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Noise pollution, or sound pollution, is the propagation of noise or sound with ranging impacts on the activity of human or animal life, most of which are harmful to a degree. The source of outdoor noise worldwide is mainly caused by machines, transport and propagation systems.
Mar 6, 2024 · Noise pollution impacts millions of people on a daily basis. The most common health problem it causes is Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). Exposure to loud noise can also cause high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disturbances, and stress.
- Overview
- Measuring and perceiving loudness
- Effects on humans and wildlife
noise pollution, unwanted or excessive sound that can have deleterious effects on human health, wildlife, and environmental quality. Noise pollution is commonly generated inside many industrial facilities and some other workplaces, but it also comes from highway, railway, and airplane traffic and from outdoor construction activities.
Sound waves are vibrations of air molecules carried from a noise source to the ear. Sound is typically described in terms of the loudness (amplitude) and the pitch (frequency) of the wave. Loudness (also called sound pressure level, or SPL) is measured in logarithmic units called decibels (dB). The normal human ear can detect sounds that range between 0 dB (hearing threshold) and about 140 dB, with sounds between 120dB and 140 dB causing pain (pain threshold). The ambient SPL in a library is about 35 dB, while that inside a moving bus or subway train is roughly 85 dB; building construction activities can generate SPLs as high as 105 dB at the source. SPLs decrease with distance from the source.
The rate at which sound energy is transmitted, called sound intensity, is proportional to the square of the SPL. Because of the logarithmic nature of the decibel scale, an increase of 10 dB represents a 10-fold increase in sound intensity, an increase of 20 dB represents a 100-fold increase in intensity, a 30-dB increase represents a 1,000-fold increase in intensity, and so on. When sound intensity is doubled, on the other hand, the SPL increases by only 3 dB. For example, if a construction drill causes a noise level of about 90 dB, then two identical drills operating side by side will cause a noise level of 93 dB. On the other hand, when two sounds that differ by more than 15 dB in SPL are combined, the weaker sound is masked (or drowned out) by the louder sound. For example, if an 80-dB drill is operating next to a 95-dB dozer at a construction site, the combined SPL of those two sources will be measured as 95 dB; the less intense sound from the compressor will not be noticeable.
Frequency of a sound wave is expressed in cycles per second (cps), but hertz (Hz) is more commonly used (1 cps = 1 Hz). The human eardrum is a very sensitive organ with a large dynamic range, being able to detect sounds at frequencies as low as 20 Hz (a very low pitch) up to about 20,000 Hz (a very high pitch). The pitch of a human voice in normal conversation occurs at frequencies between 250 Hz and 2,000 Hz.
Precise measurement and scientific description of sound levels differ from most subjective human perceptions and opinions about sound. Subjective human responses to noise depend on both pitch and loudness. People with normal hearing generally perceive high-frequency sounds to be louder than low-frequency sounds of the same amplitude. For this reason, electronic sound-level meters used to measure noise levels take into account the variations of perceived loudness with pitch. Frequency filters in the meters serve to match meter readings with the sensitivity of the human ear and the relative loudness of various sounds. The so-called A-weighted filter, for example, is commonly used for measuring ambient community noise. SPL measurements made with this filter are expressed as A-weighted decibels, or dBA. Most people perceive and describe a 6- to 10-dBA increase in an SPL reading to be a doubling of “loudness.” Another system, the C-weighted (dBC) scale, is sometimes used for impact noise levels, such as gunfire, and tends to be more accurate than dBA for the perceived loudness of sounds with low frequency components.
Noise levels generally vary with time, so noise measurement data are reported as time-averaged values to express overall noise levels. There are several ways to do this. For example, the results of a set of repeated sound-level measurements may be reported as L90 = 75 dBA, meaning that the levels were equal to or higher than 75 dBA for 90 percent of the time. Another unit, called equivalent sound levels (Leq), can be used to express an average SPL over any period of interest, such as an eight-hour workday. (Leq is a logarithmic average rather than an arithmetic average, so loud events prevail in the overall result.) A unit called day-night sound level (DNL or Ldn) accounts for the fact that people are more sensitive to noise during the night, so a 10-dBA penalty is added to SPL values that are measured between 10 pm and 7 am. DNL measurements are very useful for describing overall community exposure to aircraft noise, for example.
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Noise is more than a mere nuisance. At certain levels and durations of exposure, it can cause physical damage to the eardrum and the sensitive hair cells of the inner ear and result in temporary or permanent hearing loss, known as noise-induced hearing loss. Hearing loss does not usually occur at SPLs below 80 dBA (eight-hour exposure levels are best kept below 85 dBA), but most people repeatedly exposed to more than 105 dBA will have permanent hearing loss to some extent. In addition to causing hearing loss, excessive noise exposure can raise blood pressure and pulse rates, cause irritability, anxiety, and mental fatigue, and interfere with sleep, recreation, and personal communication. Children living in areas with high levels of noise pollution may suffer from stress and other problems, such as impairments in memory and attention span. Noise pollution control is therefore important in the workplace and in the community.
Noise pollution also impacts wildlife. A wide range of animals, including insects, frogs, birds, and bats, rely on sound for a variety of reasons. Noise pollution can interfere with an animal’s ability to attract a mate, communicate, navigate, find food, or avoid predators and thus can even be an existential threat to vulnerable organisms. The problem of noise pollution is especially serious for marine animals, particularly those that rely on echolocation, such as certain whales and dolphins, and much of the world’s oceans are polluted with chaotic sounds from ships, seismic tests, and oil drills. Some of the loudest and most detrimental sounds in the sea are from naval sonar devices, whose noise can travel hundreds of miles through the water and is associated with mass strandings of whales and dolphins.
Jul 26, 2023 · Noise pollution is bad for humans and awful for wildlife. Here's what it is, how it affects animals, and how you can help.
For half a century, U.S. agencies such as the EPA have deemed noise pollution “a growing danger to the health and welfare of the Nation’s population.” The European Environmental Agency reports that noise ranks second only to air pollution as the environmental exposure most harmful to public health.
Aug 19, 2023 · As more research shows how noise pollution can have severely harmful impacts on our health, there is a growing movement looking for ways to make communities quieter and healthier.
Dec 22, 2020 · Noise pollution significantly impacts public health. Research suggests it can raise stress, affect mental health, and contribute to developing health issues such as high blood pressure.
