Light pollution and its hazards
What is light pollution?
Light pollution is a new type of environmental pollution that follows pollution from exhaust gas, wastewater, waste residue, and noise The sources of pollution mainly include white light pollution, artificial daytime pollution, and color light pollution. Light pollution is on the rise Threatening people's health. In daily life, the common conditions of light pollution for people are The dizziness of pedestrians and drivers caused by the reflection of mirror shaped buildings, as well as unreasonable lighting at night The discomfort caused by light to the human body. The main hazards of light pollution - damage to the eyes Myopia is related to the environment, and people know that water pollution, air pollution, and noise pollution are harmful to humans The harm to health, but not realizing the potential threat around us - dry light pollution, which is causing serious damage Looking into people's eyes. Let people increasingly understand the importance of the environment for human survival and health. People pay attention to water pollution, air pollution, noise pollution, and take measures to vigorously rectify them, But there is not enough emphasis on dry light pollution. The consequence is various eye diseases, especially the myopia rate rapid climb. In the 1930s, scientific research found that the frequent flashing of fluorescent lights forced frequent pupil movements Scaling can cause eye fatigue. If stimulated by strong light for a long time, it can cause retinal edema Blur can seriously damage photoreceptor cells in the retina and even affect vision. The stronger the light and the longer the time, the greater the irritation to the eyes The wall is like a huge mirror, reflecting light into high-speed cars and creating people Sudden temporary blindness and visual illusions can easily lead to traffic accidents. Every year in China a large amount of funds and manpower need to be invested to combat myopia, but the results are not significant. One of the reasons is that It's just that we didn't start with improving the visual environment. Health experts believe that vision The environment is the main cause of myopia, not the habit of using the eyes. Dry light pollution in the visual environment can be roughly divided into three types: first, outdoor visual environment pollution, such as Building exterior walls; The second is indoor visual environment pollution, such as indoor decoration and poor indoor light color Environment, etc; The third is local environmental pollution, such as books, paper, certain industrial products, etc. along with With the development of urban construction and the progress of science and technology, architecture and interior decoration in daily life The use of mirror surfaces, ceramic tiles, and white powder walls is increasing, and books and papers for close reading and writing are being used as it becomes smoother and smoother, people almost immerse themselves in an artificial vision of "strong light and weak color" Environment. According to scientific measurements, the light reflection coefficient of general white powder walls is 60%~80%, and that of mirror glass is the light reflection coefficient is 82%~88%, especially smooth pink walls and clean white book paper the reflection coefficient is as high as 90%, which is about 10 times higher than that of grass, forest, or fur decorative surfaces the number of values greatly exceeds the physiological adaptation range that the human body can withstand, forming a modern new Pollution sources. Research has shown that dry light pollution can cause damage to the cornea and iris of the human eye, Inhibiting the function of retinal photoreceptor cells, causing visual fatigue and decreased vision. According to surveys and measurements conducted by relevant health departments on laser,equipment in ten dance halls, the laser radiation pressure in most dance halls has exceeded the limit value. This highly dense thermal light When the beam passes through the lens of the eye and is concentrated in the retina, the temperature of its focal point can reach Celsius 70 degrees, which is very harmful to the eyes and brain nerves. It can not only cause damage to human vision, It can also cause headaches, dizziness, cold sweating, neurasthenia, insomnia, and other central nervous systems in the brain Symptoms of the system.The main hazards of light pollution - inducing cancer Several studies have pointed out that night shift work is related to the increase of incidence rate of breast cancer and prostate cancer Relevance. In 2001, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published an article stating that Seattle A cancer research center investigated 1606 women and found that night shift women suffered from breast cancer The probability is 60% higher than that of ordinary people; The longer the night shift, the greater the likelihood of illness. two thousand and eight This statement was confirmed by a report in the International Journal of Biological Clock in. Scientists on Israel After a survey of 147 communities, it was found that in areas with more severe light pollution, women suffer from breast cancer The probability of cancer has greatly increased. The reason may be that unnatural light suppresses the human immune system, Affects the production of hormones, disrupting endocrine balance and leading to cancer. The main hazards of light pollution - generating negative emotions Light damage may cause headaches, fatigue, decreased sexual ability, increased stress and anxiety. animal Model research has shown that when light is unavoidable, it can have adverse effects on emotions and anxiety The latest research by scientists shows that color light pollution not only damages human physiological functions, but also has a negative impact on human health Psychology also has an impact. The measurement of "spectral chromaticity effect" shows that the psychological state of white light If the impact is 100, then the blue light is 152, the purple light is 155, the red light is 158, and the ultraviolet light is 158 The highest line is 187. If people are exposed to colored light for a long time, their psychological accumulation The effect can also cause varying degrees of fatigue, weakness, dizziness, decreased libido, impotence, and premature ejaculation Physical and mental disorders such as menstrual disorders and neurasthenia. The visual environment has seriously threatened human health and work efficiency, and every year, it brings Causing significant losses. Therefore, it is urgent to pay attention to visual pollution and improve the visual environment. The main hazards of light pollution - ecological issues Light pollution affects the natural life patterns of animals, and the affected animals do not divide day and night, causing them to Problem with activity ability. In addition, their positional ability, competitive ability, communication ability, and psychological state Both will be affected, and more importantly, the position of predators and prey will be mutually adjusted. Research has pointed out that light pollution Pollution poses a threat to the survival of plankton in the lake, such as water fleas, as light damage can help algae Class reproduction creates red tides, resulting in the killing of plankton and pollution of water quality in the lake. Light pollution can also disrupt the biological clock rhythm in plants, hinder their growth, and lead to their stems or leaves Discoloration, even withering; Affects the formation of plant flower buds and can affect plant dormancy and The formation of winter buds. Light pollution can also affect ecological balance in other ways. For example, artificial daylight It can also harm insects and birds, as strong light can disrupt the normal reproduction process of nocturnal insects. Meanwhile, insects and birds can be burned to death by the high temperature surrounding strong light. Lepidopteran scholars and entomologists Point out that the strong light at night affects the ability of moths and other nocturnal insects to discern direction. This causes Flowers that rely on nocturnal insects to spread pollen are difficult to reproduce without assistance Fruits may lead to the disappearance of certain types of plants on Earth, and in the long run, damage the entire planet Ecological environment. Migratory birds can also lose their direction due to the impact of light pollution. According to the US Department of Fish and Wildlife According to measurements,  the number of birds that die each year due to light pollution reaches four to five million, or even more. Therefore, volunteers established the Focus on Lethal Light program and collaborated with Toronto, Canada and others Urban cooperation should try to turn off unnecessary light sources during the migration of migratory birds to reduce their mortality rate. In addition, newly hatched sea turtles can also die due to the impact of light pollution. This is because they are When walking from the nest to the beach, I was affected by light damage and lost my direction, resulting in not being able to reach the appropriate location Death due to the survival environment. Young seabirds are also affected by light pollution, causing them to move from their nests Lost when the cave flew to the sea. Night frogs and salamanders are also affected by light pollution. Because they are nocturnal animals, they will not Activity occurs when there is light, but light damage delays their activity time, causing them to move and mate Time becomes shorter. The main characteristics of light pollution Localization Light pollution rapidly decreases with increasing distance. No residue When the light source disappears in the environment, pollution disappears.

