Scribd
Upload
26 views4 pages

Environmental Physics 5

Uploaded by

Tooba Zahid
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
26 views4 pages

Environmental Physics 5

Uploaded by

Tooba Zahid
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

Lec 5 1

NOISE POLLUTION
We know that a sound is a form of energy. Sometimes the sound can be soothing to listen to
and, at times, loud to hear. Sound can travel in the air and is produced by the vibration of
objects. Regular exposure to a higher sound level that impacts humans and other living
organisms is known as sound pollution.

What is Noise Pollution?


The word noise is derived from the Latin word ‘Nausea’, which means sickness in which
one feels the need to vomit. Noise is the unpleasant and undesirable sound which leads
to discomfort in human beings. The intensity of sound is measured in decibels (dB).
The faintest sound that the human ear can hear 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. When
used at high volume, some other appliances also contribute to noise pollution, like
television, transistor, radio, etc.

Tooba Zahid
Lec 5 2

T
y
p
e
s

of Noise Pollution
Following are the three types of 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

Tooba Zahid
Lec 5 3

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 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 neighborhood.
 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
the day affecting everyday activities. Noise pollution hampers the sleep cycles leading to
irritation and an 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 a person suffering from any
of these diseases might feel a sudden shoot up in the level.

Prevention of Noise Pollution


Tooba Zahid
Lec 5 4

Some noise pollution preventive measures are provided in


the points below.

 Honking in public places like teaching institutes, hospitals,


etc. should be banned.
 In commercial, hospital, and industrial buildings, adequate
soundproof systems should be installed.
 Musical instruments’ sound should be controlled to
desirable limits.
 Dense tree cover is useful in noise pollution prevention.
 Explosives should not be used in forest, mountainous and
mining areas.
Sound level meters
Sound can be measured in the air using a sound level meter, a
device consisting of a microphone, an amplifier, and a time meter

Tooba Zahid

You might also like