HLTH 102 Lecture : Light Pollution and Health

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Health Studies
• Course: HLTH 102
• Professor: Melody Torcolacci

Document Summary

Light pollution occurs because of poor lighting design: allows artificial light to shine outward and upward into the sky instead of downward. When human light spills into the natural world the environment is affected: creatures need darkness, affects biological clocks, early breeding in birds because of long artificial days and short nights. Staying up late sends mixed signals to your body: affects your physiology, raises levels of 2 hormones. Controls the amount of food you need. What you eat affects your body signals. Light pollution takes a biological toll: correlation between women and breast cancer in brighter neighbourhoods. Reduces melatonin, increases cancer risk: blind women have lower risk of breast cancer. Exposure to light at night creates permanent jet lag. Blue light: shortest wave length, more easily scattered into atmosphere. Makes it hard for eyes to focus. Disability glare: causes us to avert our eyes from light, poor roadway lighting.