The Light Pollution Research Group of the Departamento de Astrofísica y CC. de la Atmósfera de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid stated that Spain has the streets more illuminated in the EU. Therefore Spain is the country with more light pollution as shown by images taken from the space by satellites, and by the data from a report asked by the European Commission, as its has been published by these groups of researchers.

Spain holds the record in power consumption with 114-118 KWh/year per capita, while in France it is 77-90 KWh/year or in Germany it is 43-48 KWh/year by each inhabitant.

Furthermore the annual rise in public lighting expenses is 4.7% while the increase in the population is 0.7%. Paradoxically Spain is the most densely populated country by build area in the EU, therefore it should be less expensive to illuminate than other countries with more sparse population.

In fact, in the last years the increase in illumination in Spain has been located in new build-up areas like Murcia, and in other places with low density, where the light emission towards the sky has doubled or even tripled.

High levels of light pollution has been recently related to cancer as a consequence of chronic dream perturbations. Also light pollution promotes air pollution due to different chemicals reaction driven by streetlamps light. It is also well known the modification of the night ecosystem with overpopulation of mosquitoes and other insects, and the disappearance of birds, firefly, turtles and other animals.

Oficial press release: http://www.ucm.es/cont/descargas/documento36329.pdf

More information.

http://www.ucm.es/info/otri/cult_cient/infocientifica/noti_sept_09_03.htm

http://www.ucm.es/info/Astrof/users/jaz/CL/index.html

http://eprints.ucm.es/12281/

http://eprints.ucm.es/12284/

http://www.sea-astronomia.es/drupal/nixnox

Authors:

» Alejandro Sánchez de Miguel y prof. Jaime Zamorano

Departamento de Astrofísica y CC. De la Atmósfera

Facultad de Ciencias Físicas UCMUniversidad Complutense de Madrid

alejandrosanchezmiguelfis.ucm.es / jzamoranofis.ucm.es