Noise

Pollution
By definition, noise pollution takes place
when there is either excessive amount of
noise or an unpleasant sound that causes
temporary disruption in the natural
balance. This definition is usually
applicable to sounds or noises that are
unnatural in either their volume or their
production. Our environment is such that
it has become difficult to escape noise.
Even electrical appliances at home have a
constant hum or beeping sound. By and
large, lack of urban planning increases
the exposure to unwanted sounds. This is
why understanding noise pollution is
necessary to curb it in time.
The decibel (dB) is used to measure sound level, but it is also widely used in
electronics, signals and communication. The dB is a logarithmic way of describing a
ratio. The ratio may be power, sound pressure, voltage or intensity or several other
things. Later on we relate dB to the phon and the sone (related to loudness).
Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart
Here are some interesting numbers, collected from a variety of sources that help one to
understand the volume levels of various sources and how they can affect our hearing.

Environmental Noise
Loudest sound possible

194dB

Death of hearing tissue

180dB

12 Gauge Shotgun Blast

165dB

Even short term exposure can cause

permanent damage - Loudest recommended
exposure WITH hearing protection

140dB

Jet engine at 100'

140dB

Pain begins

125dB

Pneumatic riveter at 4'

125dB

Sandblasting, Loud Rock Concert

115dB

Power saw at 3'

110dB

Power mower at 3'

107dB

Snowmobile, Motorcycle

100dB

Hand Drill

98dB

Level at which sustained exposure may

result in hearing loss

90 - 95dB

Subway train at 200'

95dB

Jackhammer at 50'

95dB

Train whistle at 500', Truck Traffic

90dB

City Traffic (inside car)

85dB

Telephone dial tone

80dB

Normal conversation at 3'

60-65dB

Whisper Quiet Library at 6'

30dB

Weakest sound Heard

0dB

Statistics for the Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart were taken from a study by
Marshall Chasin , M.Sc., Aud(C), FAAA, Centre for Human Performance & Health,
Ontario, Canada. There were some conflicting readings and, in many cases, authors did
not specify at what distance the readings were taken or what the musician was actually
playing. In general, when there were several readings, the higher one was chosen.
Law for the Prevention, Suppression and limitation of harmful and upset noise of
Noise Pollution (Law 287-04)
It seeks to regulate the control of harmful and annoying noises and its regulations
establish the maximum permissible limits for each case, which will be defined
according to its intensity by various technical parameters:
Art. 1. Regulates prohibitions, sanctions, control and exceptions to the emission of
harmful and annoying noises.

Art. 2. It is prohibited in urban areas of the Dominican Republic, and therefore its
susceptible to suspension and compensation for damages, the production of any harmful
or annoying noises whatever it is originated for and wherever they occur.
Art. 3. The executive power regulates the allowed noise decibels.
Art. 4- Any person with a legitimate interest that considers a noise as harmful or
annoying can request the suspension with the competent authority, which must act
immediately.
Art. 5. They are also susceptible to be suspended, those noise that for their nature, type,
duration or persistence can also cause damage to health and / or tranquility of people or
the population in general.
The Act 287-04 consists of ten items, which regulates all that concerns to the production
of noise.

Effects of noise pollution on parties, industries, airports and train

stations:
Social Events (parties): Noise is at its
peak in most of the social events.
Whether it is marriage, parties, pub, disc
or place of worship, people normally
flout rules set by the local administration
and create nuisance in the area. People
play songs on full volume and dance till
midnight which makes the condition of
people living nearby pretty worse. In
markets, you can see people selling
clothes via making loud noise to attract
the attention of people.
Those working in clubs, bars, and other places of entertainment are also at risk. It is
well known that rock musicians frequently have noise-induced hearing loss. Apart from
the musicians themselves, employees of music clubs, where noise frequently exceeds
safe levels, are at risk. Thus, nearly a third of students who worked part time (bar staff
or security staff) in a university entertainment venue were found to have permanent
hearing loss of more than 30 dB.
Effects on Industry: No environmental factor has caused so much confusion regarding
its effect on workers efficiency and health as industrial noise. Its effect on audition is
well recognized. Mechanics, locomotive drivers, telephone operators etc., all have their
hearing impairment as a result of noise at the workshops. Continuous exposure to the
higher level of noise causes permanent hearing loss.

