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• Distinguish and illustrate the source, impact and control infrastructure related to
air, noise, water pollution and solid waste.

At the end of this lecture, student should be able to discuss:

• To describe the types, sources and effect of noise pollution.
• To explain the impact of noise pollution on human & environment.
• To determine the measurement tools noise pollution.
• To discuss the limit of noise pollution exposure.
• To discuss the control infrastructure of noise pollution.

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3.1 Properties of sound
wave

3.2 Sound power and

intensity (levels and
decibels)

3.3 Measurement of noise

(sound pressure level meter)

3.4 Effect of noise on

human health

3.5 Regulations and

standards

3.6 Control
infrastructure

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Sound wave is defined as:
• A traveling wave which is an oscillation of pressure
transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of
frequencies within the range of hearing.

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The maximum displacement of a vibrating particle
of the medium from the mean position.

Wavelength is the length of one complete wave

cycle

It is the number of vibrations made per second by

the particle.

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• The sensation felt by our ears is called sound. It is a form of energy which makes us
hear.
• Sound travels in the form of wave. sound travels in the form of wave.
• A wave is a vibratory disturbance in a medium which carries energy from one point to
another without there being a direct contact between the two points.

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Sound power is the
energy rate - the
energy of sound per
unit of time - J/s or W
in SI-units - emitted by
a source.

power carried by sound

waves per unit area in a
direction perpendicular
to that area. The SI unit
of intensity, is the watt
per square meter.

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AUDIOGRAM

An audiogram is a graph that shows the softest sounds a person can hear at different pitches or
frequencies.
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 The horizontal axis of the audiogram represents sound frequency or pitch measured in Hertz
(Hz). Sound frequency increases gradually the further one moves to the right along the axis.
This movement can be compared to playing on the left side of a piano and gradually moving to
the right side where the tone becomes more and more high-pitched.
Frequencies between 500 Hz and 3000 Hz are most commonly used during ordinary
conversation.

The vertical axis of the

audiogram represents sound
volume or intensity, which is
measured in decibels (dB). The
more one moves down the
axis, the louder the sound HOW TO READ
becomes. This corresponds to
turning up the volume on a AN
radio. Zero decibel at the top AUDIOGRAM?
of the axis represents the
softest sound a person is
normally able to hear and is
not an indication that you
cannot hear any sounds at all.

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 Severe Hearing Loss
People with hearing levels in the
severe range may only hear very loud
speech or loud environmental
sounds, such as a fire truck siren or a
door slamming.

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 Moderate Hearing Loss
People with hearing levels in the
moderate range​ will have difficulty
hearing regular speech, even at close
distances.

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 Mild Hearing Loss
People with hearing levels in the mild
range​​ will have trouble hearing and
understanding​ soft speech, speech from a
distance or speech in a background of
noise.

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 Normal Hearing
This audiogram shows normal hearing.
The closer the marks are to the top of the
graph, the softer the sounds that person
can hear.

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In the audiogram shown,
hearing thresholds for the right
ear are represented by red
circles and thresholds for the
left ear are represented by the
blue X. In the right ear, this
person has normal hearing in
the lower pitches indicated by a
red circle corresponding to 15
dB at 250 Hz and 20 dB at 500
Hz. Hearing thresholds in the
high pitches fall into the severe
degree of hearing loss, as the
threshold at 2000 Hz is 40 dB,
65 dB at 4000 Hz and 75 dB at
8000 Hz.

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• Noise measurement provides us assessment of adverse impacts of noise and adopting
suitable control techniques for noise reduction. Sound level meter is used in
laboratories to measure noise pollution.
• A sound level meter is an instrument which has a microphone amplifier and weighting
networks and an indicating meter which gives a reading in dB relative to 2 × 10-5 N/m².
• The microphone responds directly to the pressure variations in the sound field and its
output is amplified to give a reading of sound pressure level directly on the meter. The
weighting networks superimpose a frequency response on the amplifier similar to that
of the human ear.

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 FREQUENCY WEIGHTING

Z-Weighting represents the actual sound produced.

A-Weighting, with less lower and higher frequencies, and a slight boost in the mid-
range, represents what humans are capable of hearing.
C-Weighting, more sensitive to the lower frequencies, represents what humans hear
when the sound is loud (over 100 dB).

TIME WEIGHTING

F = Fast, S = Slow, I = Impulse

• Time weighting is applied so that levels measured are easier to read on a sound level meter.
• Steady sounds are measured by the “fast” time constants and unsteady soundly using
“slow” time constants.
S (Slow) = 1 second
F (Fast) = 125 milli second

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Leq: Equivalent continuous sound level

eq = equivalent. Equivalent values are a form

of time weighting that is easier to read on a
display than the instantaneous sound level.

Lmax and Lmin

Represents the maximum or minimum value

measured over a certain period of time.

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 SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL CALCULATION

SPLs are based on a log scale, they cannot be added directly

– I.e., 80 dB + 80 dB ≠ 160 dB

Where:
SPLT is the total sound pressure level,
SPLi is the ith sound pressure level to
be summed

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SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL CALCULATION

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SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL CALCULATION

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• Noise pollution causes various hearing problems (damage to ear drums and loss of hearing) because of the
unwanted sound.
• It reduces ear sensitivity to the sounds required to regulate body rhythm.
• It affects the psychological health and causes the occurrence of aggressive behaviour, sleep disturbance, stress,
weakness, fatigue, hypertension, cardio-vascular diseases including other severe and chronic health issues in
later life.
• It creates communication problems and lead to misunderstanding.
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ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT 1974

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RECOMMENDED NOISE LEVEL STANDARDS AND MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE SOUND LEVEL (LAeq) BY
GUIDELINES BY WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION RECEIVING LAND USE FOR PLANNING
(WHO) AND SELECTED COUNTRIES AND NEW DEVELOPMENT

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 ROAD & TRAFFIC NOISE

Silent Roads - application of semi porous thin layers (very smooth surface
texture

Thin Layer (semi porous)

NOISE ABSORBING MATERIAL

INSTALL BARRIERS BETWEEN THE EMPLOYEE AND NOISE

SOURCE

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 THE PRINCIPLES OF CONTROLLING NOISE

Control at noise Noise reduction at Protection at the

sources the transmission path receiver end

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 It is often a primary consideration to reduce noise at its
Control at noise
sources source. Whenever possible, quieter working methods or
technologies should be used.

Noise reduction at
the transmission path

By arranging noise sensitive uses such as bedrooms facing

Protection at the
receiver end away from the noise sources, the impact of noise on the
receiver can be reduced.

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 Elevated rail train track with
sound barrier wall reduce noise
pollution

Bukit Timah Sound Barrier

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Barriers to reduce noise pollution from busy roads - double-glazing
and quieter asphalt

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 Noise barriers with Terraforce blocks

Terraforce noise berm, Cape Town

International Airport

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