Relativity

Relativity can be divided into two aspects. Firstly, there is only light pollution in a certain environmental background,Light pollution is relative to the background; The second is whether some artificial light belongs to pollution or not Different individuals have different conclusions. Types of light pollution Internationally, the main types of light pollution are generally divided into three categories, namely white light pollution, artificial daytime pollution, and color light pollution.
White light pollution When the sunlight is strong, the glass curtain walls, glazed brick walls, and polished walls of buildings in the city are large Decorative materials such as marble and various coatings reflect light, making it bright and dazzling. Expert research and development Nowadays, people who work and live in white light polluted environments for a long time have both the retina and iris It will suffer from different degrees of damage, with a sharp decline in vision. The incidence rate of cataract is as high as 45%. It can also cause dizziness and annoyance, and even lead to insomnia, decreased appetite, low mood, and physical fatigue Symptoms similar to neurasthenia. In summer, the strong reflected light from glass curtain walls enters nearby residential buildings, increasing indoor temperature, Affects normal life. Some glass curtain walls are semi circular, and the convergence of reflected light can easily cause Fire. Drivers driving under the scorching sun will unexpectedly be hit by the reflected light from the glass curtain wall When attacked, the eyes are strongly stimulated, which can easily trigger a car accident. According to research by optical experts, the reflected light of mirrored building glass is stronger than that of sunlight The emissivity is as high as 82%~90%, and the light is almost completely reflected, greatly exceeding what the human body can withstand  Scope. People who work and live in white light polluted environments for a long time can easily lead to visual impairment  Descending, producing similar nerves such as dizziness, insomnia, palpitations, decreased appetite, and low mood  The symptoms of weakness can cause changes in a person's normal physiology and psychology, and in the long run, it can trigger certain  Disease. In summer, the strong reflected light from glass curtain walls enters nearby residential buildings, damaging the interior
The original good atmosphere also increases the average room temperature4 ℃~6 ℃. Affects normal life.

