Summary
This paper examines how artificial night lighting has grown to substantially alter natural light regimes, with well-documented catastrophic effects on some species and subtler impacts on broader community ecology. For lighting designers and health professionals, it underscores the importance of minimizing unnecessary nighttime light exposure to protect circadian biology across species, including humans.
Key Findings
- Artificial night lighting has increased substantially in extent and intensity over the past century, altering terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
- Distinguishes 'astronomical light pollution' (obscuring night sky) from 'ecological light pollution' (disrupting natural light regimes), each with distinct biological consequences.
- Well-documented examples include deaths of migratory birds around lighted structures and disorientation of hatchling sea turtles by beach lighting.
Categories
Sleep & Circadian Health: Light pollution disrupts natural light-dark cycles that regulate circadian entrainment in both wildlife and humans.
The Science of Light: The paper addresses artificial night lighting's alteration of natural light regimes, relevant to understanding how light exposure standards should account for ecological and biological impacts.
Author(s)
P Teikari
Publication Year
2007
Number of Citations
37
Related Publications
Sleep & Circadian Health
- Phototransduction by retinal ganglion cells that set the circadian clock
- The mammalian circadian timing system: organization and coordination of central and peripheral clocks
- The twoâprocess model of sleep regulation: a reappraisal
- Melanopsin is required for non-image-forming photic responses in blind mice
- Strange vision: ganglion cells as circadian photoreceptors
The Science of Light
- Phototransduction by retinal ganglion cells that set the circadian clock
- Color appearance models
- The mammalian circadian timing system: organization and coordination of central and peripheral clocks
- Diminished pupillary light reflex at high irradiances in melanopsin-knockout mice
- Melanopsin is required for non-image-forming photic responses in blind mice