Most of the industries use big machines which are

capable of producing large amount of noise. Apart
from that, various equipments like compressors,
generators, exhaust fans, grinding mills also
participate in producing big noise. Therefore, you
must have seen workers in these factories and
industries wearing ear plugs to minimize the effect
of noise.
Aviation noise: is an unwanted
sound generated by aircraft, and it is
a serious and growing problem.
Many people regularly hear aircraft
noise. Those living near civil and
military airports are severely affected
by take off and landing noise. The
impact is greatest near the perimeter
of the airport and below flight paths.
Measures introduced to reduce noise
include Noise Preferential Routes
and restrictions on night flying. Maximum noise limits for departing aircraft are set and
monitored and noise insulation schemes operate. Noise from aircraft on the ground is
the responsibility of the airport management company. To comply with the EU
Environmental Noise Directive, operators of airports with over 50,000 movements a
year are responsible for drawing up Noise Action Plans by 18th July 2008. The World
Health Organization has expressed concern about the impact of aviation on human
health. Long term (5-30 years) exposure to air traffic noise levels averaging 65 to 75
decibels increases blood pressure and the risk of hypertension. Sleep disturbance leads
to fatigue, hypertension, greater risk of heart and respiratory problems, poor
concentration in work and school, increased risk of accidents, depression, anxiety and
higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse.

Effects on railways (trains): According to

reports from the Member States compiled by
the European Environment Agency (EEA) in
2010, the railway noise affects approximately
twelve million EU citizens during the day,
with exposure above 55 dB (A) noise, and
approximately nine million overnight, with a
higher noise exposure50 dB (A). In fact, we do
not doubt that the actual figures are higher,
since the European initiative for the noise
maps of EEA focuses on agglomerations more than 250 000 inhabitants and major
railway lines 60000 trains per year. The railway noise problem is concentrated in central
Europe, where lives the most citizens affected and where the volume of freight rail is
greater (primarily Germany, Italy and Switzerland, although traffic density It also is
high in Poland, Austria, the Netherlands and France, and the noise maps indicate that
large parts of the population affected in Belgium and Luxembourg).
Construction Activities: Under construction activities like mining,
construction of bridges, dams, buildings, stations, roads, flyovers take place in almost
every part of the world. These construction activities take place everyday as we need
more buildings, bridges to accommodate more people and to reduce traffic congestion.
The down point is that these construction equipments are too noisy.

Sources of noise pollution

Industrial revolution has substantially contributed to noise pollution in the urban areas.
There are several sources of noise pollution that contribute to both indoor and outdoor
noise pollution. Noise pollution is caused by vehicles, loudspeakers, electric generators,
television, transistor, telephone, bands, sirens, vacuum cleaner, washing machines, food
mixers, pressure cookers, fans, air conditioners, coolers, crackers and different types of
machines. Mining operations, use of bulldozers, dynamites to break rocks and drillers
are other important source of noise pollution. There are three kinds of noise (i)
intermittent noise or non-uniform noise (ii) continuous or uniform noise; and (iii)
instantaneous or impulsive noise which include the noise caused by explosions, gun
shots, thunder etc. The first two are quite annoying and fatiguing causing serious health
hazards.

Noise has been a source of discontent ever

since people began living together in
communities. In the Greek city of Sybarels
in about 700BC the authorities required that
potters and tin-smiths should carry out their
business outside the city wall because of the
noise they made. In 1713 Ramazini, the
father of occupational medicine described in
De Morbis Artificum how those engaged
in hammering copper became hard of
hearing and if they grew old at this work, completely deaf. The industrial revolution in
the 18th century brought noise pollution. Later in 19th century industrial deafness from
impact noise became more common and was known as Boilermakers disease.
Here we present some home, industries, repair shop, service centers electronic
equipments noise source and their level of decibels:
Noise Source

