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Peregrym, M., Penzesne Konya, E., & Falchi, F. (2020). Very important dark sky areas in Europe and the Caucasus region. J Environ Manage, 274, 111167.
Abstract: ALAN (artificial light at night) can give, if done adequately, a lot of benefits for human society, but it affects reproduction, navigation, foraging, habitat selection, communication, trophic and social interactions of the biota in the same time. Taking into account dramatic increase in light pollution of the night sky and night environment during the past decades, the creation of refugia where natural habitats are not influenced by ALAN is very important. We selected promising territories without, or with a low impact of, ALAN for the development of a VIDA (Very Important Dark Area) Network in Europe and the Caucasus region. 54 VIDAs within the borders of 30 countries were chosen, located in different biogeographic regions, at different altitudes, and in juxtaposition with protected areas. Special attention has been paid to sea and ocean islands, non-polluted by ALAN, as well as to large parts of European Russia and Kazakhstan where there is still a low level of light pollution. These places might be a basis for the protection of biodiversity from the consequences of ALAN, and they can also serve as key education centers for increasing the awareness of the problem of light pollution of the sky at night. Due to the fact that light propagates far away in the atmosphere, the protection of VIDAs can be obtained only if a strong anti-light pollution action is enforced also in the surrounding areas, at least 100 km from the borders of the VIDAs.
Keywords: Conservation; Skyglow; Alan; Caucasus; Europe; Light pollution; Protected areas; Very important dark area
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Shimomura, M., Yoshida, H., Fujiuchi, N., Ariizumi, T., Ezura, H., & Fukuda, N. (2020). Continuous blue lighting and elevated carbon dioxide concentration rapidly increase chlorogenic acid content in young lettuce plants. Scientia Horticulturae, 272, 109550.
Abstract: Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a strong antioxidant that potentially reduces oxidative damage in human cells. In this study, the effects of environmental factors such as photoperiod, light quality and intensity, and CO2 concentration on the growth and CGA content of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) were evaluated. CGA content in fresh lettuce increased under high light intensity treatments, doubling in concentration under 200 μmol m−2 s-1 compared to 100 μmol m−2 s-1. Elevated CO2 concentration also increased CGA content in fresh lettuce, quadrupling in concentration when grown at 1000 ppm compared to 400 ppm. Furthermore, there was a compound effect of light intensity and CO2 concentration whereby a light intensity level of 200 μmol m−2 s-1 and CO2 of 1000 ppm produced an even higher concentration of CGA, 199 mg per 100 g of fresh lettuce. Increased CGA concentration because of continuous lighting and elevated CO2 was observed under both fluorescent light and blue LED, but not under red LED treatment. Increased day length also induced higher CGA content in lettuce plants. These results show that continuous lighting, including blue spectrum and elevated CO2 concentration can cause higher CGA accumulation in lettuce plants. The observed increase in CGA content was induced only for 2 days after treatment was initiated. One possible interpretation of the data is that physiological stress caused by excess photosynthesis under continuous lighting results in higher CGA content to protect the plant body from high levels of reactive oxidative species. In addition, blue light and CO2 could be stimulus signals for inducing high CGA accumulation via metabolite changes.
Keywords: Plants
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Wu, Y., Gui, S. - Y., Fang, Y., Zhang, M., & Hu, C. - Y. (2021). Exposure to outdoor light at night and risk of breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Environ Pollut, 269, 116114.
Abstract: Recent epidemiological studies have explored effects of light at night (LAN) exposure on breast cancer, but reported inconsistent findings. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of available evidence regarding the association of LAN assessed by satellite data with breast cancer. We conducted a systematic PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE database literature search until August 2020. Random-effects meta-analysis was applied to synthesis risk estimates. Heterogeneity was measured using statistics of Cochran's Q, I(2), and Tau(2) (tau(2)). We assessed publication bias through funnel plot and Egger's test. Moreover, subgroup analyses according to study design and menopausal status were performed. Risk of bias (RoB) of each included study was assessed using a domain-based RoB assessment tool. The confidence in the body of evidence was appraised using the GRADE approach for level-of-evidence translation. A total of 1157 studies were identified referring to LAN and breast cancer, from which 6 were included for quantitative synthesis. We found a significantly higher odds of breast cancer in the highest versus the lowest category of LAN exposure (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.16; I(2) = 0.0%). In the subgroup analyses stratified by menopausal status and study design, significant association was found in postmenopausal women (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.00, 1.13) and cohort studies (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.18), while the summary estimates of premenopausal women and case-control studies showed no significance. The level of evidence for the association of LAN exposure and breast cancer risk was graded as “moderate” with “probably low” RoB according to the NTP/OHAT framework. In conclusion, this study suggests a link of LAN exposure with risk of breast cancer. Further high-quality prospective studies, especially performed in low-to middle-income countries with improvement in the area of LAN exposure assessment are needed to advance this field.
