ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

TOPIC: NOISE POLLUTION

What is Noise Pollution?

Noise pollution, also known as environmental noise or sound pollution, is the propagation
of noise with ranging impacts on the activity of human or animal life, most of them harmful to a
degree. The word noise is derived from a Latin word ‘Nausea’ which means sickness in which
one feels to vomit. Noise is the unpleasant and undesirable sound which leads to discomfort to
human beings. The intensity of sound is measured in decibels (dB). The faintest sound which can
be heard by Human ear is 1 Db. Due to increasing noise around the civilizations; noise pollution
has become a matter of concern. Some of its major causes are vehicles, aircraft, industrial
machines, loudspeakers, crackers etc. Some other appliances also contribute to noise pollution
like television, transistor, radio, etc. when used at high volume.

The source of outdoor noise worldwide is mainly caused by machines, transport, and
propagation systems.[1][2] Poor urban planning may give rise to noise disintegration or
pollution, side-by-side industrial and residential buildings can result in noise pollution in the
residential areas. Some of the main sources of noise in residential areas include loud music,
transportation (traffic, rail, airplanes, etc.), lawn care maintenance, construction, electrical
generators, explosions, and people. Documented problems associated with urban environment
noise go back as far as ancient Rome.[3] Noise is measured in Decibel (dB). Noise pollution
associated with household electricity generators is an emerging environmental degradation in
many developing nations. The average noise level of 97.60 dB obtained exceeded the WHO
value of 50 dB allowed for residential areas.[4] Research suggests that noise pollution is the
highest in low-income and racial minority neighborhoods.[5]

High noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects in humans and an increased
incidence of coronary artery disease.[6][7] In animals, noise can increase the risk of death by
altering predator or prey detection and avoidance, interfere with reproduction and navigation,
and contribute to permanent hearing loss.[8] A substantial amount of the noise that humans
produce occurs in the ocean. Up until recently, most research on noise impacts has been focused
on marine mammals, and to a lesser degree, fish.[9][10] In the past few years, scientists have
shifted to conducting studies on invertebrates and their responses to anthropogenic sounds in the
marine environment. This research is essential, especially considering that invertebrates make up
75% of marine species, and thus compose a large percentage of ocean food webs.[10] Of the
studies that have been conducted, a sizable variety in families of invertebrates have been
represented in the research. A variation in the complexity of their sensory systems exists, which
allows scientists to study a range of characteristics and develop a better understanding of
anthropogenic noise impacts on living organisms.

What are sound and noise?

Sound is what we hear. Noise is unwanted sound. The difference between sound and
noise depends upon the listener and the circumstances. Rock music can be pleasurable sound to
one person and an annoying noise to another. In either case, it can be hazardous to a person's
hearing if the sound is loud and if they are exposed long and often enough.

Sound is produced by vibrating objects and reaches the listener's ears as waves in the air
or other media. When an object vibrates, it causes slight changes in air pressure. These air
pressure changes travel as waves through the air and produce sound. To illustrate, imagine
striking a drum surface with a stick. The drum surface vibrates back and forth. As it moves
forward, it pushes the air in contact with the surface. This creates a positive (higher) pressure by
compressing the air. When the surface moves in the opposite direction, it creates a negative
(lower) pressure by decompressing the air. Thus, as the drum surface vibrates, it creates
alternating regions of higher and lower air pressure. These pressure variations travel through the
air as sound waves (Figure 1).

Why is noise an important workplace hazard?

Noise is one of the most common occupational health hazards. In heavy industrial and
manufacturing environments, as well as other situations such as farms, cafeterias, or bars.
Permanent hearing loss is the main health concern. Annoyance, stress and interference with
speech communication are the main concerns in noisy offices, schools and computer rooms.

To prevent adverse outcomes of noise exposure, noise levels should be reduced to

acceptable levels. The best method of noise reduction is to use engineering modifications to the
noise source itself, or to the workplace environment. Where technology cannot adequately
control the problem, personal hearing protection (such as ear muffs or plugs) can be used.
Personal protection, however, should be considered as an interim measure while other means of
reducing workplace noise are being explored and implemented.

As a first step in dealing with noise, workplaces need to identify areas or operations
where excessive exposure to noise occurs.

Are sound and noise the same thing?

At a scientific level, sound and noise are technically the same - they are vibrations in the
air (or in water) that we pick up with our ears. The bigger the waves are (their amplitude), the
stronger the vibrations are, and the louder the sound is. However, sound is something that we
hear in general. Noise is something that we can hear, but don’t necessarily want to hear.

Four types of noise

Here’s a breakdown of the different types of noise that affect us all.

