Abstract
Light pollution, a relatively new environmental pollutant, can be defined as the presence of an excessive quantity of artificial outdoor light in an unsuitable time and place, exerting various undesirable effects over the environment. Apart from poor visibility of the nocturnal sky, it affects all organisms adapted to life in the natural day/night conditions. In addition to the negative impact on ecology, the detrimental effect of light pollution on the human circadian system has been recognized thanks to numerous experimental and population studies, some examples of which are presented in this chapter. The best visible impact of artificial light at night (ALAN) is desynchronization of the biological clock along with the inhibition of nocturnal melatonin synthesis in the pineal gland. This happens especially when the blue light-emitting electronic devices are used in the evening or during transmeridian travels, night shift works, and in some other aspects of life in the developed countries leading to an increase in the incidence of so-called diseases of civilization. Moreover, for the people in advanced age whose circadian system is already weakened, further desynchronization under influence of ALAN seems to be particularly dangerous, and selected examples of the current research are presented. Finally, some measures are recommended to ensure protection of the human circadian system from the disruptive action of ALAN accompanying modern lifestyle.
Outline of content
Sources and dangers of the contemporary ubiquity of artificial light at night are described. As light available in an unsuitable time and place acts as a potent circadian disruptor, it can have an impact in several civilization-related illness, often diagnosed in developed countries. Examples of light pollution related to the modern lifestyle are presented, as well as proposed measures that can mitigate its adverse effects, especially for elderly people.
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Notes
- 1.
DLMO – Dim Light Melatonin Onset – timing of the evening start of melatonin synthesis.
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Acknowledgments
WHWII, JAL RJN were supported by NIH grants NINDS R01NS092388 and NIGMS U54GM104942, but otherwise received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
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Skwarło-Sońta, K. (2023). Achieving Healthy Aging in the Light-Polluted World. In: Jagota, A. (eds) Sleep and Clocks in Aging and Longevity. Healthy Ageing and Longevity, vol 18. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22468-3_21
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