Light pollution
Light pollution is defined as pollution resulting from the excessive and unwanted use of artificial light, which
is a form of wasted energy that can cause many harmful health and environmental effects, and greatly
affects astronomers and ordinary observers of the sky in the night; Because it greatly reduces the visibility
of stars and celestial bodies as a result of the lighting directed towards the sky, which is emitted from ill-
designed lamps, or flashlights, as this reflected light is dispersed by solid particles in the atmosphere and
returns to the earth, which reduces their ability to see the sky wel
Types of light pollution
The sky glowed
As aerosols are scattered such as fog, clouds, and some small volatile particles such as lighting pollutants resulting from artificial sources and
emitted to the top of the atmosphere, and these scattered parts form a diffuse glow that can be seen from far away, and this phenomenon is
usually more evident in rural areas than in cities; This is due to the secondary reflection of light in these places, which is about 10% in cities, and
about 50% in rural areas
Phototreatment
Light trespass is meant for unwanted lighting at night, which sneaks into homes and buildings through windows, and this phenomenon is
one of the common light pollution phenomena that may cause many human health problems, including sleep disorders as a result of intense
exposure to light.
Glow
Exaggerated lighting with high glare at night leads to a state of contrast and blurred vision, which causes inconvenience to people, and in
some cases may lead to human blindness, and among the most vulnerable people to be affected by light glare are the elderly with eye problems.
Optical chaos
The term light clutter refers to exaggerated gatherings of lights in one place, a phenomenon that may confuse people and divert their
attention from things in their path, such as lampposts.
Excess lighting
Excessive lighting or over-lighting is defined as the excessive use of lighting, which involves excessive energy consumption
Effects of light pollution on humans
Excessive lighting or over-illumination is defined as the excessive use of lighting, and this involves excessive consumption of
energy, and the excess lighting comes as a result of several behaviors, including:
Not using timers, sensors placed on light switches that control lighting, and other control tools to turn off lights when needed.
Waste of electricity and energy sources that we need to create electric power.
Harm to human health due to excessive exposure to light at night. Sleep disturbances.
Disturbing drivers' vision at night due to the light from billboards and street lamps, thus causing accidents.
Significantly affecting the work of astronomers, due to the disruption of seeing stars and galaxies at night.
Effects of light pollution on animals
The graph includes all kinds of birds, salamanders, frogs, turtles, and salamanders. Light pollution is also present. For her, the bright lighting
in the surrounding areas may hinder her sense of direction, which attracts the lights of buildings, towers, and lighthouses to birds to deviate
from their natural paths, as it attracts birds to the source of the image as a reference to her belief. Or to display the image, indicating the source
of the light, and indicating the source of the light, indicating the source of the light, and indicating the image of the other problem, the birds
congregate and meet in the face of these lights. The positive effects of artificial lights on female turtles looking for places to build their nests,
and on young turtles looking for their way to the sea, where these images are affected by the light glow, their illumination. From it on land, as
for fish, their attraction to artificial lighting differs from one type to another, but artificial light sources still have an effect on the natural behavior
of fish, as it was reported from the list on the effect of light on fish farms and in water. with it.
Effects of light pollution on plants
The period of night and darkness affects metabolism, development, and all activities carried out by plants, especially short-day plants,
which need a long, dark night in order to grow, and if these plants are exposed to artificial lighting for one night, this means that it has passed It
has two short nights instead of one long night, and it is affected by some disturbances, and this affects the flowering and development patterns
of the plant. Many studies indicate that light pollution around lakes prevents some zooplankton, such as Daphnia, from eating surface algae, and
the growth of these algae kills other plants that grow in lakes and reduces the quality of their water. organisms with light pollution, so that their
ability to move at night began to decrease, which affected the growth of plants that depend on night pollination, which occurs by mites, which
may lead in the long term to a decrease in numbers. These plants die because of their inability to reproduce naturally, and thus the ecosystem
as a whole in that region will change. Trees are also affected by light pollution, which hinders their response to seasonal changes and adaptation
to them, as artificial light prevents trees from shedding their leaves when needed, and this is due to Harm to animals that feed on fallen leaves,
and light pollution prevents birds from building their nests on trees.
Solutions to the phenomenon of light pollution
The phenomenon of light pollution can be reduced by modifying some behaviors or adopting other new behaviors, including:
Reducing the lighting used. The most obvious, cheapest, and easiest way is to start turning off unnecessary and unused lights,
and there is no need to keep the lighting outside the houses illuminated, as some people believe that it is safe to leave it open,
but there is a lot of recorded data stating that there is no relationship between keeping the lighting Flaming and low rates of theft.
Changing the external lighting lamps to others with a better design and less glare, and currently the International Association or
the International Federation of the Dark Sky is studying many different lamps and determining which ones have less glare and
more efficiency, so it is recommended to buy lamps that contain the association’s seal, or any similar associations that have the
same specifications .
The use of motion sensors for basic outdoor lights, which are better than permanent lights, as they only light when motion is
detected next to them and for a limited time.
Reducing blue light sources at night; Because it increases glare, increases the chance of human exposure to health problems,
and changes the behavior of living organisms, just as blue lighting increases the celestial glow. which is spread to far geographical
distances.
References :
1. Jerry A. Nathanson, "Light pollution" ،[Link], Retrieved 7-5-2019.
2. "Light Pollution", [Link], Retrieved 11-4-2020. Page 4.
3. Dr. Rasna Rajkhowa , "Light Pollution and Impact of Light Pollution " ،[Link], Retrieved 11-4-2020. Page 862-865.
4. Shaina Meyer, "Light Pollution" ،[Link], Retrieved 11-4-2020. Page 5, 6, 8, 9.
5. Carolyn Collins Petersen (7-3-2017), "Losing the Dark Sky and the Stars" ،[Link], Retrieved 8-5-2019.
6. CHRIS BASKIND (19-3-2010), "5 ways you can reduce light pollution" ،[Link], Retrieved 11-4-2020.
7. Light Pollution Solutions", [Link], Retrieved 11-4-2020.
8. short-day plant", [Link], Retrieved 28-4-2020.
