# Purple fluorescent lights in kitchens
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purple-fluorescent-lights-in-kitchens/482166
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 20, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purple-fluorescent-lights-in-kitchens/482166 "2009-01-20T18:26:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purple-fluorescent-lights-in-kitchens/482166/1 "2009-01-20T18:26:04Z")
I’ve recently noticed that many food service places have purple colored lights hanging up on the walls. They appear to be fluorescent lights of some kind and often they are very similar to a “home plate” shape. What are they for?
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purple-fluorescent-lights-in-kitchens/482166/2 "2009-01-20T18:35:22Z")
Probably [Germicidal lamps](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germicidal_lamp).
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### Author:  [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purple-fluorescent-lights-in-kitchens/482166/3 "2009-01-20T18:54:43Z")
Pretty sure they are insect attracting lights. I don’t think that a germicidal lamp could be simultaneously effective and safe for the human inhabitants of the room.
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### Author:  [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purple-fluorescent-lights-in-kitchens/482166/4 "2009-01-20T18:58:12Z")
> [@Squink](#):
>
> Probably [Germicidal lamps](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germicidal_lamp).
That description matches very closely with what I’ve seen and goes along with what I thought they would be. However, the description for the germicidal lamps also says they cause UV burns and retinal damage and the lamps I’ve seen are clearly visible directly, so I’m not sure it is exactly the same thing.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purple-fluorescent-lights-in-kitchens/482166/5 "2009-01-20T19:18:16Z")
Fly lights, we’ve had them at our store. If you can peek inside one there’s probably a glue trap in there with bugs stuck to it.
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### Author:  [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purple-fluorescent-lights-in-kitchens/482166/6 "2009-01-20T19:28:29Z")
Short wave UV ( as in the germicidal lamps, used in water treatment etc.) was once used by dentists to cure fillings. One I know has but stumps of fingers on the right hand from overexposure.
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### Author:  [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purple-fluorescent-lights-in-kitchens/482166/7 "2009-01-20T19:48:34Z")
My dentist still uses those but the light thingy has a big orange shield on it now, which I presume is supposed to protect the user from UV.