NOISE POLLUTION and its causes, effects, types and its steps to control the noise pollution

WHAT IS NOISE POLLUTION???

    Noise pollution refers to the excessive noise that disrupts the natural environment and negatively affects human well-being. It is characterized by the presence of unwanted sounds, such as traffic noise, industrial machinery, construction activities, loud music, and other sources that exceed permissible levels and create a nuisance. Noise pollution can lead to various health issues. This includes hearing impairment, stress, sleep disturbances, reduced productivity, and impaired cognitive function. It is a significant environmental concern that requires effective measures to mitigate its impact and preserve the tranquility of living spaces.

How to measure the Noise pollution:

    Measurement of noise pollution involves the quantitative assessment of sound levels and the identification of sources and their impact on the environment. The parameters commonly used to measure noise pollution include sound pressure level (SPL), frequency, duration, and the presence of specific noise sources.

    The Sound Level Meter (SLM) is the primary instrument used for noise measurement. The SLM measures the overall sound level in a given environment.

    Noise pollution is often measured in terms of its impact on human health and well-being. Guidelines and standards are established by regulatory bodies to define permissible noise levels in different settings, such as residential, commercial, and industrial areas. 

Causes of Noise Pollution:

• Industrialization: The expanding industries in metropolitan areas, which employ numerous machinery capable of producing a lot of noise, are currently one of the main sources of noise pollution.
• Ineffective urban planning: Ineffective urban planning will annoy city dwellers more. For example – Large families living in cramped quarters, crowded housing, parking disputes, and frequent altercations over necessities.
• Factory equipment: The workers must put up with an intolerable annoyance created by the constant operation of mills, machines, and pneumatic drills.
• Social Events: People frequently play music loudly during social events, which worsens the living environment and contributes to noise pollution. Loudspeakers are used to play music at weddings and other public events, which creates unwelcome noise in the neighbourhood.
• Crackers: Crackers are used in exceptional situations. Such operations produce noise that is so loud it endangers the general population. Children and people of all ages may occasionally even go deaf as a result.
• Transportation: One of the factors contributing to noise pollution is the rise in the number of vehicles on the road. For instance, severe noise from traffic, subterranean trains, airplanes, and other sources might cause hearing loss. According to the Frontiers Report, at least 20% of people in the European Union are currently exposed to levels of road traffic noise that are thought to be unhealthy.
• Army Practice: Army drills entail firing, rocket launches, explosions, jet training, tanks, and so on.
• Construction Equipment: Mixers, scrapers, bulldozers, road rollers, drilling machines, trolleys, and others
• Entertaining Sources: Radios, televisions, transistors, DVDs, CDs, computers, record players, other musical instruments, and so on.
• Domestic Gadgets: Coolers, air conditioners, exhaust fans, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, pressure cookers, food mixers, fans, telephones, lawn mowers, and other household appliances.
• Agricultural machines: Tractors, trolleys, harvesters, tube-wells, and others.
  

Types of Noise Pollution:

1. Environmental Noise Pollution – This category of noise includes noise produced by environmental problems such as earthquakes, thunderstorms, volcanic eruptions, animal howling, etc.
2. Industrial Noise Pollution- This category of noise includes noise produced in factories. The sound becomes an unwelcome noise. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss has long been linked to heavy industries including shipbuilding, iron, and steel (NIHL).
3. Atmospheric Noise Pollution- Thunderstorms, lightning discharges, and other naturally occurring electrical disturbances in the atmosphere are the main causes of atmospheric noise, often known as static.
4. Vehicle Noise Pollution – It primarily consists of traffic noise, which has been louder in recent years as more cars have been on the road. Age-related hearing loss, headaches, hypertension, and other problems are caused by the increase in noise pollution.
5. Residential Noise Pollution- The noise made by appliances, household tools, etc. The primary sources are things like speakers, transistors, and musical instruments.

