Amphibians and Light

In 1995, a news item on complex mutations in American frogs caused by industrial pollution first surfaced. As anthropogenic activities have caused more biological change in frogs, examples include how the herbicide atrazine was discovered to alter frog genders (famously described as the chemicals "making the frogs gay"). It turns out that humans haven't just been using chemical weapons inadvertently on frogs. Massive psychological assaults have also occurred only as a result of our outside lighting.

French scientists conducted a study on 36 toads, and it was released in February 2019 in Conversation Physiology. It was discovered that nocturnal toads were so confused about whether it was day or night that the presence of artificial light from a street lamp or outside lighting for a company would impact their metabolism, oxygen intake, and activity.

Lights that are bright enough to reach 20 lux (roughly one-fifth of what is regarded as safe lighting for a warehouse during work hours) may cause amphibians to become fatally undernourished or, at the very least, reduce their levels of activity to the point where they are unable to grow as they should. But, it is an issue for local ecosystems. Nightlife establishments probably don't want to go out of business, and transportation officials don't want to dramatically increase traffic accidents to protect toads from becoming confused.