1. Continuous noise

Continuous noise is exactly what it says on the tin: it’s noise that is produced
continuously, for example, by machinery that keeps running without interruption. This could
come from factory equipment, engine noise, or heating and ventilation systems.

You can measure continuous noise for just a few minutes with a sound level meter to get
a sufficient representation of the noise level. If you want to analyse the noise further, you need to
look for a sound level meter with octave band analysis. Octave bands allow you to break the
noise down into its separate frequencies. This information will tell you exactly what frequency is
causing the noise. You may even want to investigate the noise with 1:3 octave bands, which can
provide even more detail about the frequency content of the noise you’re measuring.

2. Intermittent noise

Intermittent noise is a noise level that increases and decreases rapidly. This might be
caused by a train passing by, factory equipment that operates in cycles, or aircraft flying above
your house.
 We measure intermittent noise in a similar way to continuous noise, with a sound level
meter. However, you also need to know the duration of each occurrence and the time between
each one. To gain a more reliable estimate of the noise level, you should measure over multiple
occurrences to calculate an average. If you’re using an integrating-averaging sound level meter,
this will make the calculation for you and present this in terms of an LAeq.

3. Impulsive noise

Impulsive noise is most commonly associated with the construction and demolition
industry. These sudden bursts of noise can startle you by their fast and surprising nature.
Impulsive noises are commonly created by explosions or construction equipment, such as pile
drivers, or your nextdoor neighbour doing some DIY on a Sunday morning.

To measure impulsive noise, you will need a sound level meter or a personal noise
dosimeter that can calculate Peak values.

Don’t forget that even in an environment that is usually quiet, a single very loud noise
can cause hearing damage, which is why it’s important to measure Peak levels alongside the
average or Leq value. In most applications, Peak will be measured using the C-weighting, so you
should make sure that your sound level meter provides this.

4. Low-frequency noise

Low-frequency noise makes up part of the fabric of our daily soundscape. Whether it’s
the low background hum of a nearby power station or the roaring of large diesel engines, we’re
exposed to low-frequency noise constantly. It also happens to be the hardest type of noise to
reduce at source, so it can easily spread for miles around.

For low-frequency noise, you should be using a sound level meter with third octave band
analysis, so you can analyse the low frequencies that make up the noise. You may also need to
look at the C-weighted measurements and compare this to the A-weighted measurements, as this
can show how much low-frequency noise is present. If you’re not sure what the different
frequency weightings are, you can read more about them here.

If monitoring is taking place outside over a longer period, you may want to consider an
environmental noise monitoring kit.

Types of Noise Pollution

 Transport Noise

 Neighbourhood Noise

 Industrial Noise

Transport Noise

It mainly consists of traffic noise which has increased in recent years with the increase in
the number of vehicles. The increase in noise pollution leads to deafening of older people,
headache, hypertension, etc.

Neighbourhood Noise

The noise from gadgets, household utensils etc. Some of the main sources are musical
instruments, transistors, loudspeakers etc.

Industrial Noise

It is the high-intensity sound which is caused by heavy industrial machines. According to

many researches industrial noise pollution damages the hearing ability to around 20%.

Causes and Sources of Noise Pollution

Following are the causes and sources of noise pollution:
Industrialization: Industrialization has led to an increase in noise pollution as the use of heavy
machinery such as generators, mills, huge exhaust fans, etc are used resulting in the production
of unwanted noise.

Vehicles: Increased number of vehicles on the roads are the second reason for noise pollution.

Events: Weddings, public gatherings involve loudspeakers to play music resulting in the
production of unwanted noise in the neighbourhood.

Construction sites: Mining, construction of buildings, etc add to the noise pollution.

Noise Pollution Examples

Following are the examples of noise pollution:

 Unnecessary usage of horns

 Using loudspeakers either for religious functions or for political purposes

 Unnecessary usage of fireworks

 Industrial noise

 Construction noise

 Noise from transportation such as railway and aircraft

Effects of Noise Pollution on Human Health

Noise pollution can be hazardous to human health in the following ways:

Hypertension: It is a direct result of noise pollution which is caused due to elevated blood levels
for a longer duration.

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.

Sleeping disorders: Lack of sleep might result in fatigue and low energy level throughout day
affecting everyday activities. Noise pollution hampers the sleep cycles leading to irritation and
uncomfortable state of mind.
Cardiovascular issues: Heart related problems such as blood pressure level, stress, and
cardiovascular diseases might come up in a normal person and person suffering from any of
these diseases might feel the sudden shoot up in the level.

ASSIGNMENT:

A. What are the effects of Noise pollution in the Environment?

B. List down the Solutions/Preventions of the Noise Pollution, write as many as you can.