Controlling Noise Pollution
Noise leads to environmental, psychological and physical harms. There is evidence that inhabitants of large cities suffer from fatigue and psychosomatic disorders due to constant exposure to noise.
Although noise has been considered harmful or at least unpleasant, noise pollution has been regarded as the worst negative effect of the industrial era, and a characteristic of industrially developed societies.
Yet, little attention has been given to it, as pollutants of the air or the water have tended to take precedence. This is due to the following factors: noise is caused by a variety of sources everywhere.
It isn’t easily targeted; the effect of noise disappears as it stops, without leaving a lasting trace on the environment, although continuous exposure to noise leads to certain disorders, as explained below; noise is a domestic or local environmental pollutant. Unlike water and air, its effects don’t spread from one country to another.
What is the Definition of Noise?
According the Encyclopedia Americana, it is the pressure that harms man and other animals. Sir. A. Wilson Committee of Noise Affairs defines it as the sound that is undesirable to the receiver.
A recent definition of noise is that it is a form of environmental pollution that is not less dangerous than the manmade toxins.
Noise is measured by “phon” and “decibel” (dB) – the former being the unit of sound pitch, the latter being the unit of its pressure or impact.
At 1000 Hertz, phon = 100dB, at 3500 Hertz: 100 phon=89 dB, and at 50 Hertz: 100 phon= 110db.
The decibel is the minimum of the difference between two sounds detectable by the human ear.
At zero, the sound is very low. It rises gradually until 130 dB at which degree it becomes painful, Scientists have determined the noise values of some sounds in nature and measured them in dB:
– Natural breathing -10dB;
– Rush of tree leaves in breeze-50 dB;
– Traffic in a crowded street – 70 dB;
– A large waterfall – 90 dB;
– A nearby machine gun – 130 dB
– Aircraft taking off -140dB;
– A rocket in lift-off – 175 dB.
Sounds are divided into the following categories: very quiet, quiet, audible, medium, high, and noisy. The last category is painful at 130 dB. There are several sources producing this noise:
-Some natural sources like thunder, storms, clashing waves, dogs barking, wind, waterfalls, avalanches, fires, etc.
-Man-made noise coming from agricultural and industrial equipment, transportation etc, and even household tools, machines and instruments.
In major cities one kind of noise is known as the “ambient or background noise”, which means everything one may hear at home, in the street and at work, created by planes – particularly jets – traffic, street vendors, children playing, radios and other audio sets, washing machines, factory machinery, workshops, live bands, etc.
Dangerous Effects of Noise:noise has seriously bad effects on the human ear. But does it have physical, psychological or social effects?
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