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Levy, O., Fernandes de Barros Marangoni, L., Cohen, J. I., Rottier, C., Béraud, E., Grover, R., et al. (2020). Artificial light at night (ALAN) alters the physiology and biochemistry of symbiotic reef building corals. Environmental Pollution, 266, 114987.
Abstract: Artificial Light at Night (ALAN), which is the alteration of natural light levels as the result of anthropogenic light sources, has been acknowledged as an important factor that alters the functioning of marine ecosystems. Using LEDs light to mimic ALAN, we studied the effect on the physiology (symbiont and chlorophyll contents, photosynthesis, respiration, pigment profile, skeletal growth, and oxidative stress responses) of two scleractinian coral species originating from the Red Sea. ALAN induced the photoinhibition of symbiont photosynthesis, as well as an overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an increase in oxidative damage to lipids in both coral species. The extent of the deleterious effects of ALAN on the symbiotic association and coral physiology was aligned with the severity of the oxidative stress condition experienced by the corals. The coral species Sylophora pistillata, which experienced a more severe oxidative stress condition than the other species tested, Turbinaria reniformis, also showed a more pronounced bleaching (loss of symbionts and chlorophyll content), enhanced photoinhibition and decreased photosynthetic rates. Findings of the present study further our knowledge on the biochemical mechanisms underpinning the deleterious impacts of ALAN on scleractinian corals, ultimately shedding light on the emerging threat of ALAN on coral reef ecology. Further, considering that global warming and light pollution will increase in the next few decades, future studies should be taken to elucidate the potential synergetic effects of ALAN and global climate change stressors.
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Yang, Y., Liu, Q., Wang, T., & Pan, J. (2020). Wavelength-specific artificial light disrupts molecular clock in avian species: A power-calibrated statistical approach. Environ Pollut, 265(Pt B), 114206.
Abstract: Nighttime lighting is an increasingly important anthropogenic environmental stress on plants and animals. Exposure to unnatural lighting environments may disrupt the circadian rhythm of organisms. However, the sample size of relevant studies, e.g. disruption of the molecular circadian clock by light pollution, was small (<10), which led to low statistical power and difficulties in replicating prior results. Here, we developed a power-calibrated statistical approach to overcome these weaknesses. The results showed that the effect size of 2.48 in clock genes expression induced by artificial light would ensure the reproducibility of the results as high as 80%. Long-wavelength light (560-660nm) entrained expressions of the positive core clock genes (e.g. cClock) and negative core clock genes (e.g. cCry1, cPer2) in robust circadian rhythmicity, whereas those clock genes were arrhythmic in short-wavelength light (380-480nm). Further, we found artificial light could entrain the transcriptional-translational feedback loop of the molecular clock in a wavelength-dependent manner. The expression of the positive core clock genes (cBmal1, cBmal2 and cClock), cAanat gene and melatonin were the highest in short-wavelength light and lowest in long-wavelength light. For the negative regulators of the molecular clock (cCry1, cCry2, cPer2 and cPer3), the expression of which was the highest in long-wavelength light and lowest in short-wavelength light. Our statistical approach opens new opportunities to understand and strengthen conclusions, comparing with the studies with small sample sizes. We also provide comprehensive insight into the effect of wavelength-specific artificial light on the circadian rhythm of the molecular clock in avian species. Especially, the global lighting is shifting from “yellow” sodium lamps, which is more like the long-wavelength light, toward short-wavelength light (blue light)-enriched “white” light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
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