Noise pollution

What is noise pollution?

Noise pollution (or environmental noise) is displeasing human, animal or machine-created sound that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life.

 The source of most outdoor noise worldwide is mainly construction and transportation systems, including motor vehicle noise, aircraft noise and rail noise. Poor urban planning may give rise to noise pollution, since side-by-side industrial and residential buildings can result in noise pollution in the residential area.

Souces of noise pollution.

Industrial Commercial Social Cultural Transportation

.Industrial Noise

Industrial Noise refers to noise that is created in the factories which is jarring and unbearable. Sound becomes noise only it becomes unwanted and when it becomes more than that it is referred to as "noise pollution". Heavy industries like shipbuilding and iron and steel have long been associated with Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL).

-Industrial and commercial noise pollution.

This is posing to be a big challenge with very passing day and is a threat to safety and health of the people who are working in the industry and common people as well. It has been scientifically proved that noise more than 85 decibels can cause hearing impairment and does not meet the standards set for healthy working environment. Industrial Noise resulting to noise pollution has many reasons such as industries being close to human habitats which prevents the noise from decaying before it reaches human ear.

Effects of industrial noise pollution

It has already been stated that continuous exposure to noise pollution leads to hearing impairment but it has various other effects as well which are as follows:
It can result into increase in blood pressure Increased stress Fatigue Stomach ulcers vertigo Headaches. Sleep disturbance Annoyance Speech Problems Dysgraphia, which means writing learning impairment Aggression Anxiety Withdrawal

Road Transportation Noise Road accounts for approximately 70% of total noise emissions by transportation. It must be noted that different road transportation modes have different scales of noise emissions. Main sources of noise come from the engine and the friction of the wheels over the road surface. Further, travel speed and the intensity of traffic are directly linked with its intensity of noise. For instance, one truck moving at 90 km/hr makes as much noise as 28 cars moving at the same speed.

 Ambient noise is a frequent result of road transportation in urban areas. The addition of all the noise generated by cars, trucks and buses creates a permanent ambient noise (ranging from 45 to 65 db) that impairs the quality of life in urban areas and thus the property values of residences. Nearby road arterials, ambient noise is replaced by direct noise and vibrations. The acoustics created by the surrounding environment (hills, buildings, trees, open space, etc.) alleviate or worsen local conditions.
Noise level grows arithmetically with speed. For instance a car traveling at 20 km/hr emits 55 db of rolling noise, at 40 km/hr 65 db, at 80 km/hr 75 db and at 100 km/hr 80 db. Available evidence underlines that around 45% of the population in developed countries live in high levels of noise intensity (over 55 db) generated by road transportation. Along major highway arterials in inter-urban areas, noise emissions are likely to alter the living environment of wildlife species.

Rail Transportation Noise

Rail accounts for 10% of total noise emissions by transportation. Noise comes from the engine (mostly diesel), the friction of wheels over the rails, and whistle blowing. Furthermore, when trains are moving at high speed, aeroacoustic (a branch of acoustics that studies noise generation via either turbulent fluid motion or aerodynamic forces interacting with surfaces) noise becomes more important than other sources. Depending of the train aerodynamics, noise emissions are from 50 to 80 times the logarithm of train speed and become significant at speeds higher than 200 km/hr.

 When rail / truck transshipment is involved, the convergence of trucks towards rail yards provides an additional source of noise related to rail transportation activities. Around 3% of the population may be exposed to high noise levels from rail transportation in OECD countries. The level of exposure is obviously related to the importance and location of rail transportation infrastructure. The most important noise impacts of rail operations are in urban areas where the majority transshipment functions are performed. Furthermore, rail terminals are often located in the central and high density areas of cities.

Air Transportation Noise

Air transportation accounts for 20% of total noise emissions by transportation. As air transportation took a growing importance in inter-city transportation and that jet engines were predominantly used, noise emissions have increased significantly to the point of becoming a major concern near airports.

 Noise comes from the jet engine, the aerodynamic friction and ground craft operations. Even if the turbofan is the least noisy jet propulsion technology available, aircrafts are an acute source of noise in several urban areas. Noise from aircraft operation is known to have direct impact on property values around airports. This effect is distributed along major approach and take off lanes.
The establishment of heavily used flight paths between major cities creates noise corridors where ambient noise is almost prevalent. This is particularly noted when those corridors are over densely populated areas.

Intensity measurements and monitoring

The loudness of noise is measured by decibels (db). Decibel scales are logarithmic rather than linear. Thus, the change from 40 db (a library) to 80 db (a dishwasher or garbage disposal) represents a tenthousandfold increase in sound loudness. The frequency or pitch of a sound is also a factor in determining its degree of harm. High pitched sounds are the most annoying. The most common sound pressure scale for high pitched sounds is the A scale, whose units are written dbA. Hearing loss begins with prolonged exposure (eight hours or more per day) to 80 or 90 dbA levels of sound pressure. Sound pressure becomes painful at around 140 dbA and can kill at 180 dbA.

Intensity of noise
Sound of source Intensity in decibels

Jet craft at take off Pain occurs Hydraulic pressure Jet airplane (160m overhead) Unmuffled motorcycle Subway train Farm tractor Gasoline lawnmower Food blender Heavy truck (15m away) Heavy city traffic Vaccum cleaner Hearing loss after long exposure Garbage disposal unit Diswasher Window air conditioner Normal speech

145 140 130 120 110 100 98 96 93 90 90 85 85 80 65 60 60

Impacts of noise pollution

PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECT

If sound waves consist of regular vibrations it is often judged to be pleasing, whereas random wave forms are experienced as noise. Excessive noise results in hearing becoming dull and decreased hearing sensitivity. This effect is at first temporary and should the person remain in a quiet environment their hearing soon recovers. Exposure to very loud noise or repeated exposure to more moderate noise may result in permanent hearing loss. Induced hearing loss can be prevented but can never be cured. The danger is that a person may not perceive the noise to be a problem, but may already have experienced hearing loss.

PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Noise can create a stress response in humans, affecting the endocrine, nervous, digestive, and cardiovascular systems. Adaptation and habituation can occur, but prolonged exposure may lead to any of the diseases of adaptation, including digestive and cardiovascular problems (Veitch, 1995). Noise that affects feelings and reactions has a psychological effect on humans. This normally occurs at noise levels that do not cause a physical effect. Annoyance, stress and hypertension are symptoms of the psychological impacts of noise pollution.

COMMUNICATION

Noise levels interfere dramatically with communication that may often lead to a loss in productivity.

TIREDNESS AND HEADACHES

Tiredness and headache can often be traced back to exposure to continuous unpleasant noise levels.

OCCUPATIONAL NOISE

This can result in tiredness, headaches, reduced productivity, and in severe cases can result in prolonged hearing loss. The effect however is related to factors such as the loudness, pitch, predictability, and controllability of the noise as well as the age, gender and exposure duration of the person affected (Veitch, 1995).