Mixed light

Mixing different types of light sources together will seriously affect the passive receiver. And it may cause
Car accident. What's even more terrifying is that for pilots flying at night, they need to spend their energy on these various Search for and identify aviation signal lights in various lights. glare
A strong light in the darkness. Driving high beam lights on well lit city streets will make pedestrians on the opposite side
Or the driver may experience temporary 'visual loss', which can lead to traffic accidents. And, in terms of protection
In inappropriate circumstances, this type of glare can also harm a person's vision. With the rapid increase in the number of cars Long, a xenon lamp technology that can greatly improve the brightness of driving lighting is widely used in automobiles Car lighting. But this advanced lighting technology has repeatedly become the culprit in creating road light pollution Road traffic safety poses hidden dangers. At present, the national standard GB4599-94 "Photometric Characteristics of Automotive Front Lighting Neng "has been invalidated and replaced by GB4599-2007" Automotive Filament Bulb Headlamps ". want The brightness of the vehicle's low and high beams should not be dazzling, but in practical operation, it should not be dazzling The standard is difficult to grasp.

Artificial daylight
After nightfall, the advertising lights and neon lights on shopping malls and hotels flicker dazzling and dazzling Chaos. Some strong beams of light even shoot straight into the clouds, making the night like day, which is called artificial Day. In such a 'never night city', the invasion of light causes excessive light sources to affect others' Daily rest makes it difficult to fall asleep at night, disrupts the normal body clock, and leads to daytime work Low efficiency. The sky is too bright to see stars, which affects astronomical observation, aviation, and many other aspects The observatory was forced to stop working as a result. According to astronomical statistics, the sky is not polluted by light at night In this  case, about 7000 stars can be seen, while in street lights, background lights, and landscape lights In a large city with indiscriminate shooting, only about 20-60 stars can be seen.
Visual pollution
It refers to the chaotic visual environment in the urban environment. For example, the disorderly electrical wires on both sides of urban streets Telephone lines, messy garbage, messy stalls, and colorful advertising signs Paste, etc.
Colorful light pollution
Black light, rotating light, fluorescent light, and flashing color light sources installed in dance halls and nightclubs
It has become colored light pollution. According to measurements, the ultraviolet intensity generated by black light lamps is significantly higher than that of sunlight Ultraviolet rays in the medium and harmful effects on the human body last for a long time. If people receive such photos for a long time  Shooting can induce nosebleeds, tooth loss, cataracts, and even lead to leukemia and other cancerous changes. color  Colorful light sources are dazzling, not only detrimental to the eyes, but also interfere with the central nervous system of the brain, causing People feel dizzy and dizzy, experiencing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and insomnia. If people stay in the lottery for a long time Under the illumination of light, the psychological accumulation effect can also cause varying degrees of fatigue, weakness, and headache  Physical and mental illnesses such as dizziness and neurasthenia.  In addition, some scholars also classify light pollution into "rooms" based on the extent of its impact  External visual environmental pollution, indoor visual environmental pollution, and local visual environmental pollution. Among them, Outdoor visual environmental pollution includes building exterior walls, outdoor lighting, etc; Indoor visual environmental pollution includes Indoor decoration, poor lighting and color environment, etc; Local visual environmental pollution includes books, paper, and  Certain industrial products, etc
In short, light pollution can lead to energy waste and damage people's physical and mental health.
In addition, excessive light pollution can seriously damage the ecological environment and pose a threat to traffic safety and aviation Natural science research can also have negative impacts. Before the government makes effective adjustments to the light source, We must be careful to stay away from similar sources of pollution. Professor Ma Jian from Tianjin University focuses on the development of light pollution  the time of generation and impact is classified as the standard, and light pollution is divided into daytime light pollution and nighttime light pollution, the white light pollution mentioned earlier belongs to daytime light pollution, while artificial daytime and colored light pollution belong to nighttime light pollution light pollution.