Vijayawada faces lightpollution, effecting health
This would come as a damper fordie-hard LED fans who have been crowing about how dark city streets have beenconverted into flood lit avenues over the past few years.
While the issue has been raised in these columns earlier, yet again, latest research has proved that increased exposure to artificial light at night not only raises health concerns for humans but also significantly harms the ecosystem, says a report in the Asian Age newspaper quoting a study by the Ohio State University in the US.
, says PTI quoting a study by the Ohio State University in the US.
Night time light is having profound impacts that extend to the entire ecosystem
"This is among the
first studies to show that light at night has detrimental effects not just on
individual organisms in the environment, but also on communities and
ecosystems," Maeika Sullivan from the Ohio State University is quoted.
"Night time light is having profound impacts that extend to the entire ecosystem," said Sullivan, lead author of the study published in the journal Ecological Applications.
Though many people might not consider it, artificial light is a pollutant, changing the natural courseof life for people, animals and plants, he said.
The research team examined
the effect of existing artificial light in streams, and they manipulated the
light in wetlands.
Vijayawada faces light
pollution, effecting health
Hyderabad: Meanwhile nearer home the Deccan Chronicle reports that Vijayawada is now facing light pollution at night after the prolific usage of LED street lighting apart from rampant installation of street hoardings that use LED lights.
The Lux levels in Vijayawada is around 4,241 at night against the permissible 1,000 Lux. Excess lighting is a health hazard, particularly for eyes, it said.
Lux is the unit of
illumination in one square metre a metre away from a light source. But all
other parameters like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide,
nitrogen oxide are within permissible limits in Vijayawada except for Ozone.
The readings were taken near the PVP Square Mall.
Experts say light pollution poses a serious threat to animals and will affect plant physiology. In humans, exposure to light while sleeping can suppress melatonin production. This can cause sleep disorders, head-aches and fatigue, it added.
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