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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2022) | Viewed by 26201

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Irena Fryc

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Białystok University of Technology, 15-351 Białystok, Poland
Interests: light; lighting; light pollutions; energy efficiency; light and color; colorimetry; photometry; measurement of optical radiation; circadian radiation; light color quality; light sources; LEDs; SSL—solid state lighting; luminaires; lighting design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Tomasz Ściężor

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Environmental and Power Engineering, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Krakow, Poland
Interests: light pollution; astronomy; physics; ecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) focuses on Light Pollution. Artificial outdoor lighting at night (ALAN) can be a source of unwanted light pollution, which is visually perceived as a brilliant hemisphere surrounding the city sky. The sky glow is perceptible even from space. It should be noted that this unnecessary brightening of the sky is not just a “sky glow” effect, but also causes other unwanted effects such as biological light pollution and negative impacts on human health. ALAN is increasing rapidly and can disturb nightscapes, ecosystems, and consequently biodiversity—including protected areas. It is also wasted electricity, which negatively affects the environment in the form of air dust, greenhouse gases, and the production of ash and slag emissions by power plants. Papers addressing these topics are invited for this Special Issue.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Artificial radiance monitoring from airborne and Earth-orbiting platforms;
Long-term assessment of the evolution of the artificial night sky brightness;
Modeling and measurement of artificial light propagation in the atmosphere;
Modeling of obstructive outdoor lights;
Multi- and hyperspectral techniques for light pollution research;
Optics and photonics components and devices for light pollution research;
Photonic technologies for healthy and environmentally sustainable lighting;
Quantitative methods for assessing human exposure to artificial light at night.

Dr. Irena Fryc
Dr. Tomasz Ściężor
Guest Editors

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Keywords

unwanted artificial light
light pollution
obstructive lighting
botanical light pollution
sky glow
sustainable lighting
light pollution measurement devices

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 1620 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Blue-Light-Blocking Lenses Ameliorate Structural Alterations in the Rodent Hippocampus

by Elizebeth O. Akansha, Bang V. Bui, Shonraj B. Ganeshrao, Pugazhandhi Bakthavatchalam, Sivakumar Gopalakrishnan, Susmitha Mattam, Radhika R. Poojary, Judith S. Jathanna, Judy Jose and Nagarajan N. Theruveethi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12922; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912922 - 9 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1928

Abstract

Evidence suggests that prolonged blue-light exposure can impact vision; however, less is known about its impact on non-visual higher-order functions in the brain, such as learning and memory. Blue-light-blocking lenses (BBLs) claim to reduce these potential impacts. Hence, we assessed structural and functional hippocampal alterations following blue-light exposure and the protective efficacy of BBLs. Male Wistar rats were divided into (n = 6 in each group) normal control (NC), blue-light exposure (LE), and blue-light with BBLs (Crizal Prevencia, CP and DuraVision Blue, DB) groups. After 28 days of light exposure (12:12 light: dark cycle), rats were trained for the Morris water maze memory retention test, and brain tissues were sectioned for hippocampal neuronal analysis using Golgi and Cresyl violet stains. The memory retention test was significantly delayed (p < 0.05) in LE compared with DB groups on day 1 of training. Comparison of Golgi-stained neurons showed significant structural alterations, particularly in the basal dendrites of hippocampal neurons in the LE group, with BBLs significantly mitigating these structural changes (p < 0.05). Comparison of Cresyl-violet-stained neurons revealed significantly (p < 0.001) increased degenerated hippocampal neurons in LE rats, with fewer degenerated neurons in the CP lens group for CA1 neurons (p < 0.05), and for both CP and DB groups (p < 0.05) for CA3 neurons. Thus, in addition to documented effects on visual centers, high-level blue-light exposure also results in degeneration in hippocampal neurons with associated behavioral deficits. These changes can be partially ameliorated with blue-light-blocking lenses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Pollution)

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11 pages, 2795 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Light Pollution and Circadian Misalignment: A Healthy, Blue-Free, White Light-Emitting Diode to Avoid Chronodisruption

by Amador Menéndez-Velázquez, Dolores Morales and Ana Belén García-Delgado

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1849; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031849 - 7 Feb 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4514

Abstract

Sunlight has participated in the development of all life forms on Earth. The micro-world and the daily rhythms of plants and animals are strongly regulated by the light–dark rhythm. Human beings have followed this pattern for thousands of years. The discovery and development of artificial light sources eliminated the workings of this physiological clock. The world’s current external environment is full of light pollution. In many electrical light bulbs used today and considered “environmentally friendly,” such as LED devices, electrical energy is converted into short-wavelength illumination that we have not experienced in the past. Such illumination effectively becomes “biological light pollution” and disrupts our pineal melatonin production. The suppression of melatonin at night alters our circadian rhythms (biological rhythms with a periodicity of 24 h). This alteration is known as chronodisruption and is associated with numerous diseases. In this article, we present a blue-free WLED (white light-emitting diode) that can avoid chronodisruption and preserve circadian rhythms. This WLED also maintains the spectral quality of light measured through parameters such as CRI (color reproduction index). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Pollution)

