The Sources of Noise Pollution, its Effects and Solutions

By Sydney Cohen

Noise is the sound of life! Birds chirping, rain pattering, bells ringing, tractors chugging, dogs barking and babies crying all symbolize to us that we are part and parcel of society, of a greater life than just our own. So when and how do the sounds of life, that we all love, turn into noise pollution?

Noise pollution is a huge problem. According to the World Health Organization, more than one-third of people worldwide are exposed to noise levels higher than those deemed safe by WHO guidelines. Noise pollution can cause serious health problems such as hearing loss and heart disease and is deemed one of the most severe environmental threats to health by the WHO. In this blog post, we will discuss some common sources of noise pollution and how you can reduce your exposure to them, in order to protect your own human health and the marine ecosystems that are also affected!

Noise pollution, also known as environmental noise and sound pollution, refers to the spreading of noise which has ranging effects on the functioning of human or animal life. Worldwide pollution generated from outdoor noise is largely caused by machine systems, transportation, and transmission systems, that create loud noises.

In the United States, the highest rates of noise pollution are recorded in those communities in high-risk groups. High noise levels can contribute to human cardiovascular effects as well as increase the incidence of coronary artery disease.

In animals, noise causes the risk of dying by altering predator detection and avoiding, which then interferes with reproduction and navigation and contributes to permanent hearing loss. The vast majority of the noise produced by humans is concentrated in the ocean.

What are the Sources of Noise Pollution?

Noise pollution has been a huge problem in many countries for decades. It is hard to escape from the constant noise that we hear every day caused by traffic, construction, and other sources of noise pollution. This can be a major annoyance and cause health problems for some people.

The sources of noise pollution are vast, but most commonly occur from car stereos while driving, construction and industrial equipment while building new buildings, airplanes while taking off and landing at an airport, loud neighbors who play music too loudly, traffic noise, noisy children playing outside all day long with no supervision by adults, people talking loudly during movies or sermons in churches – the list goes on and on.

“Cities have become the epicenter” of various pollution sources, so that near cities and in urban areas, exposure to noise levels is high. Loud noise is considered noise pollution and is defined by the WHO, as “noise above 65 decibels (dB) is noise pollution. To be precise, noise becomes harmful when it exceeds 75 decibels (dB) and is painful above 120 dB”. Despite these dangerous sound levels, it is frequent that city-dwellers experience noise around 80 dB and 90 dB on a regular basis.

Often, these loud sound levels result from industrial commercial equipment, vehicles and traffic noise, of which the frequency affects humans at night causing sleep disturbances when they are unable to sleep for the recommended amount of hours. Residential areas are particularly prone to these types of health effects as a result of traffic noise.

Effects of Noise Pollution

The effects of noise pollution depend on the level of noise exposure that one experiences. High levels of noise pollution can have harmful, and even life-threatening effects. Noise pollution can cause hearing loss, high blood pressure, sleep disturbance, and stress.

Effects of Noise Pollution on Humans

Noise from regular road traffic impairs the ability of adults to concentrate in front of a computer, which affects attention perception and focus abilities. Noise makes it difficult for sleepers. It is also dangerous when abrupt noises cause awakenings which a sleeper doesn’t sense or remember.

Noise can trigger biological stress which then affects self-regulated chemicals to activate alertness in humans and stimulate an increase in arousal. Noise may have effects on conditions associated with chronic stress as well. Exposure to higher level street traffic noise is associated with a high risk of myocardial infarction and exposure to increased air traffic noise is associated with hypertension. Noise pollution can cause people to get into bed tired or feel restless in the morning.

Hearing loss caused primarily by loudspeakers is among the health risks associated with noise pollution in the United States, which can remarkably cause serious problems in breathing conditions. It can lead to a breakdown of memory, sleep deprivation, and disturbed sleep habits. It isn’t uncommon for people in major cities to hear all these sounds at once, such as traffic and air noise, plus other sounds of the city.

Effects of Noise Pollution on Children

Children also experience quite harmful health effects from noise pollution. It has been found that not only does noise pollution affect a child’s hearing, but also can cause digestion issues, such as digestive spasms, which can cause gastrointestinal problems. Additionally, noise pollution “can pose a serious threat to a child’s physical and psychological health, including learning and behavior.”

In older children and teens, noise pollution can cause the development of learning disabilities, high blood pressure, resistance to insulin, attention deficit disorder, and ulcers caused by stress. It has also been found that even older children and adolescents can experience an increased risk of heart disease, as well as a variety of mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression.

Effects of Noise Pollution on Wildlife and Ecosystems

Noise pollution sound level is measured in decibels, and it has been found that the effects of noise pollution are also felt by our wildlife friends, particularly in the marine environment. Noise pollution causes serious damage to ecosystems, as it can interfere with many species’ breeding cycles. Animals such as whales and dolphins, which are incredibly sensitive to sound levels, also experience health effects from exposure to noise pollution. Because of the incredibly large distance that sound frequency can travel, marine animals often experience the most adverse effects of noise pollution because they cannot hear their predators or prey. Additionally, “decreased species diversity in whales and dolphins was related to an increase in seismic noise”.

