Light pollution is the consequence of elevated lighting emitted by human-made artefacts to the lower atmosphere. Recently, there have been major advances in the assessment and mitigation of light pollution impacts on humans and the natural ecosystems. Severe negative impacts of light pollution have been highlighted while very few mitigation measures have been implemented. People (scientists, policymakers or stakeholders) interested in light pollution may not have a holistic perspective of the problem, and also there is a need for incorporating social and natural dimensions. Therefore, the main goal of this paper is to review the literature on light pollution using ISI Web of Science by paying attention to the (i) type of publication, year and journal; (ii) impacts on specific elements; (iii) location and (iv) methods used. Our results indicated that the elevated number of papers come from a diverse range of disciplines, methods, places and scales. It is clear that light pollution is getting enough attention from the scientific community but decisions on the implementation of mitigation measures are left with the stakeholders, ordinary inhabitants, policymakers and politicians. Nevertheless, light pollution is having impacts on the health of humans and the natural ecosystem as perceived by experts and inhabitants having divergent perspectives. Thus, light pollution is multifaceted but difficult to be faced, mitigated and not holistically understood. This review paper groups the total impacts of light pollution on the Earth presents some contradictory results, summarises mitigation measures, and provides specific future research directions.
Near-to-nature stormwater management aims at replicating the quasi-natural local water balance and preserving the ecosystem's integrity of affected waters. Surface waters in the urban areas of Trier-Petrisberg are managed by a separate sewer system in conjunction with a complex retention system. To investigate the effect of this alternative rainwater management practice on the local water balance, a differentiated discharge and groundwater monitoring network with a high spatio-temporal measurement resolution has been implemented within the watershed. Additional information regarding the proportion and spatial distribution of discharge-generating surfaces was provided through visual interpretation of aerial photographs. As a result of this analysis, groundwater levels were found to not be significantly affected by an increase of local sealed surfaces, and the ecologically-justifiable maximum discharge in the tributary was infrequently exceeded. Regarding further building development and climate change, the hydrological load capacity of the retention basins will provide effective rainwater management, even with respect to increasing precipitation intensities and frequencies. Water Environ. Res., 84, 441 (2012).
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