光污染對生態和人體的負面影響

有研究還指出光污染可能對生態造成負面影響。過量的晚間照明，或會擾亂依賴日夜規律的動物的生理週期，亦會誤導牠們的活動方向，嚴重甚至影響生態平衡。例子包括 (Travis and Catherine 2004):
鳥
鳥

鳥類的飛行受照明影響，誤導牠們撞上建築物而身亡。

在晚間遷移的鳥類會被人為照明誤導飛行方向，一旦牠們被照明吸引，便不會飛離。

黄蜂
蟋蟀

大量飛娥、蜻蜓、甲蟲、飛蠶、蚊子、黃蜂等昆蟲會被照明吸引聚集，因無法飛離而死亡。

海龜
海龜

雌性海龜被海灘附近的照明影響其產卵行為。

原本在白天獵食的鳥類和爬蟲類因人為室外照明，增加了牠們在晚上的獵食機會，令被捕獵的物種減少。

青蛙

野外環境的照明亮度增加，令晚間動物如青蛙喪失天然夜視能力，強烈的照明甚至會弄瞎牠們。

街燈
 
Sleeping child

光污染對人體生理的負面影響

 

小孩正在睡覺

至於光污染對人類生理的負面影響，我們所知不多。你可能聽過，居住地方接近燈箱廣告招牌或球場照明等的人，可能會被過分的照明而感煩惱，被迫拉上厚厚的窗簾，甚至因強烈的照明而難以入睡。其實近年環保處的確收到市民針對光污染的投訴，每年大約有30-40宗。但如果室外照明及人們對光污染的認識增加，被過分照明影響而投訴的人數或會上升。

(Health Council of the Netherlands: Impact of outdoor lighting on man and nature. The Hague: Health Council of the Netherlands, 2000; publication no. 2000/25E)

Pictures source: Wikimedia Commons

參考資料

 

  • Buchanan BW. 1993. Effects of enhanced lighting on the behaviour of nocturnal frogs. Anim Behav 45: 893–99.
  • Catherine Rich, Travis Longcore, Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting, Island Press
  • Eisenbeis G and Hassel F. 2000. Zur Anziehung nachtaktiver Insekten durch Strasenlaternen – eine Studie kommunaler Beleuchtungseinrichtungen in der Agrarlandschaft Reinhessens [Attraction of nocturnal insects to street lights – a study of municipal lighting systems in a rural area of Rheinhessen (Germany)]. Natur und Landschaft 75: 145–56.
  • Frank KD. 1988. Impact of outdoor lighting on moths: an assessment. J Lepidop Soc 42: 63–93.
  • Health Council of the Netherlands: Impact of outdoor lighting on man and nature. The Hague: Health Council of the Netherlands, 2000; publication no. 2000/25E.
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  • Schwartz A and Henderson RW. 1991. Amphibians and reptiles of the West Indies: descriptions, distributions, and natural history. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Press.
  • Squires WA and Hanson HE. 1918. The destruction of birds at the lighthouses on the coast of California. Condor 20: 6–10.
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