Polarized light pollution, a current environmental pollution
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56617/tl.4084Keywords:
polarized light pollution, polarized light, polarization vision, ecological trapAbstract
The degradation of human views of the night sky in/near cities makes practically all astronomical observations impossible, which phenomenon is called ‘astronomical photopollution’. Ecological photopollution (EPP) has been defined as the degradation of the photic habitat by artificial light. In this review article we introduce the definition of polarized light pollution (PLP), meaning all adverse effects on polarotactic aquatic insects attracted by exactly or nearly horizontally polarized light reflected from smooth and dark artificial surfaces. PLP is a new kind of environmental effects, it is global and novel in an evolutionary sense. We review the experimental evidences of PLP, such as (i) trapping of aquatic insects by dark oil surfaces; (ii) dehydration of polarotactic insects attracted to black plastic sheets used in agriculture; (iii) egg-laying of polarotactic mayflies onto dry asphalt roads; (iv) attraction of aquatic insects to black, red or dark-coloured car paintwork; (v) deception of polarotactic dragonflies by shiny black gravestones; (vi) attraction of mass-swarming polarotactic caddis flies to glass surfaces. All such highly and horizontally polarizing artificial surfaces may act as polarized ecological traps for polarotactic insects, because these surfaces are inappropriate for the development of eggs laid by the deceived aquatic insects. The mortality associated with PLP may threaten populations of endangered aquatic insect species. We discuss possible benefits and/or disadvantages of predators (spiders, birds, bats) feeding on the polarotactic insects attracted to different sources of PLP. Several remedies of PLP are also suggested. PLP is mainly a byproduct of the human architectural, building, industrial and agricultural technology, and it may allow to function feeding webs composed of polarotactic insects and their predators.
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