag zum Klimaschutz. Beleuchtung muss umwelt- und gesundheitsverträglich werden [Compact Fluorescent Lamps: An Important Contribution to Climate Protection. Lighting must be safe for the environment and human health.].
[in German]

The BUND demands that:

• Legally binding exposure limits are included in the EU Ecodesign Directive. Lamps that do not meet the TCO recommendations must be removed from the market. This applies to all lamp types and all frequency ranges.
• Until 2015, an exposure limit of 0.2 V/m is implemented for the higher frequency range (at a distance of 30 cm). For lamps used in close proximity to the body, it should be possible to meet the BUND precautionary value of 0.02 V/m.
• A disclosure policy for manufacturers is implemented. Products must provide information on electromagnetic field emissions, including field strengths and flux densities, and how consumers can reduce their exposure.
• A suitable test standard or standardized testing procedure is developed.

The BUND recommends that consumers, especially more vulnerable individuals (e.g. children, pregnant women, electrosensitives)—as long as products do not meet the above-listed requirements—do not use compact fluorescent lamps in close proximity to their body or in children’s rooms, and choose lighting fixtures with grounded metal housing or other shielding materials to reduce their exposure. (page 14)

English translation by Katharina Gustavs

TCO Development since 1992
The TCO certification was developed as a joint effort by the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees (TCO), the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, the National Board for Industrial and Technical Development in Sweden (NUTEK), and Semko AB, a Swedish Testing Institute. The labeling program for office equipment includes considerations for ergonomics, noise and electromagnetic emissions, harmful substances, sustainable manufacturing practices, and energy efficiency.

“The mandatory requirements are based on the ambition to reduce the electrical or magnetic alternating fields to such a low level as not to burden the work environment with unnecessary factors.”

Displays: TCO’99/TCO’03

Static Electric Field
	+/- 500 V
ELF Electric Field
5 – 2,000 Hz	≤ 10 V/m (30 cm in front)
ELF Magnetic Field
5 – 2,000 Hz	≤ 200 nT ≤ 2 mG (30 cm in front)
VLF Electric Field
2 – 400 kHz	≤ 1 V/m (30 cm in front)
VLF Magnetic Field
2 – 400 kHz	≤ 25 nT ≤ 0.25 mG (50 cm all around)

(Distances in brackets denote measureent distance from display.)