Gdańsk Tech architect in Science journal on nocturnal light pollution | Gdańsk University of Technology

This special issue of Science includes a section containing five articles focused on the problem of light pollution (cover story).

European and American experts were invited to cooperate on the article on nocturnal light exposure in urban environment, in the context of its effects on human health and the society by Karolina Zielińska-Dąbkowska. The co-authors of the article include: epidemiologist Prof. Eva Schernhammer (Medical University of Vienna, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health), whose research i.a. focuses on the influence of light exposure at night and chronic disease epidemiology, including the risk of cancer, and two neuroscientists: Prof. John P. Hanifin  and Prof. George C. Brainard (Thomas Jefferson University), who have been testing the influence of tunable LED light on astronauts on The International Space Station for NASA.

Other articles in this section of the journal are devoted to the impact of artificial light pollution on astronomy, the natural environment, light pollution measurements, or existing legal regulations in this area.

Synthesis of newest research and recommendations

In Science, Zielińska-Dąbkowska, Schernhammer, Hanifin and Brainard synthesize recent research on the effect of nocturnal light pollution on public health, and they present the state of current knowledge, identify critical areas for future research, and draw attention to recent policy steps (the issue was recently raised i.a. in the British Parliament), referring to, among others, the effects of light pollution on the energy crisis. The authors also propose corrective measures, including recommendations for the mitigation of lighting pollution in urban areas and improved management.

– Recent research indicates that when humans are exposed to excessive nocturnal light it can disrupt circadian rhythm, alter physiology, suppress melatonin secretion and impair sleep. There is a growing body of research that shows it may also increase the risk of chronic civilization diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, depression and many others – says Karolina Zielinska-Dąbkowska. – Researchers are approaching this topic more and more seriously, but as the authors point out in the article, additional environmental research is required to develop methods of preventing and managing artificial light pollution, and it’s also necessary to create guidelines for designers and the manufacturers of luminaires and light sources in order to make lighting more healthy and safe.

As emphasized by Karolina Zielińska-Dąbkowska, the recent publication addressing nocturnal light pollution in such a prestigious journal shows that public discussion on this pollutant is entering a new level, which can also be observed in research from the past five years, as well as a global increase in awareness of authorities and society in general.

Zielińska-Dąbkowska explains – The recent publication in Science, as well as my two earlier articles on this subject in Nature journal are particularly important because they show the need and value of interdisciplinary research, and they also highlight the fact that practicing architects have something important to say on an international forum. I hope that my work will contribute to a new perspective on Urban Architecture in Poland when it comes to obtaining grants for research. 

Read the article here

About Science

Science is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). It was founded in 1880 by Thomas Edison and since 1900, has been part of AAAS. The most important research results from various fields of science are published here, and the articles are among the most cited in the world. The British weekly Nature has a similar rank and impact factor. The article by Karolina Zielińska-Dąbkowska is the first publication affiliated with Gdańsk University of Technology. In the 1980s, Science published an article co-authored by Prof. Jan Pawlak (however, this was not affiliated with Gdańsk Tech).

Karolina Zielińska-Dąbkowska is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Architecture of Gdańsk University of Technology, where she graduated and obtained a PhD in technical sciences. Her scientific interests include interdisciplinary conditions of contemporary illumination projects, including limitations resulting from ecology, environmental protection, sustainable development, health and new technological possibilities. Her articles focused on these issues have been published, among others, in Nature journal ("Protect our right to light", “Make lighting healthier"). As a designer, she worked for world-renowned companies in Berlin, London, New York and Zurich, dealing with architectural illumination design (e.g. in such projects as: NATO headquarters in Brussels, the world's tallest building Burj Kalifa in Dubai, the Tribute in Light Memorial light installation in New York, and theexternal illumination of the new astoromical planetarium at the Royal Observatory Greenwich). She is a member of numerous organizations that gather architects and lighting designers around the world. She created the ROLAN (Responsible Outdoor Lighting at Night) movement, and organizes international conferences such as ROLAN 2022 which is dedicated to minimizing the effect of artificial light pollution on people and the environment, in collaboration with scientists and practitioners. She is the co-author of the ROLAN manifesto, which shows how this effect can be mitigated.

You can read more about the reasearch profile of Karolina Zielińska-Dąbkowska through Bridge of Knowledge.