Biological effects

Biological and health effects of laser radiation are in principle similar to those of normal optical radiation, but the very high power density and the strong focussing of laser beams can result in special health risks. The effects depend strongly on wavelength, irradiance and exposure duration. The range of wavelength of laser radiation extends from approximately 10.000 nanometres (nm) to approximately 200 nm, that is, from infrared via visible light to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Since penetration depth of optical radiation into biological tissue is relatively low, mainly skin and eyes are affected if laser radiation impacts on humans. Particular danger exists for the eyes due to their optical properties.