As a global society, we’re becoming acutely aware of the environment in which we live and work, finding new ways to take care of the world around us. The world inside the laboratory is no different, and modern labs are moving with the times and switching over to LEDs for widefield fluorescence.
The latest LED illumination systems consume approximately 10% of the energy used by mercury and metal halide bulbs, and also cut down on waste by having a significantly longer lifetime (take a look at Green Light Laboratory’s report for more information). Combined with the environment and health risks of mercury, LED illumination technology is a natural choice for organisations wanting to play their part in helping the environment.
And it’s not just the environment that benefits. Considering whole-life costs for illumination systems can have an impact on the budget too. For high content screening campaigns, these energy savings are magnified and soon translate into significant cost savings.
Switching out traditional mercury or metal halide might seem like a small step, but every action contributes – and moving away from toxic, inefficient mercury is definitely a step in the right direction!
