Adverse Health Effects of Exposure to Visible Laser Radiation in the General Population: A Review

Abstract

Introduction: With the spread of laser technologies in various spheres of human activity, the number of exposures to laser radiation of a wide range of users unfamiliar with specifics of its health effects, including those in everyday life, has increased, thus resulting in an increased number of traumas in the general population in recent years. Objectives: To search for data on the biological mechanisms of action of visible laser radiation in Russian and foreign scientific literature and to analyze adverse health effects of this exposure encountered in domestic and international practice. Methods: We searched for Russian and foreign full-text open access literary sources in Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI) and PubMed databases of biomedical publications for 1969–2019 and selected the most appropriate ones for review. Results: Both Russian and foreign researchers note that human exposure to laser radiation induces specific and non-specific responses at all tissue levels of organization. The extent and nature of developing morphological changes depend on the radiation wavelength, exposure time, power, energy and its density per unit of the irradiated surface. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that portable laser pointers and powerful laser projectors may cause retinal damage, traumatic macular holes and, in some cases, loss of vision. Despite frequently registered good visual recovery, general availability of commercial laser devices poses potential danger, especially for minors, and substantiates the need to raise public awareness of laser safety.