I Sound Level

NRR Needed

Time Allowed

Airboat

1O8dBA

30

2minutes

Band Saw

104 dBA

26

6 minutes

Blender

91 dBA

13

2 hours

LB1ower

99 dBA

21

19 minutes

Concrete Saw

112 dBA

34

1 minute

Chain Saw

110 dBA

Combine Operator

95 dBA

17

48 minutes

Compressed Air

92 dBA

14

1 hr. 35 minutes

Edger

86 dBA

6hrs.2Ominutes

Fire Alarms

95 dBA

17

48 Minutes

Front End Loader

95 dBA

17

48 minutes

HedqeTrimmer

1O3dBA

25

71/2minutes

Juice Extractor

86 dBA

Miter Saw

109 dBA

31

2 minutes

Plant Tissue Grinder

90 dBA

12

2 hrs. 30 minutes

Pneumatic Staking

103 dBA

25

71/2 minutes

Pressure Washer

100 dBA

22

15 minutes

1 1/2 minutes

6 hrs. 20 minutes

Radial Arm Saw

103 dBA

25

71/2 minutes

Riding Lawn Mower

9OdBA

12

I2hrs.3Ominutes

Sprayer, 1,000 gal.

101 dBA

23

Tablesaw

93dBA

15

1 hr. 16 minutes

Tractor

92 dBA

1 hr 35 minutes

Vacuum

87dBA

5 hours

Weedeater

96 dBA

18

38 minutes

Noise Levels of Average

Sounds
Area

Device

dBA

Sounds of Quiet

Grand Canyon at Night (no

roads, birds, wind)

10

Sounds of Quiet

Breathing

11

Sounds of Quiet

Quiet Basement w/o

Mechanical Equipment

20

Sounds of Quiet

Quiet Room

Sounds of Quiet

Typical Living Room

40

Communication

Whisper

30

Communication

Normal Conversation

55-65

Communication

Normal Conversation

60

Communication

Shouted Conversation

90

Communication

Baby Crying

28-33

110

Home/Office

Computer

37-45

Home/Office

Refrigerator

40-43

Home/Office

Quiet Office/Library

Home/Office

Forced Hot Air Heating

System

42-52

Home/Office

Radio Playing in
Background

45-50

Home/Office

Background Music

50

Home/Office

Large Office

50

Home/Office

Electric Toothbrush

50-60

Home/Office

Washing Machine

50-75

Home/Office

Air Conditioner

50-75

Home/Office

Electric Shaver

50-80

Home/Office

Bathroom Exhaust Fan

54-55

Home/Office

Coffee Percolator

Home/Office

Dishwasher

55-70

Home/Office

Microwave

55-59

Home/Office

Clothes Dryer

56-58

Home/Office

Printer

58-65

Home/Office

Sewing Machine

Home/Office

Window Fan on High

60-66

Home/Office

Alarm Clock

60-80

Home/Office

Dishwasher

63-66

Home/Office

Clothes Washer

65-70

Home/Office

Phone

66-75

Home/Office

Handheld Electronic Games

68-76

Home/Office

Kitchen Exhaust Fan, High

69-71

Home/Office

Vacuum Cleaner

40

55

60

70

Home/Office

TV Audio

70

Home/Office

Flush Toilet

75-85

Home/Office

Garbage Disposal

76-95

Home/Office

Air Popcorn Popper

78-85

Home/Office

Ringing Telephone

80

Home/Office

Doorbell

80

Home/Office

Pop Up Toaster

80

Home/Office

Whistling Kettle

80

Home/Office

Food Mixer

80-90

Home/Office

Blender

80-90

Home/Office

Hairdryer

80-95

Home/Office

Electric Can Opener

81-83

Home/Office

Vacuum Cleaner

84-89

Home/Office

Coffee Grinder

84-95

Home/Office

Electric Razor

85

Home/Office

Handheld Electric Mixer

Home/Office

Food Processor

Home/Office

Woodworking Class

Home/Office

Maximum Output of Stereo

100-110

Home/Office

Squeaky Toy - Close to Ear

110 - 135

Miliary

Rocket Launching from Pad

180

Military

Air Raid

130

Military

Artillery Fire at 400 Feet

150

Military

Rifle

163

Military

Handgun

166

86-91
93-100
100

Military

Shotgun

170

Recreation

Noisy Restaurant

Recreation

School Dance

100

Recreation

Boom Box

100

Recreation

Disco

110

Recreation

Busy Video Arcade

110

Recreation

Symphony Concert

110

Recreation

Rock Concert

Recreation

Personal Cassette Player on

High

112

Recreation

Football Game (Stadium)

