Light Pollution

By: Muhammad Anwar Gul

What is Light Pollution?

Light pollution, also known as photopollution or luminous pollution, is excessive or obtrusive artificial light. The International Dark Sky Association (IDA) defines light pollution as:
Any adverse effect of artificial light including Sky glow, glare, light trespass, light clutter, decreased visibility at night, and energy waste.

Sky Glow

Sky Glow
Refers to the "glow" effect that is visible over populated areas. It is the combination of all light reflected from what it has illuminated escaping up into the sky and from all of the badly directed light in that area that also escapes into the sky.

Sky Glow
Sky glow particularly irritates astronomers, because it reduces contrast in the night sky to the extent where it may even become impossible to see any but the brightest stars.

Glare

 Types of Glare:

Glare

Blinding glare describes effects such as that caused by staring into the Sun. It is completely blinding and leaves temporary or permanent vision deficiencies. Disability glare describes blinded effects by oncoming car lights, or light scattering in fog or in the eye, reducing contrast, as well as reflections from print and other dark areas that render them bright, with significant reduction in sight capabilities.

Glare
Discomfort glare doesnt typically cause a dangerous situation however it is annoying and irritating. It can cause fatigue if experienced over extended periods.

Light trespass

Light trespass
Light trespass occurs when unwanted light enters one's property, for instance, by shining over a neighbour's fence. A common light trespass problem occurs when a strong light enters the window of one's home from the outside, causing problems such as sleep deprivation.

Light Clutter

Light Clutter
Light clutter is excessive groupings of lights. Groupings of lights may generate confusion, distract from obstacles and potentially cause accidents. Clutter is particularly noticeable on roads where the street lights are badly designed, or where brightly lit advertising surrounds the roadways.

Light Clutter
Clutter may present a hazard in the aviation environment if aviation safety lighting must compete for pilot attention with non-relevant lighting. For instance, runway lighting may be confused with an array of suburban commercial lighting and aircraft collision avoidance lights may be confused with ground lights.

Effects of Light Pollution

Energy Waste

Effects on human health & psychology

Disruption of Ecosystem

Effects of Light Pollution

Energy waste Effects on animal and human health and psychology Disruption of ecosystems Effect on astronomy Increase in atmospheric pollution

Energy waste
Lighting is responsible for one-fourth of all electricity consumption worldwide,[1] Case studies have shown that overillumination constitute energy wastage, including non-beneficial upward direction of night-time lighting.

Energy waste
In 2007, Terna (company managing electricity flow in Italy), reported savings of 645.2 million kWh in electricity consumption during the daylight saving period from April-October. It attributes this saving to the delayed need for artificial lighting during the evenings.

Effects on animal & human health & psychology

Medical research on the effects of excessive light on the human body suggests that a variety of adverse health effects may be caused by light pollution. Health effects of over-illumination or improper spectral composition of light may include: increased headache incidence, worker fatigue, stress and increase in anxiety.[2] Animal models have been studied demonstrating unavoidable light to produce adverse effect on mood and anxiety.[3]

Disruption of Ecosystems
Light pollution poses a serious threat to wildlife, having negative impacts on plant and animal physiology. Light pollution can confuse animal navigation, alter competitive interactions, change predatorprey relations, and cause physiological harm.[4] The rhythm of life is orchestrated by the natural patterns of light and dark, disruption to these patterns impacts the ecological dynamics.[5]

Effect on Astronomy
Light trespass can impact observations when stray light enters the tube of the telescope from off-axis, reflecting from surfaces other than the telescope's mirrors (if any) so that it eventually reaches the eye piece, causing a glow across the field of view since it has not been focused.

Effect on Astronomy
Sky glow reduces the contrast between stars and galaxies in the sky and the sky itself, making it more difficult to detect fainter objects.

Increase in atmospheric pollution

Light pollution destroys nitrate radicals thus preventing the normal night time reduction of atmospheric smog produced by fumes emitted from cars and factories.

Reducing Light Pollution

Reducing Light Pollution

Utilizing light sources of minimum intensity necessary to accomplish the light's purpose. Turning lights off using a timer or occupancy sensor or manually when not needed. Improving lighting fixtures, so that they direct their light more accurately towards where it is needed, and with less side effects.

Improving lighting fixtures

Adjusting the type of lights used, so that the light waves emitted are those that are less likely to cause severe light pollution problems. Evaluating existing lighting plans, and redesigning some or all of the plans depending on whether existing light is actually needed

Improving lighting fixtures

The use of full cut-off lighting fixtures reduces light pollution. Lights should be spaced appropriately for maximum efficiency, and that lamps within the fixtures shouldn't be overpowered

Actions for residential owners & builders

Replace old fixtures with fully shielded exterior lighting fixtures. Install fully lighted fixtures in new buildings Cut off exterior lighting fixtures after midnight

Actions for commercial property owners & builders

Install fully shielded exterior lighting fixtures in newly constructed buildings Replace old fixtures with fully shielded exterior lighting Reduce light levels on store fronts and in parking area After business hours turn off signs and parking area lights

Advantages of reducing light pollution

Reduce energy consumption and

indirectly the use of fuel, CO2, SO2 emission and other particles Protect the environment, reduce the disturbance of natural habitats (animals, plants and ecological system) Avoid glare for aircrafts and ships Avoid disturbing neighbors Facilitate astronomy Preserve a dark sky

Thank You!