‘Noxia’, which means injury or hurt. Noise is the unpleasant and undesirable sound which leads to discomfort in human beings. Vibration impinge on the ear drum of human or animals and set up a nervous disturbance which we called sound. When effect of the sound are undesirable, it may be termed as noise. WHAT IS NOISE POLLUTION?
• The term "noise pollution" refers to unwanted or annoying sounds that disrupt one’s quality of life. • Sound becomes undesirable when it disrupt the normal activities such as working, sleeping, and conversation. • It is underrated environmental problem because of fact that we can’t see, smell or taste it. • According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is one of the most dangerous environmental threats to health. • And according to the European Environment Agency (EEA), noise is responsible for 12,000 premature deaths and 48,000 new cases of ischaemic heart disease every year. NOISE POLLUTION
• Not all sound is considered noise pollution.The World Health
Organization (WHO) defines noise above 65 decibels (dB) as noise pollution. To be precise, noise becomes harmful when it exceeds 75 decibels (dB) and is painful above 120 dB. As a consequence, it is recommended noise levels be kept below 65 dB during the day and indicates that restful sleep is impossible with nighttime ambient noise levels in excess of 30 dB. SOURCES OF NOISE POLLUTION SOURCES OF NOISE POLLUTION There are many sources of noise pollution, but here are some of the main ones:
Street traffic Traffic noise accounts for most polluting noise in cities. For example, a car horn produces 90 dB and a bus produces 100 dB.
Air traffic noise
• There are fewer aircraft flying over cities than there are cars on the roads, but the impact is greater: a single aircraft produces 130 dB. SOURCES OF NOISE POLLUTION
Construction sites • Building and car park construction, city streets and road and pavement resurfacing works are very noisy. For example, a pneumatic drill produces 110 dB.
Catering and night life
• Bars, restaurants and terraces that spill outside when the weather is good can produce more than 100 dB. This includes noise from pubs and clubs. SOURCES OF NOISE POLLUTION
Noise from consumer product
• Certain house hold equipment, such as vacuum cleaners, mixer grinders, washing machines and some kitchen appliances are noise makers of house. Though they do not cause much of problem, their effect cannot be neglected.
Industrial activity • Industrial buildings can produce noise from fans, motors, and compressors mounted on the outside. SOURCES OF NOISE POLLUTION
Loudspeakers/Public address system
• Use of loud speakers/ Public address systems in functions, religious places, in open areas, is source of serious nuisance.
Fire crackers • Use of fire crackers with high noise level may harm the human hearing system. Especially sensitive are the small children. CLASSIFICATION OF NOISE POLLUTION TYPES OF NOISE POLLUTION There are two kinds of noise pollution
1. Community Noise Pollution/environmental noise pollution (non-industrial
noise pollution) 2. Occupational noise pollution (Industrial Noise Pollution) COMMUNITY NOISE Community noise, also known as environmental, residential, or domestic noise, is noise that comes from outside of the workplace. Some common sources of community noise include: • Road, rail, and air traffic • Construction and public work • Neighbourhood noise • Loudspeakers • Fireworks Community noise can have a variety of negative health effects, including: • Hearing impairment, Sleep disturbance, Cardiovascular effects, Cognitive effects, Stress, and High blood pressure OCCUPATIONAL NOISE POLLUTION • Occupational noise pollution, also known as industrial noise, is the amount of sound energy that an employee is exposed to while working • The many and varied sources of noise is industrial machinery, and process includes: rotors, gears, turbulent fluid flow, electrical machines, internal combustion engines, pneumatic equipment's, drilling, crushing, blasting, pumps and compressor. • It can have many negative effects on health, including • Hearing loss • Cardiovascular disease • Respiratory outcomes • Sleep disorder • Reduced productivity • Physical and psychological stress EFFECTS OF NOISE POLLUTION EFFECTS OF NOISE POLLUTION
Noise pollution is a major problem, both for human health and the environment. The problem with noise pollution is multifaceted and interrelated. It includes Physical • Respiratory agitation, racing pulse, high blood pressure, headaches and, in case of extremely loud, constant noise, gastritis, colitis and even heart attacks. Psychological • Noise can cause attacks of stress, fatigue, depression, anxiety and hysteria in both humans and animals. EFFECTS OF NOISE POLLUTION Sleep and behavioural disorders • Noise above 45 dB stops you from falling asleep or sleeping properly. Remember that according to the World Health Organization it should be no more than 30 dB. Loud noise can have latent effects on our behaviour, causing aggressive behaviour and irritability. Memory and concentration • Noise may affect people's ability to focus, which can lead to low performance over time. It is also bad for the memory, making it hard to study. • Interestingly, our ears need more than 16 hours' rest to make up for two hours of exposure to 100 dB. EFFECTS OF NOISE POLLUTION Hearing loss • Constant exposure of human ears to loud noise that are beyond the range of sound that human ears can withstand damages the eardrums, resulting in loss of hearing. Effect on animals • Noise pollution damages nervous system of animals. Animals loose the control of their mind. • It may cause stress to animals, it interfere with the sound used by them in communication, especially in relation to reproduction, and in navigation. • Noise also makes animals communicate louder which is called Lombard vocal response. Experiments have conducted to show that whales’ song length is longer when submarine detectors are on. EFFECTS OF NOISE POLLUTION • European Robin in urban areas are more likely to sing at night at places where noise pollution is high during the day time.
