The Unseen Impacts Of Light Pollution On Human Health
Imagine being able to alleviate physical and mental ailments with the flip of a light switch. By some estimates, city dwellers locally and globally can no longer see the Milky Way, or primary constellations, due to mis-aimed and excessive levels of nighttime lighting. This not only contributes to substantial energy waste but has profound impacts on the human body. Some of these impacts include loss of sleep, increased stress and alterations to circadian rhythms resulting in altered hormone production. While many of the impacts of overexposure to artificial lights are still unknown, recent studies have begun exploring physiological impacts and have uncovered dramatic consequences. The first step to managing the growing problem of light pollution is to fully understand its negative impacts on humans. Hence, it is the focus of this research study to determine the most significant impacts of artificial lights on humans and explore preventative measures.