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“Lets meet an unmet need related to light pollution use of LEDs in India”

Group members:

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  • Amrish Rai – 10BB20A04051
  • Mahmood Akbar- 10BB21J04009
  • Pranoy Toppo- 10BB20A04033
  • Sreyanko Sadhukhan – 10BB21J04017
  • Usha yadav- 10CC20A04037

From CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow

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Introduction

  • Street lights have one of the highest consumption of a city’s share of energy expenditure.

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  • With the advent of LEDs (light-emitting diodes), it turns out to be a key area for energy saving and reducing our carbon footprint, however, the Jevons Paradox states there is a tendency of using more of something when the price of producing and distributing the product goes down.

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  • India has seen a boom in energy-efficient lighting projects in the last 5-10 years.

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  • There is lack of regulatory guidelines for decision making in such projects leading to selection of inefficient luminaries, poor design, installation and operation.

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  • LEDs do have a dark side; having detrimental effects on plants, animals, humans and the night life in totality.

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Global data on light pollution

  • 83% of the world’s people live under light polluted skies and 23% of the world’s land area is affected by sky glow.
  • Study from 2017 suggests that worldwide, light pollution increased by roughly 2% a year between 2012 and 2016.
  • 58.5% population of India is exposed to light pollution, covering an area of 24.7%.

Ben Panko, Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute, Science 2016

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Health effects on Humans

  • Exposure to LED light with a blue peak in its emission spectrum may supress melatonin production, which the body starts producing naturally in the afternoon, reaching max levels in darkness.

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  • The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified shift work that disrupts the circadian rhythm as a probable carcinogen; associations with conditions such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease and increased risk of hormone-dependent malignancies like breast and prostate cancer are reported.

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  • A recent study in Barcelona and Madrid led by ISGlobal found an association between exposure to higher levels of artificial blue light and an increased risk of breast and prostate cancer.
  • The most frequently used LEDs for street lighting with a CT of 4000-5000k may cause dry eye, age related macular degeneration or cataract.

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  • LEDs street lighting with high concentration of blue light causes severe glare, resulting in pupillary constriction; safe driving and walking with such glares become demanding

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Health effects on Animals

  • Increased vulnerability to natural predators

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  • In case of birds, migration is affected.

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  • Major driving force in insect decline as it affects there foraging, reproduction and predation.

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  • Can disorientate hatchling and adult sea turtles.

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  • Reduces breeding success and chances of survival thereby reduces population.

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  • Nocturnal animals are most affected.

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  • Breeding rituals such as night time croaking in frogs and toads are affected.

Courtesy-The Science Magazine

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Effects on plants and ecology

  • It hampers the photosynthetic processes.

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  • Severely affects the flowering mechanism in plants.
  • Delayed leaf colouring and leaf fall.
  • A new threat to plant-pollinator ecosystem balance.

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Pic. Courtesy – Lethbridge Astronomy Society

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Possible solutions for Light pollution

  • Use of covered bulbs that light facing downwards.

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  • The use of automatic systems to turn off street light at certain times.

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  • The development and advancement of better alternatives to cruises, lighthouses and ships.

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  • Glare-free lighting for vehicles driven at night.

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  • All outdoor lights with glare should be replaced with low-glare alternatives.

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  • Use of motion sensors on important outdoor lights.

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  • Use Glow stones for all your Outdoor Night Lighting.

Pic. Courtesy – elanvalley.org.uk

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References

  • Zhao, Z. C., Zhou, Y., Tan, G., & Li, J. (2018). Research progress about the effect and prevention of blue light on eyes. International journal of ophthalmology, 11(12), 1999.

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  • Papantoniou, K., Castaño‐Vinyals, G., Espinosa, A., Aragonés, N., Pérez‐Gómez, B., Burgos, J., ... & Kogevinas, M. (2015). Night shift work, chronotype and prostate cancer risk in the MCC‐S pain case‐control study. International journal of cancer, 137(5), 1147-1157.

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  • Schernhammer, E. S., Laden, F., Speizer, F. E., Willett, W. C., Hunter, D. J., Kawachi, I., & Colditz, G. A. (2001). Rotating night shifts and risk of breast cancer in women participating in the nurses' health study. Journal of the national cancer institute, 93(20), 1563-1568.

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