117

Recreation

Band Concert

120

Recreation

Auto Stereo (Factory

Installed)

125

Recreation

Stock Car Races

130

Recreation

Percussion Section at
Symphony

130

Recreation

Firecracker

150

Recreation

Firecracker

150

Recreation

Capgun

156

Recreation

Baloon Pop

157

Recreation

Fireworks at 3 Feet

162

Tool

power lawn mower

65-90

Tool

Manual Machine Tools

80

Tool

Handsaw

85

85

110-120

Tool

Lawn Mower

88-94

Tool

Tractor

Tool

Air Compressor

90-93

Tool

1/4" Drill

92-95

Tool

Avg. Electric Drills

Tool

Weed Whacker

Tool

Leaf Blower

Tool

Garbage Truck

100

Tool

Factory Machinery

100

Tool

Circular Saw

100-104

Tool

Snow Blower

105

Tool

Leaf Blower

110

Tool

Thunder Clap - Near

120

Tool

Chan Saw

120

Tool

Hammer on Nail

120

Tool

Pneumatic Drills

120

Tool

Heavy Machine Equipment

120

Travel

Car Horn

110

Travel

Inside Car, Windows

Closed, 30 MPH

Travel

Freeway Traffic

Travel

Inside Car, Windows Open,

30 MPH

Travel

Avg. City Traffic Noise

80

Travel

Heavy Traffic

85

Travel

Truck

90

Travel

Subway

90-115

Travel

Motorcycle

95-110

90

95
94-96
95-105

68-73
70
72-76

Travel

Snowmobile

100

Travel

Ambulance Siren

120

Travel

Jet Plane at Ramp

120

Travel

Airplane Taking Off

140

Travel

Bicycle Horn

143

Travel

Jet Engine Taking Off

150

Motor vehicle noise

The Environment Protection
Authority (EPA) administers
the Protection
of
the
Environment (Noise
Control) Regulation
2008 (Noise
Control
Regulation) which, among
other things, controls noise
from motor vehicles and motor
vehicle accessories.

By state regulation, motor vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds that are
manufactured after January 1, 1979 cannot exceed noise levels of 81 decibels (dB) when
travelling more than 35 mph on a paved street or highway.
Some of the key requirements of the Noise Control Regulation for which on-the-spot
fines may be issued are:

Noise levels from exhaust systems of vehicles being used on roads or roadrelated areas must not exceed specified maximum noise levels.
Engines of vehicles being used on roads or road-related areas must not be louder
than when originally manufactured.
Noise control equipment on motor vehicles being used on roads or road-related
areas must not be defective and be securely in place.

A person must not modify a vehicle so that its exhaust system exceeds the
specified maximum noise level or its engine is louder than when originally
manufactured.
Noise from vehicle sound systems must not be offensive.
Motor vehicle intruder alarms must not sound for longer than permitted times.
Noise from vehicle refrigeration units must not be audible within residences at
night.
Noise levels from motor vehicles used off-road must not be offensive.
Maximum on-the-spot fines under the Noise Control Regulation for a motor vehicle
exceeding the specified noise levels are $500 for an individual and $1000 for a
corporation. The maximum court penalties that may be imposed when on-the-spot fines
are court-elected or are applied to repeat offenders are $16,500 for individuals and
$33,000 for corporations.
Bad use of cars horns
Inappropriate use of the car
horn is dangerous and can
distract

other

potentially

drivers,

leading

to

accidents. Its also important

to

consider

other

peoples

circumstances. Sounding your

horn in built-up areas can
affect people who are sleeping
during the day due to sickness
or due to working unsociable
hours.

Never sound your horn aggressively. Even if you are not at fault and a pedestrian
or other road user acts dangerously, you must sound your horn only to alert them of
your presence.

Sounding the horn in anger, often after the event has occurred is in fact illegal and can
see a motorist fined. Other circumstances where you MUST NOT use your horn

While stationary on the road

When driving in a built-up area between the hours of 11.30 pm and 7.00 am
except when another road user poses a danger.

At 118 decibels, it is equivalent to a thunderclap.

