NOISE POLLUTION

Noise pollution is the disturbing or excessive noise that may harm

the activity or balance of human or animal life. The source of most
outdoor noise worldwide is mainly caused by machines and
transportation systems, motor vehicles, aircraft, and trains.Outdoor noise
is summarized by the word environmental noise. Poor urban planning
may give rise to noise pollution, since side-by-side industrial and
residential buildings can result in noise pollution in the residential areas.

Indoor noise can be caused by machines, building activities, and
music performances, especially in some workplaces. There is no great
difference whether noise-induced hearing loss is brought about by
outside (e.g. trains) or inside (e.g. music) noise.

SOURCES OF NOISE


It is broadly divided into two parts: Industrial and Non-Industrial
Noise.

Industrial Noise



Noise produced by industries is called Industrial Noise. In general it is
produced, at every stage in industry by various aspects like welding,
hammering, drilling, blowing, running machinery, motors, sheet metal
work, lathe machine work, operation of cranes, grinding, turning,
riveting, fabricating, forging, compressing, vaccumising, breaking,
moulding, steaming, boiling, cooling, heating, venting, painting,
pumping, packing, transporting etc. It creates very serious of large-scale
noise problems; significantly affect the working people as well as
surrounding people.

Non Industrial Noise

Road Traffic Noise




Road traffic is the most widespread source of noise in all countries and
the most prevalent cause of annoyance and interference. It is directly
proportional to the volume of vehicles. Increasing of population is
increasing of vehicles and hence increasing of Noise pollution. The
major sources of noise in automobiles are exhaust, intake, engine and
fan, and tires at high speed. The noise output of all components
increases with speed. As an example, keeping all the conditions same, an
approximately 10 dB (A) increase with speed of a car from 30mph to
60mph. The Road traffic noise not only depends on volume of vehicles
and also depends on several factors, some of them are below:

Road Conditions
Traffic Clearance
Condition of Vehicles
Speed of the Vehicle
Common Sense
The people living near roadside(highway) are mainly exposed.

Rail Traffic Noise




Noise from the trains includes 1) diesel Exhaust 2) Engine and Air
Intake 3) Cooling Fans 4) Wheel-rail interaction 5) Electric generator
and electric traction motor 6) miscellaneous noise generated in freight
and passenger cars etc. Other intermittent noises includes car impact
sounds when trains are braking and accelerating and the sounds of sirens
or horns that produces 10 to 20 dB (A) higher than from other sources.
The noise generated in communities having long haul or rapid transit
vehicles (like Metros) in their environment will depend primarily on
track observer distance, frequency and train length and condition of
track. The rapid transit trains are short, so that their noise duration time
is much less than that of goods trains. Rapid transit vehicles produce
lower level of noise than compare to lengthy trains.

Aircraft Noise



Noise from commercial aircraft is only a problem around airports as this
is where aircraft converge at low altitude and high engine power.
Increasing air traffic with different types of aircrafts and city expansion
will exacerbate the noise problems. Noise pollution of an aircraft will
increase with the speed. The aircraft noise reduction; traffic and flight
path restrictions can alleviate them.

It has been observed that supersonic jet planes are one of the biggest
irritants in todays noisy world. The noise of these planes may
sometimes break windowpanes, crack on walls and shakes the buildings
also. By these effects of noise one can very easily understand that what
would be the effects of such noise on human body.


Residential & Community Noise




In normal day to day activities, various home appliances in our
residences produce noise. Some of the major sources are Exhaust Fans,
lawn movers, mixis, grinders, Fan, Cooling & Heating System, T.V &
Music System, motors used for pumping etc.

Community noise is one of the major sources for affecting a large
number of people living within the community. It occurs due to various
activities of community during religious festivals, fairs, marriages, or
public functions. The use of amplifiers provides one of most frequent
sources of disturbances. Loudspeaker systems are in almost continual
use at many open-air events.



Effects of Noise Pollution

1. Hearing Problems: Any unwanted sound that our ears have not been
built to filter can cause problems within the body. Our ears can take in a
certain range of sounds without getting damaged. Man made noises such
as jackhammers, horns, machinery, airplanes and even vehicles can be
too loud for our hearing range. Constant exposure to loud levels of noise
can easily result in the damage of our ear drums and loss of hearing. It
also reduces our sensitivity to sounds that our ears pick up
unconsciously to regulate our bodys rhythm.