Effect on property • Loud noise is very dangerous to building, bridges and monuments. It creates wave that stuck the walls and put the building in danger condition. PREVENTION OF NOISE POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL MEASURES OF NOISE POLLUTION • Noise pollution can be effectively controlled by taking the following measures: (1) Control at receiver’s end: For people working in noisy installations, ear-protection aids like ear-plugs, ear-muffs, noise helmets, headphones etc. must be provided to reduce occupational exposure. (2) Suppression of noise at source: It can be achieved by following methods: (a) Designing, fabricating and using quieter machines to replace the noisy ones. (b) Proper lubrication and better maintenance of machines PREVENTION AND CONTROL MEASURES OF NOISE POLLUTION (c) Installing noisy machines in sound proof chambers. (d) Covering noise-producing machine parts with sound-absorbing materials to check noise production. (e) Reducing the noise produced from a vibrating machine by vibration damping i.e. making a layer of damping material (rubber, neoprene, cork or plastic) beneath the machine. (f) Using silencers to control noise from automobiles, ducts, exhausts etc. (3) Acoustic Zoning: There should be silence zones near the residential areas, educational institutions and above all, near hospitals. Zoning of noisy industrial areas, bus terminals and railway stations, aerodromes etc. away from the residential areas i.e. increasing the distance between source and receiver.
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PREVENTION AND CONTROL MEASURES OF NOISE POLLUTION (4) Sound Insulation at Construction Stages: It reduces the chances of noise nuisance in future. Sound insulation can be done by constructing windows with double or triple panes of glass and filling the gaps with sound absorbing materials. (c) Acoustical tiles, perforated plywood etc. can be fixed on walls, ceilings, floors etc. to reduce noise (especially for sound proof recording rooms etc.). (5) Planting of Trees: Green muffler scheme involves planting green trees and shrubs along roads, hospitals, educational institutions etc. to reduce noise to a considerable extent. Trees like Ashoka, Neem, Tamarind are good for this purpose PREVENTION AND CONTROL MEASURES OF NOISE POLLUTION (6) Legislative Measures: Strict legislative measures need to be enforced to curb the menace of noise pollution. Noise standards (Table) should be strictly followed. • Minimum use of loudspeakers and amplifiers especially near silence zones. • Banning pressure horns in automobiles. Albeit, noise has been considered as pollutant under Air act and The noise pollution (regulation and control) rules(2000) have been framed under Environment protection act. But still people need to be educated about harmful effects of noise. TABLE :AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS IN RESPECT OF NOISE
Limits in dB(A) Leq* • *dB (A) Leq denotes the time weighted Category of Area Code Day time Night average of the level of sound in decibels Area/Zone time on scale A which is relatable to human Industrial hearing. A”decibel” is a unit in which (A) 75 70 area noise is measured. “A” in dB (A) Leq, Commercial denotes the frequency weighting in the (B) 65 55 area measurement of noise and corresponds to Residential frequency response characteristics of the (C) 55 45 area human ear.
(D) Silence Zone 50 40 • Leq: It is an energy mean of the noise
level over a specified period. CONCLUSION
• 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. • Direct exposure to loud or persistent noise can also lead to hearing impairment. Children are particularly vulnerable to the negative health effects of noise pollution. • It may be possible to reduce levels of noise in the home, school, or workplace with simple changes, such as soundproofing and turning off devices. THANK YOU