And yet, the shopkeeper explained, drivers come especially to replace their in-built
horns with these much louder ones.
"People here just will not move out of the way unless you have a really loud horn," he
said.
Honking is illegal near schools, hospitals and at intersections in Delhi but hardly anyone
complies.
As a result noise pollution has become so intense it is having a measurable impact on
people's health.
A recent study showed not only is it affecting school children and hospital patients; it is
contributing to increased stress and heart disease, and causing the onset of age-related
deafness 15 years earlier than normal.
Environmental noise is caused by industry and traffic. Domestic neighbors and
public entertainment venues can create a noise nuisance.
Noise is categorized as:

occupational unwanted sound in the workplace, indoors or outdoors caused by

activity in the workplace

community unwanted sound outside the workplace can be indoors or outdoors,

caused by sources you cannot control and includes noise caused by neighbors

consumer products unwanted sound from a device or product which you use
and may have some control over
When you want to complain about noise, you need to identify the source and find
out if there is an organization responsible for investigating the noise source.
There are various noise sources:

industrial

noise

includes

agriculture,
manufacturing
businesses and workshops

commercial and leisure noise

includes entertainment, sports and
leisure, petrol stations, car
washes, fast food outlets, bars,
restaurants,
offices,
security
alarms

domestic noise includes home

entertainment such as loud music and television, parties, animal noise, shouting, home
security alarms

construction noise includes building, demolition and road works

transport noise includes road traffic, railways, domestic air traffic, military
aircraft, delivery vehicles, vehicle alarms

street noise includes loudspeakers, ice cream van chimes, street traders,
performers and public addresses
District councils have authority to investigate:

commercial and leisure noise

domestic noise

street noise

construction noise at demolition sites, building sites and quarries

District councils and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency can investigate
complaints about industrial noise from different types of premises. There are different
organizations responsible for complaints about traffic and transport.
Effects of Noise Pollution on Your Health
Unfortunately, being exposed to noise pollution can have some serious effects on your
health. The effects can worsen if your exposure to the noise pollution is something that
you deal with regularly or even daily. Below are some of the most common health
effects associated with noise pollution:

Headaches and migraines: The most common short-term effect of noise

pollution is a headache or migraine. The constant annoyance of noises can often lead to
painful headaches, which can make focusing difficult for some people. In the case of
migraines, people may also experience sensitivity to light or nausea as well.

Stress: A potential short- or long-term effect of noise pollution is stress. Some

studies suggest that noise pollution coming from neighbors homes tends to be one of
the biggest causes of noise pollution-related stress.

Hearing loss: Over time, some people experience hearing loss as a result of
noise pollution. The loss of hearing occurs when structures of the inner ear are
damaged, which could occur once noises reach or exceed about 85 decibels.

Loss of sleep: As mentioned above, noise pollution above 45 decibels wakes up

most people, while light sleepers could be affected by noises at lower decibel levels. A
loss of sleep can lead to a wide range of health conditions, including exhaustion,
irritability, and loss of focus or even a weakened immune system.

Hypertension: In many cases, regular exposure to noise pollution has been

shown to elevate blood pressure levels. This type of hypertension could be due to the
adrenaline of being annoyed at the noises being heard or with stress associated with
being constantly interrupted in whatever a person is doing, whether it is work or sleep.

Stroke: Those who are exposed to road traffic regularly often display an
increased risk of stroke. This was especially more apparent in individuals over the age
of 65.

Child development: Studies over the past several decades have shown as
association with slowed mental and/or physical development in children. The cases
reported in these studies typically involve children who live in homes near airports or
other especially loud locations.
What part of the ear is the most suffering to the noise?
First we should clarify that the ear is formed
by the outer ear (the ear and ear canal),
middle ear (the eardrum and three tiny
bones) and the inner ear. The inner ear is
shaped like a snail, and inside there are very
tiny cells called hair cells (in a fit millimeter
500 of them). They are primarily responsible
for us to hear what we hear. But being so
small they are very delicate, and loud noises
destroy them.
What can be done to combat the noise?
The possibilities depend on the type of noise you want to fight. If a noise referred to in
any regulation (for example excessive noise from a neighbor), you can make a
complaint and demand that the regulation is enforced. Other types of noise such as
traffic can only be corrected with prevention. For example, public education campaigns
that teaches drivers to drive less noise making, to have the vehicle in good condition,

not
honk
unnecessarily.