2. Health Issues: Excessive noise pollution in working areas such as
offices, construction sites, bars and even in our homes can influence
psychological health. Studies show that the occurrence of aggressive
behavior, disturbance of sleep, constant stress, fatigue and hypertension
can be linked to excessive noise levels. These in turn can cause more
severe and chronic health issues later in life.

3. Sleeping Disorders: Loud noise can certainly hamper your sleeping
pattern and may lead to irritation and uncomfortable situations. Without
a good night sleep, it may lead to problems related to fatigue and your
performance may go down in office as well as at home. It is therefore
recommended to take a sound sleep to give your body proper rest.

4. Cardiovascular Issues: Blood pressure levels, cardio-vascular
disease and stress related heart problems are on the rise. Studies suggest
that high intensity noise causes high blood pressure and increases heart
beat rate as it disrupts the normal blood flow. Bringing them to a
manageable level depends on our understanding noise pollution and how
we tackle it.

5. Trouble Communicating: High decibel noise can put trouble and
may not allow two people to communicate freely. This may lead to
misunderstanding and you may get difficult understanding the other
person. Constant sharp noise can give you severe headache and disturb
your emotional balance.

6. Effect on Wildlife: Wildlife faces far more problems than humans
because noise pollution since they are more dependent on sound.
Animals develop a better sense of hearing than us since their survival
depends on it. The ill effects of excessive noise begin at home. Pets react
more aggressively in households where there is constant noise.

They become disoriented more easily and face many behavioral
problems. In nature, animals may suffer from hearing loss, which makes
them easy prey and leads to dwindling populations. Others become
inefficient at hunting, disturbing the balance of the eco-system.

Species that depend on mating calls to reproduce are often unable to
hear these calls due to excessive man made noise. As a result, they are
unable to reproduce and cause declining populations. Others require
sound waves to echo-locate and find their way when migrating.
Disturbing their sound signals means they get lost easily and do not
migrate when they should. To cope up with the increasing sound around
them, animals are becoming louder, which may further add to the
pollution levels. This is why understanding noise pollution can help us
lower the impact it has on the environment.

MEASUREMENT OF NOISE




A decibel is the standard for the measurement of noise. The zero
on a decibel scale is at the threshold of hearing, the lowest sound
pressure that can be heard, on the scale acc. To smith, 20 db is whisper,
40 db the noise in a quiet office. 60 db is normal conversation, 80 db is
the level at which sound becomes physically painfull.

The Noise quantum of some of the cities in our country indicate
their pitch in decibel in the nosiest areas of corresponding cities, e.g.
Delhi- 80 db, Kolkata - 87,Bombay-85, Chennai-89 db etc.

On the basis of measurement noise pollution can be divided into
following type:-

Sounds of normal conversation:
Sound Intensity: 40-60 db
Health Hazard: Sound, less than 80 db, is safe for the ear.

Sounds emanting from tape recorders or an orchestra:
Sound Intensity : 70 db
Health Hazard : It is safe for ear.

Sounds of heavy traffic:
Sound Intensity: 90 db
Health Hazard: Constant hearing of sound, greater than 80 db, causes
temporary hearing loss and if they are not treated immediately, causes
permanent impairment.

Sounds of pneumatic drills and other machines:
Sound Intensity : 100 db
Health Hazard: Constant hearing causes temporary hearing loss and if
they are not treated immediately, causes permanent impairment.

Sounds of aircraft engine:
Sound Intensity: 100-200 db
Health Hazard : Higher noise level of 160 db cause total deafness,
rupturing eardrums, damaging inner ear. It also causes high blood
pressure, ulcer in stomach, palpitation, nervous problems, irritation,
anger, and affects pregnant womens embryo.


Sounds of rockets during take off:
Sound Intensity: 200 db
Health Hazard: It is dangerously causing total deafness by rupturing
the eardrums and damaging the inner ear. It also causes high blood
pressure, ulcer in stomach, palpitation, nervous problems, irritation,
anger and affects pregnant womens embryo.

CONTROL OF NOISE POLLUTION

Construction of sound proof rooms for noisy machines in
industries.
Use of horns with jarring sounds to be banned.
Noise producing industries, aerodromes, and railway stations to be
shifted away from the inhabited areas.
Proper law should be enforced to check the misuse of loudspeakers
and public announcements systems.
To enforce silence zones near schools / colleges, hospitals etc.
Growing green plants/trees along roadside to reduce noise
pollution as they absorb sound.
Loud speakers are banned from 10pm to 6am. India enacted Air
(Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and noise
pollution has been declared an offence.