Monday, October 15, 2012

Light Pollution Caused By Eco Friendly Street Lighting

Night-time artificial lighting is harmful and causes light pollution...

The International Congress of Zoology discussed "Light Pollution and its Ecophysiological Consequences" and was held at the University of Haifa, Israel.
It discussed exposure to light at night, the extent of the harm and dangers it does and the adverse health effects that follow.
Apparently, it is the short wavelength illumination that we have come to know as 'eco-friendly lighting' that is causing the most harm.

Exposure to light at night affects the circadian rhythms in nature, of humans, animals and plants, which when thrown off can result in various illnesses and adverse symptoms.

Dr. Franz Hölker of the Leibniz Institute in Germany, said that street lights in populated areas are responsible for 60 percent of the Light pollution at night and this is intensified under cloudy conditions when the light is reflected back down to the ground.

Prof. Haim, a leading authority on light pollution, presented one of his studies showing the adverse effects of exposure to light at night on rats.
The study showed that light exposure at night, particularly short wave blue LED, caused varying levels of damage to their metabolic rates, hormone production, body mass, and oxygen consumption, as well as suppressed levels of melatonin production, which is responsible for tumor growth.
He postulated that he would expect to find similar results of damage from human exposure to LED lighting, as the youth in the West are typically surrounded by this sort of lighting in the guise of TVs, computer screens and smartphones in their bedrooms.

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