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Light, sound pollutions affect citizens' health

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People cross the road near Gangnam Station in Seoul, where LED lights for outdoor advertising signs light up the district as if it were daytime. The threat of light pollution continues to grow as the demand for artificial lighting increases. Korea Times file
People cross the road near Gangnam Station in Seoul, where LED lights for outdoor advertising signs light up the district as if it were daytime. The threat of light pollution continues to grow as the demand for artificial lighting increases. Korea Times file

By Bahk Eun-ji

Kim Mi-ran, a 41-year-old resident in Mapo-gu, western Seoul, has recently suffered from loud music pouring out from amplifiers set up by a union staging a rally at a construction site near her apartment building, day and night.

Unable to sleep due to the noise, she and other residents reported it to police a couple of times, but officers could not force the unionists to turn the music off or lower the volume as long as it was played below the legally permitted decibel (dB) level for demonstrations, even at night.

"I want to respect the union's right to protest, but the loud music has been keeping me and my family from sleeping properly and this drives us crazy," Kim said.

"Without enough sleep, my daytime life has also become a mess, and I often go blank at work."

People living in modern populated metro areas are familiar with sensory irritations such as continuous light and noise pollution, which are often called an "environmental nuisance." Although not as extreme as music from amplifiers, they are disruptive, and interfere with their daily lives.

Noise pollution

According to the Korea Environment Corp, sound louder than 40 dB can disrupt sleeping and that over 50 dB can raise blood pressure. According to the World Health Organization, people with a constant exposure to sound over 85 dB can develop hearing problems.

In a study released by a research team led by otolaryngology prof. Cho Yang-sun of Samsung Seoul Medical Center, 21.9 percent out of 10,845 adults in Korea show hard-of-hearing symptoms. Cho pointed out that people working at places exposed to constant noise for more than eight hours daily such as construction sites, or those in close proximity to a busy road or highway, have a 1.28 times higher risk of developing hearing problems.

Besides hearing problems, noise also increases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and hypertension.

According to a research on 6,000 workers aged over 20, conducted by a British Columbia University research team and released last year, people who worked at noise places for more than 18 months had a three times or higher risk of angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, CHD and isolated diastolic hypertension, compared to those who worked at quiet places.

Light pollution

Light pollution, also known as photo pollution or luminous pollution, is caused by excessive, misdirected or invasive use of artificial outdoor lighting. Mismanaged lighting disrupts circadian rhythms and affects the environment, energy resources, wildlife and people. The threat of light pollution continues to grow as demand for artificial light increases.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG), complaints related to light pollution have soared over the last five year from 773 cases reported in 2013 to 2,577 cases in 2018.

Exposure to artificial light at night can also harm people's health. The human body is regulated by the rhythms of the natural light-dark cycle of day and night. The circadian rhythm is the physical, psychological and behavioral changes that occur in a 24-hour cycle, and the circadian clock regulates physiological activities such as brain wave and hormone production. The rhythm respond to light and darkness, but disrupting this rhythm can lead to various health problems.

A lack of deep sleep for a long time due to light pollution also weakens the immune system, raising the chance of contracting various illnesses.

According to a study by Lee Eun-il, a professor at the preventive medicine department of Korea University, of 102,459 breast cancer patients, 24.4 percent lived in regions with a high level of light pollution.

"Melatonin is secreted at night, and the hormone lowers the cancer rate," the study said. "Light restricts melatonin secretion and thus women could have a higher risk of getting breast cancer and in men, prostate cancer."

LED screens of smartphones, tablets and laptops do not pose a risk of eye damage because their luminosity is lower than other types of lighting, but using them at night in a dark setting disturbs biological rhythms and sleep patterns. Interfering with the body's circadian rhythm also aggravates metabolic disorders and could also cause diseases such as diabetes.

In a May report, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety warned that exposure to an intense and powerful LED light was "photo-toxic" and could lead to irreversible loss of retinal cells and diminished sharpness of vision.

"Such sensory bombardment is literally sensed by people's organs, namely the eyes, nose and ears, so the displeasure and the influence on the body can be more serious," Lee said.


Bahk Eun-ji ejb@koreatimes.co.kr


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