Abstract

Summary

Recommended expressway street lighting levels do not acutely suppress salivary melatonin, suggesting that roadway lighting designed for traffic safety does not pose significant circadian health risks to passersby. This finding supports the continued use of solid-state roadway lighting at standard recommended levels without major concern for melatonin disruption.
Abstract

Key Findings

  • Recommended expressway roadway lighting levels did not produce acute suppression of salivary melatonin in human participants.
  • Results suggest traffic safety benefits of roadway lighting are not offset by acute circadian disruption via melatonin suppression.
  • Study implies that current lighting standards for expressways are below the threshold for meaningful acute melatonin suppression.
Categories

Categories

Sleep & Circadian Health: Measures acute melatonin suppression from roadway lighting exposure, directly relevant to circadian health impacts of outdoor lighting.
The Science of Light: Examines spectral and photometric properties of solid-state (LED) roadway lighting in relation to melanopic effects on melatonin.
Authors

Author(s)

RB Gibbons, R Bhagavathula, B Warfield, GC Brainard
Publication Date

Publication Year

2022
Citations

Number of Citations

4
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