What is noise pollution?
Noise pollution is the spread of unwanted sound in the environment which causes damage to the ear or auditory nervous system. Moreover, According to the World Health Organization (WHO)– “Noise pollution is excessive noise that results in serious adverse effects on human health and the health and well-being of other organisms and interferes with people’s daily activities,”
Furthermore, Noise pollution is a harmful and widespread problem that affects people all over the world. This can cause physical, cognitive and psychological effects. The most damaging effect of noise pollution is its effect on hearing.
One of the effects of noise pollution – exposure to loud noises can cause hearing damage related to temporary or permanent hearing loss.
Sources of noise pollution:
Noise pollution occurs in various ways. Noise pollution results in pollutants entering the environment and causing unwanted effects.
Top Sources of Noise Pollution:
Road Traffic Noise: Traffic noise pollution is widespread especially in big and crowded cities. Its main sources are engines and exhaust systems of automobiles, emergency sirens, horns of autos, small trucks, buses and motorcycles. This is affected by noise pollution including the general hum of loud vehicles.
Construction Noise: Noise pollution from construction sites or building construction is a major contributor to the urban scene. Sources of construction noise include noise generated by heavy equipment such as cranes, cement mixers, pay loaders and jack hammers, air compressors, bulldozers, loaders, dump trucks and pavement breakers that produce very loud constant noise.
Construction noise sources include:
- Air Hammers
- Air compressors
- Bulldozers
- Loaders and
- Dump trucks
Noise by industrial equipment: Industrial, on-site furnaces, back-up beeper compressors, generators and cranes are sources of noise pollution that are harmful to workers in factories. Neighbors may be disturbed by sources such as fans, motors and compressors mounted on the exterior of buildings in noisy manufacturing plants.
Airport Traffic:
Aircraft are a major source of noise pollution. People who live very close to airports often struggle with noise pollution from incoming and outgoing planes. Aircraft noise has demanded global attention in recent years.
Airports need to set noise limits depending on the aircraft movement and the area in which the aircraft is located.
Words from consumer products:
Words from consumer products: Household appliances, vacuum cleaners and some kitchen appliances make noise. Their contribution to daily noise levels is generally not very high. But Listening to loud sounds for long periods of time causes the ear cells to overwork, which can cause these cells to die.
Noise from the railway:
Individuals and families living near train tracks deal daily with horns, the sound of locomotive engines, whistles, and switching and shunting in rail yards. Rail is a freight unit that can create high noise exposure that can reach a peak level of 120 dB at a distance of 100 feet.
Health effects of noise pollution: Noise pollution has health effects. Physically, psychologically, noise pollution causes harmful effects.
Impact of noise pollution on mental and physical health:
Unwanted noise has various effects on mental health and physical health. Living in the midst of excessive noise makes people feel stressed. Consequently, The following problems are seen among them:
- Irritable,
- at the edge,
- Disappointed
- may feel angry.
- Noise-induced hearing loss
- Tinnitus, also referred to as ringing in the ears
- Sleep disturbances
- DEMENTIA AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION
- Heart disease and diabetes
- Pain and fatigue
- Poor work and school performance
- Irritability and aggression
- Speech problems
- Hormonal responses (stress hormones) and their consequences on human metabolism and immune system function
The brain is always monitoring words for danger signs, so a person can feel the impact on mental health and physical health.it can affect a person’s mood and ability to concentrate . “Chronic environmental noise from noise pollution causes various diseases including sleep disturbance, irritability, noise-induced hearing loss, cardiovascular disease, endocrine effects and diabetes”
Impact on children:
In Addition, “Noise pollution can create a difficult environment for children to learn at school or at home. They experience the following problems in this regard:
- Concentration
- Communication and speech development
- Cognitive performance
- Poor work and school performance
- Irritability and aggression
- Speech problems
Chronic exposure to noise affects a child’s behavior and their ability to form relationships and their confidence. Children are especially vulnerable to noise-induced hearing loss, according to a 2018 review.
An article in The Indian Journal of Pediatrics shows that noise pollution can affect a child’s hearing at any stage of development, including fetal, childhood and adolescence.
Average decibel ratings of some familiar sounds: Sound is measured in decibels. The louder the sound, the less time it takes for noise-induced hearing loss to occur. Exposure to loud noise can cause hearing loss that can cause NIHL( noise-induced hearing loss) in people of all ages.
Here are the average decibel ratings of some familiar sounds:
- Normal conversation
60-70 dBA - Movie theater
74-104 dBA - Motorcyles and dirt bikes
80-110 dBA - Music through headphones at maximum volume, sporting events, and concerts
94-110 dBA - Sirens
110-129 dBA - Fireworks show
140-160 dBA
Can pollution cause hearing problems?
Noise pollution can damage hair cells, membranes, nerves or other parts of your ear. “Noise pollution also damages the auditory nerve. This can reduce your brain performance. Noise pollution can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss. Moreover, Exposure to loud noises over time can cause hearing problems later in life.
Ear infections or hearing loss are strongly associated with tinnitus. Tinnitus can occur for Noise pollution. The volume and pitch of tinnitus sounds can vary greatly. Tinnitus symptoms can vary significantly from person to person. Some people report that they hear their tinnitus louder.
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Is Hearing Loss Temporary or Permanent:
Hearing loss can be permanent or temporary. It can become permanent when vital parts of the ear are permanently damaged. Hearing loss can become permanent if any part of the ear is damaged beyond repair. Prolonged exposure to loud noises is particularly damaging to the adjacent inner ear (cochlea).
Gradual exposure to very loud sounds or listening to loud sounds for long periods of time can cause hearing loss. So it can be said that auditory nerve damage can be permanent or temporary.
Protect yourself from noise pollution:
Follow the steps below to protect yourself from noise pollution:
- Wear earplugs or earmuffs to protect yourself from noise pollution.
- Shop for low noise power tools and equipment.
- Try not to engage in loud work or recreational activities
- Refrain from blowing horns or sirens
- Turn down the TV, radio or music volume.
- Keep children away from loud music or equipment
- Keep equipment well lubricated and maintained.
- Stay away from loud noise sources such as loudspeakers or cannons in college stadiums – bring hearing protection if possible.
- Keep children away from these events
Use hearing protection:
The best way to protect your hearing is to avoid noisy activities. So, It is best to use hearing protection when loud noise cannot be avoided.
Hearing protection devices reduce the level of sound entering your ears.