or

accelerate

There are several steps you can

take to try to limit your exposure
to noise pollution, including:

Using a white noise machine

Inserting ear plugs when going to
sleep
Moving to a new city or
neighborhood
Lobbying for local noise

ordinances
Discussing noise disturbances with your neighbors
In addition to these steps, several governmental regulations have been put in place to try
to reduce noise pollution. For example, there are environmental noise regulations in
place to limit outdoor noise levels, and some neighborhoods may even have a specific
quiet zone order in place. Additionally, some areas have tried to limit noise pollution
by putting up noise barriers next to places like highways and airports, and many
automakers are looking for ways to make quieter vehicles. While these steps do help,
they may not fully limit the effects of noise pollution.
What is the sound hygiene?
It is a series of individual and social measures for protection against noise. Among
them they are: how to recognize hazardous noise, know how to protect against these
noises, avoid making unnecessary noise and respect the right of others to a comfortable
noise.
What is the sound environment?
The set of sounds that reaches our ears in a given place and time.
What are the harmful effects of noise pollution?
1. It interferes with speech. In the presence of noise we may not able to follow, what the
other person is saying.
2. Noise leads to emotional and behavioral stress. A person may feel disturbed in the
presence of loud noise such as produced by heating of drums.
3. Noise may permanently damage hearing. A sudden loud noise can cause severe
damage to the eardrum.
4. Noise increases the chances of occurrence of diseases such as headache, blood
pressure, heart failure, etc.
5. Noise leads to increased heart beat, constriction of blood vessels and dilation of pupil.

6. Noise is a problem especially for patients who need rest.

7. Noise may cause damage to liver, brain and heart.
For some people working in Industry, noise could be a problem.
For some people living in some neighborhood where people party a lot, like college
students, noise could be a problem too.
Some people listen to music with amplifiers and big boom-boxes at a very high volume,
and noise could be a problem too.
It is scientifically known that frequent and long use of headphones at a loud volume for
a prolonged period of time could affect one's hearing.

Behavioral Effects:
Noise pollution lowers down the hearing capabilities of an individual, in turn, results in
poor attention and concentration, nervousness etc.
Emotional and Personal Logical Effects:
It is observed that people suffering from hypertension, insomnia, fatigue, blood pressure
and deafness show symptoms of living in noise polluted areas. Continuous exposure to
high noise level is likely to cause stable reactions in the individuals and thus disturbing
his personality make up.
Pathological Effects:
High frequencies sound above the normal audible range (Ultrasonic sound, whose
frequency is above 20,000 Hz) can affect the semi-circular canals of the inner ear and
make one suffer from, excessive fatigue, and headaches vomiting.
On the other hand, low frequency sound below the normal audible range (Infra-sound,
whose frequency is less than 16 Hz) can cause dizziness, nervous fatigue, nausea and
loss of balance, at higher intensities, infrasound can produce resonance in the internal
body organs of a person giving the effects of reduced heart beat, variations in blood
pressure, breathing difficulties and possibly death.
Pregnancy:
It has been observed that there are increased incidences of birth defects, still births and
unusually low weight among children born to mothers living near high noise producing
sources, such as airports, blasts sites etc.
Noise Pollution and Children in the Child Care Setting

 Studies show that children in classrooms who are exposed to noise pollution
experience reading delays.
Children exposed to noise pollution learn to tune out not only noise but also the
teachers voice, which can harm their reading and language skills.
Children have more difficulty understanding spoken language and distinguishing the
sounds of speech when learning in a noisy environment.
Children from noisier areas have higher resting blood pressure and higher stress levels.
Children develop better concentration skills in a quiet environment.
The physiological manifestations of noise pollution are several as mentioned below:
A. Headache by dilating blood vessels of the brain.
B. Increase in the rate of heart-beat.
C. Narrowing of arteries.
D. Fluctuations in the arterial blood pressure by increasing the level of cholesterol
in the blood.
E. Decrease in heart output.
F. Digestive spasms through anxiety and dilation of the pupil of the eye, thereby
causing eye-strain.
G. Impairment of night vision.
H. Decrease in the rate of color perception.
I. Lowering of concentration and affect on memory,
J. Muscular strain and nervous breakdown.