Noise pollution is a form of environmental pollution caused by unwanted, unpleasant, or excessive sounds that disturb the natural balance of the environment.
- These sounds, when produced beyond the acceptable limit, interfere with human activities, reduce concentration, disturb sleep, and may cause serious health problems such as stress, hearing loss, and high blood pressure.
- Continuous exposure to loud noise negatively affects humans, animals, and the overall quality of life.
Types of Noise Pollution
Noise pollution can mainly be classified into two categories:
1. Man-Made Noise
All noises generated due to human activities are referred to as man-made noise.
Examples include:
- Construction work
- Automobile noise
- Household appliances
- Loudspeakers and televisions
This type of noise may range from 30 dB to 140 dB and can be highly harmful.
2. Environmental Noise
Environmental noise refers to sounds produced due to natural environmental activities.
Examples include:
- Sounds produced by animals
- Thunderstorms
- Cyclones
- Hurricanes
Environmental noise may also reach up to 140 dB and can be dangerous in extreme situations.
Measuring and Perceiving Loudness
The intensity of sound is related to the amplitude of the sound wave. The greater the amplitude, the greater the intensity of sound. Another important characteristic of sound is pitch, which depends on the frequency of the sound wave. Higher-frequency sounds have a higher pitch, while lower-frequency sounds have a lower pitch.
Loudness is measured in decibels (dB).
The human ear can normally hear sounds ranging from about 0 dB to 140 dB. Sounds in the range of 120 dB to 140 dB may cause pain and serious damage to hearing.
For example:
- Noise level in a library: approximately 30–35 dB
- Noise level in a moving bus or train: approximately 80–85 dB
The intensity of sound decreases rapidly as the distance between the source and the observer increases.
Effects
- Hearing Problems: Loud noise can cause great harm to our ears, i.e., it reduces the hearing capability of our ears.
- Physical Issues: Noise pollution can cause headaches, high blood pressure, and heart attacks.
- Psychological Issues: It can cause hypertension, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and stress in humans as well as animals.
- Sleeping Disorders: Excessive noise disturbs our sleeping patterns, which may lead to extreme health issues.
- Loss of Concentration: Noise distracts the person's mind, and a person finds it difficult to concentrate or focus on work or study.
- Effect on Wildlife: Wild animals also get disturbed heavily by the noises that humans make; they freak out, faint, and in some cases die.
Prevention
Noise pollution can easily be prevented by following the below suggestions.
- We should avoid playing speakers, radios, and televisions loudly at home.
- The bursting of crackers unnecessarily should be avoided.
- The horns of vehicles should not be blown unnecessarily, and vehicles should be serviced from time to time to prevent the noisy engine.
- Trees should be planted around the buildings and along the roads to reduce noise from roads.
- Sources of noise such as industries, airports, etc., and residential areas should be separated.
Hearing Impairments
A person who cannot hear properly or has reduced hearing ability is said to have a hearing impairment. Based on the severity of hearing loss, hearing impairments are classified into different categories.
1. Mild Hearing Impairment: People with mild hearing impairment cannot hear soft sounds clearly and face difficulty communicating in noisy surroundings.
2. Moderate Hearing Impairment: People with moderate hearing impairment cannot hear soft or moderate sounds properly and often require hearing aids for communication.
3. Severe Hearing Impairment: People with severe hearing impairment cannot hear most sounds and may depend on lip reading or sign language for communication.
4. Deafness: Deaf people have extremely poor hearing ability or complete hearing loss. They may use hearing aids, cochlear implants, sign language, or lip reading to communicate effectively.