Effects of Noise Pollution:

Some of the effects of Noise Pollution are given as follows:

• Hearing Impairment: Constant exposure to loud noise that exceeds the normal range of sound intensity can damage the eardrums, resulting in hearing impairment.
• Sleeping disorders: Noise pollution can disrupt an individual’s sleep cycle, resulting in a sleeping disorder, low energy level, and fatigue.
• Chronic Health Issues: Noise pollution raises the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders such as high blood pressure, arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, and diabetes. According to a conservative estimate, long-term environmental noise exposure causes 48,000 new cases of ischemic heart disease and 12,000 premature deaths in Europe each year.
• Impact on species: Traffic and other urban noises have an adverse effect on other species and put their survival in jeopardy. Animals, for instance, employ acoustic signals for a range of communication purposes, such as defending their territory, alerting of danger, luring or attracting mates, and raising their young. However, noise pollution substantially impairs these functions.
• Productivity Loss: Extremely loud environments make workers extremely uncomfortable, which has a negative effect on their mental health and lowers productivity. This raises the cost of production in turn.
• Impact on non-Living Beings: Noise can be damaging to non-living things as well. There are numerous instances where modern and even brand-new constructions have cracked as a result of explosive noises.
• Human performance: As a result of the distractions, human performance at work will be impacted.
• Effect on vegetation: It is now common knowledge that plants and people are similar. Like humans, they are sensitive as well. For their better development, a calm and cool environment is necessary. Crops with poor quality suffer in a nice environment due to noise pollution.

Steps to Control Noise Pollution:

• Enhancing green cover should also be a priority. In urban settings, vegetation can diminish roadway amplification, diffuse noise, and absorb acoustic energy. Additionally, by luring urban wildlife, they contribute to enhancing natural noises. This entails actions like installing tree belts and “green roofs.”
• Engineering techniques referred to as route interventions create a barrier to stop the flow of noise from the source to the receiver. Both conventional and modern materials have shown promise when made from recycled materials like plastic and car tires. In Denmark, for instance, it was discovered that a barrier effect might lower road noise levels by 6-7 dB utilising fiberglass from discarded wind turbine blades.
• Through integrated strategies, noise pollution should be taken into account within a wider variety of environmental concerns, especially for the coupling of noise and air pollution. The findings of several of the nations evaluated by the European Environment Agency report improved after integration.
• Inside the compound, a 20-foot-wide plantation shields the house from the sounds of passing cars.
• Implementing acoustic zoning by separating populated areas from places that produce noise, such as airports, train stations, and other industrial facilities. For educational institutions, hospitals, and important offices, silence zones should be established.
• Workers in noisy projects should be given safety equipment like cotton plugs or ear muffs.
• Appropriate insulation and noise introduction can help reduce air traffic noise.
• Rules for airport aircraft takeoff and landing.
• Nighttime use of power tools, loud music, land movers, public events with loudspeakers, etc. should be prohibited. Horns, alarms, refrigerators, and other devices must not be used excessively. It is best to limit the usage of loud, air-polluting firecrackers.
• By putting down a lot of trees to make vegetation-filled noise-absorbing buffer zones.
• The sound of musical instruments should be kept within acceptable bounds.

Acceptable Noise Pollution Level In India...

    The CPCB has established acceptable noise levels in India for various locations. The allowable level of noise in different zones during the day and at night has been established by noise pollution regulations.

• The allowable noise levels for different places during the day and at night have been established by rules. Nightfall occurs between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. throughout the day.
• The allowable maximum in industrial zones is 75 dB during the day and 70 dB at night. During the day and at night, it is 65 dB and 55 dB in commercial zones, and 55 dB and 45 dB in residential regions.
• State governments have also established “quiet zones”, which are defined as regions that are 100 metres or less from the locations of schools, colleges, hospitals, and courts. In this area, the permitted noise limit is 50 dB during the day and 40 dB at night.

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