Assessment of Light Environment on Antarctic Research Vessels and Investigation into Sleep and Mood of Expeditioners

Abstract:

To investigate the influence of sudden changes in light， temperature， humidity， wind speed， and other environmental factors on the physical and mental state of expedition members during a sea voyage to Antarctica lasting for several weeks， as well as the rules governing human adaptation to these changes， field measurements and sea voyage surveys were conducted on Xuelong and Xuelong 2. Subjective questionnaires were used to assess the light environment in different cabin spaces and the sleep and mood of expedition members in various stages of the voyage. A design strategy for the cabin light environment was then proposed. The findings indicate that the cabin spaces are affected by insufficient natural light and outdated， inadequately vivid colors. The sleep quality score of Xuelong members exhibits a gradual decline， while that of Xuelong 2 initially decreases but later increases. At the end of the voyage， the sleep quality score of Xuelong 2 is significantly higher than that of Xuelong （p<0.05）. The members on Xuelong primarily experiences sleep disturbances and irritability， whereas those on Xuelong 2 encounters motion sickness， loneliness， and nervousness. Approximately 83% of the members expressed a desire to incorporate colored lighting in the cabin. The analysis of the relationship between light environment and sleep and mood indicates that targeted optimization of cabin lighting can help to improve the quality of the living and working environment of the expedition members during the voyage.