Feb.19: ENVIRONMENT SNIPPETS
- Posted by CERC India
- Posted in FEBRUARY
Can LED lights cause mental illness?Â
Exposure to blue light
In recent years, sodium bulbs (the warmer, yellow ones) are increasingly being replaced with energy-saving LED bulbs which emit blue light. Apart from this, most of us are exposed to blue light through smartphones, computers, TVs, and other gadgets. There are growing concerns that LED lights may have a negative impact on mental health.
A study published in the World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, has raised concerns about the influence of blue light on sleep, other circadian-mediated symptoms, use of digital healthcare apps and devices, and the higher sensitivity of teenagers to blue light. The study links exposure to LED lighting to occurrence of manic symptoms in bipolar disorder.
Link to mania Â
How drugs are polluting water
Traces of chemicals
As the global population increases and income levels rise, drugs and chemical-based care products are more widely used. While pharmaceuticals are essential for human health, they pollute the freshwater sources – lakes, rivers and wetlands – which provide water for food, industry and for drinking purpose, according to www.unenvironment.org.
Drug manufacturing facilities are a major source of environmental pollution. Wastewater treatment plants mostly reduce solids and bacteria by oxidizing the water. They are not designed to filter and deal with complex chemical compounds. Hence, these chemicals, used to manufacture personal care products and drugs, seep into freshwater systems and into the oceans.
Health hazard  Â
Hot weather can slow down thinking
Sapping productivity
Hot weather can sap productivity by slowing down thinking, even in the young and healthy. According to researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, during a summer heat wave, students living in dorms without air conditioning scored lower on daily cognitive tests over a week as compared to students in buildings with AC. The students without AC had longer reaction times and lower accuracy.
The study was published online in PLOS Medicine as part of a special issue dedicated to climate change and health. It suggests that heat exposure causes sleep loss and dehydration. With climate change, and the increased duration of heat waves, there will be an increased impact on performance and learning, said the researchers.
Impact on learning
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