Effect of Noise pollution:
- Effect on human beings
- Affects physiological and mental health
- Reduces job efficiency
- Reduces enjoyment of life at home.
- Prolonged exposure to noise beyond 90 dB may cause hearing loss.
- In some cases, it causes auditory fatigue, nervousness, irritability, increased blood pressure, cardio-vascular, respiratory, glandular, deafness and neurological disorders. Physiological disorder : Neurosis, anxiety, insomnia, hypertension
Effects on wildlife: Decline is migratory birds to a habitat if it becomes noisy animals become dull and inactive.
Effects on non living things
- High intensity of noise, such as vibrations emanating from heavy machineries cause shattering of window glasses, loosen the plaster of house walls, cracks in walls.
- Some time even cause the shattering of the foundation of the building.
- Noise may also cause depreciation of the residential property located nearby air path, highways, industrial areas and other noise prone areas.
Control of noise pollution:
(1) Control of noise at source:
- Designing and fabricating silencing devices and then use in air craft, motor cycles, industrial machines and home appliances.
- Segregating the noisy equipments.
- Introducing less noisy machines in plan of noisy areas.
- Conducting noisy operations in open spaces far away from residential zones.
- Setting up industries 5 km away from residential zones.
(2) Control of transmission
- This is achieved by covering the room walls with sound absorbing materials constrained layer damping technique.
(3) Protection of exposed person
- Using weaving devices such as ear plugs and ear muffs.
(4) Creation of vegetation and buffer zones
- Growing of noise absorbing plants like Ashoka, Banyan, Neem, Legume, Tamarind, Coconut etc. in the road side and in front of buildings.
(5) Environmental education and awareness
- People may be made aware of health hazards of noise pollution through news papers, Television, Articles, Radio, News reels in cinema halls etc.
(6) Legislation
- Strict laws and enforcement; Appointing Noise Inspectors.
| Noise Source
|
Intensity (dB)
|
| Breathing
|
10
|
| Soft whisper
|
20
|
| Library
|
30
|
| Low volume radio (Walkman)
|
35
|
| Normal conversation
|
35 to 60
|
| Telephone
|
60
|
| Alarm clock
|
70
|
| Traffic
|
70 to 90
|
| Lions roar (at 12 feet)
|
105
|
| Thunder, Jet, Train whistle (at 50 feet)
|
110
|
| Air craft Jet take off (at 100 feet)
|
120
|
| Siren
|
150
|
| Space rocket
|
170
|
|
Participants