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23 pages, 101220 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Impact of Thermal Dissipation on the Lighting Performance and Useful Life of LED Luminaires Applied to Urban Lighting: A Case Study

by Juan de Dios Unión-Sánchez, Manuel Jesús Hermoso-Orzáez, Manuel Jesús Hervás-Pulido and Blas Ogáyar-Fernández

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(2), 752; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19020752 - 10 Jan 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2850

Abstract

Currently, LED technology is an established form of lighting in our cities and homes. Its lighting performance, durability, energy efficiency and light, together with the economic savings that its use implies, are displacing other classic forms of lighting. However, some problems associated with the durability of the equipment related to the problems of thermal dissipation and high temperature have begun to be detected, which end up affecting their luminous intensity and the useful life. There are many studies that show a direct relationship between the low quality of LED lighting and the aging of the equipment or its overheating, observing the depreciation of the intensity of the light and the visual chromaticity performance that can affect the health of users by altering circadian rhythms. On the other hand, the shortened useful life of the luminaires due to thermal stress has a direct impact on the LCA (Life Cycle Analysis) and its environmental impact, which indirectly affects human health. The purpose of this article is to compare the results previously obtained, at different contour temperatures, by theoretical thermal simulation of the 3D model of LED street lighting luminaires through the ANSYS Fluent simulation software. Contrasting these results with the practical results obtained with a thermal imaging camera, the study shows how the phenomenon of thermal dissipation plays a fundamental role in the lighting performance of LED technology. The parameter studied in this work is junction temperature (T_j), and how it can be used to predict the luminous properties in the design phase of luminaires in order to increase their useful life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Pollution)

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48 pages, 10849 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Impact Analysis of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) on Bats. A Case Study of the Historic Monument and Natura 2000 Wisłoujście Fortress in Gdansk, Poland

by Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska, Katarzyna Szlachetko and Katarzyna Bobkowska

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11327; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111327 - 28 Oct 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6068

Abstract

The artificial light at night (ALAN) present in many cities and towns has a negative impact on numerous organisms that live alongside humans, including bats. Therefore, we investigated if the artificial illumination of the historic Wisłoujście Fortress in Gdańsk, Poland (part of the Natura 2000 network), during nighttime events, which included an outdoor electronic dance music (EDM) festival, might be responsible for increased light pollution and the decline in recent years of the pond bat (Myotis dasycneme). An assessment of light pollution levels was made using the methods of geographical information system (GIS) and free-of-charge satellite remote sensing (SRS) technology. Moreover, this paper reviewed the most important approaches for environmental protection of bats in the context of ecological light pollution, including International, European, and Polish regulatory frameworks. The analysis of this interdisciplinary study confirmed the complexity of the problem and highlighted, too, the need for better control of artificial illumination in such sensitive areas. It also revealed that SRS was not the best light pollution assessment method for this particular case study due to several reasons listed in this paper. As a result, the authors’ proposal for improvements also involved practical recommendations for devising suitable strategies for lighting research and practice in the Natura 2000 Wisłoujście Fortress site located adjacent to urban areas to reduce the potential negative impact of ALAN on bats and their natural habitats. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Pollution)

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18 pages, 1444 KiB

Open AccessHypothesis

Urban Lighting Research Transdisciplinary Framework—A Collaborative Process with Lighting Professionals

by Catherine Pérez Vega, Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska and Franz Hölker

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(2), 624; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020624 - 13 Jan 2021

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 8499

Abstract

Over the past decades, lighting professionals have influenced the experience of the night by brightly illuminating streets, buildings, skylines, and landscapes 24/7. When this became the accepted norm, a dual perspective on night-time was shaped and the visual enjoyment of visitors after dusk was prioritized over natural nightscapes (nocturnal landscapes). During this time, researchers of artificial light at night (ALAN) observed and reported a gradual increase in unnatural brightness and a shift in color of the night-time environment. As a consequence, ALAN has been identified as a relevant pollutant of aquatic and terrestrial habitats, and an environmental stressor, which may adversely affect a wide range of organisms, from micro-organisms to humans. Unfortunately, lighting professionals and ALAN researchers usually attempt to solve today’s sustainable urban lighting problems distinctive to their fields of study, without a dialogue between research and practice. Therefore, in order to translate research knowledge as an applicable solution for the lighting practice and to minimize the impact on the environment, a collaborative framework involving a transdisciplinary process with lighting professionals is crucial to potentially bring the practice, research, production, decision-making, and planning closer to each other. This paper presents a framework to help reduce the existing gap of knowledge, because appropriate lighting applications depend upon it. Access to less light polluted nightscapes in urban environments is just as important as access to unpolluted water, food, and air. This call for action towards sustainable urban lighting should be included in future lighting policies to solve the urgent environmental and health challenges facing our world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Pollution)

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