The pressure of sounds in an underwater environment drastically affects the hearing of marine species, and it is particularly exacerbated in bodies of water near construction, cities, and residential and urban spaces.

World Health Organization Initiatives

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that noise pollution is now considered to be a public health issue. WHO initiatives include raising awareness of the dangers of noise pollution, promoting legislation on limiting exposure levels, and encouraging more research into the effects of sound waves on human health.

WHO Noise Pollution Guidelines

They state, “The scope of WHO’s effort to derive guidelines for community noise is to consolidate actual scientific knowledge on the health impacts of community noise and to provide guidance to environmental health authorities and professionals trying to protect people from the harmful effects of noise in non-industrial environments. Guidance on the health effects of noise exposure of the population has already been given in an early publication of the series of Environmental Health Criteria. The health risk to humans from exposure to environmental noise was evaluated and guidelines values derived”.

They have released a WHO guideline for community noise that provides recommendations on how to deal with environmental noise in order to prevent adverse health effects. WHO suggests implementing various strategies, such as education, regulation, and economic incentives in order to reduce noise pollution levels in communities.

All of their guidelines aim to promote noise reduction, lower sound levels, reduce noise-induced health consequences and loud sounds that can be managed, and regulate commercial and industrial noise levels. These guidelines work to control the harmful effects of noise pollution that humans and animals are exposed to.

WHO Government Recommendations

The WHO recommends that:

• Governments should protect the population from community noise and consider it an integral part of their policy of environmental protection.
• Governments should consider implementing action plans with short-term, medium-term and long-term objectives for reducing noise levels.
• Governments should adopt the Health Guidelines for Community Noise values as targets to be achieved in the long-term.
• Governments should include noise as an important public health issue in environmental impact assessments.
• Legislation should be put in place to allow for the reduction of sound levels.
• Existing legislation should be enforced.
• Municipalities should develop low noise implementation plans.
• Cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses should be considered potential instruments for meaningful management decisions.
• Governments should support more policy-relevant research.

WHO Future Work

The WHO also believes that in the future, they should:

• Provide leadership and technical direction in defining future noise research priorities.
• Organize workshops on how to apply the guidelines.
• Provide leadership and coordinate international efforts to develop techniques for designing supportive sound environments (e.g. “soundscapes”).
• Provide leadership for programs to assess the effectiveness of health-related noise policies and regulations.
• Provide leadership and technical direction for the development of sound methodologies for environmental and health impact plans.
• Encourage further investigation into using noise exposure as an indicator of environmental deterioration (e.g. black spots in cities).
• Provide leadership and technical support, and advise developing countries to facilitate development of noise policies and noise management.

Are Religions Increasing OR Decreasing Noise Pollution?

Religions themselves can be sources of noise pollution. Noise pollution can arise from prayers and music being broadcast over loudspeakers or simply when there are many religious people celebrating together. There can be excessive noise from religiously inspired fireworks and even from people driving on pilgrimages and honking their way to heaven.

Part of the controversy comes from the question of whether there is favoritism in which religions are allowed to produce noise. This came up for debate in England where there was a “furor over the recent decision by a mosque in Oxford, England, to obtain permission from the local council to amplify its call to prayer (azan). The prospect of a muezzin’s call overlaying the peal of church bells in the so-called ‘city of dreaming spires‘ sparked national controversy.” When considering religious sources of noise, we need to be sensitive to our own biases that may lead us to feel that one source of noise is ok, but an equally loud source is not.

An NGO called “Sanskar India Foundation” is helping to reduce religious noise pollution through educating children and empowering them to become what Director Kiran Madan refers to as “change-agents.”

“In January, we took children outside where traffic signals are and asked them to spread awareness about noise pollution. They talked about it with people stuck in traffic and that worked out well. Our kids are now stopping their parents from honking, they have even stopped buying fire crackers during festivals that are noisy in order to cut down on noise level. These are some changes we have witnessed as the positive effects of our campaigns and initiatives,” said Kiran.

Apostle Johnson Suleman advises, “work hard in silence, let your success make the noise.” In many religions there is a sensitivity to the awareness that bigger is not always better and louder is not always more important.

This is captured poignantly in God’s revelation to Elijah the prophet: “Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a]a still small voice.” (1 Kings 19:11-13 KJV)

The world is full of noise pollution. It is up to the spiritual seeker to reduce their own noise pollution so we can all hear the “still small voice” of God.

Simple Steps to Reduce Noise Pollution Harm

In many parts of the world, it’s easy to find yourself exposed to noise pollution. From loud music at a concert or bar to traffic on your morning commute, there are many sources of noise that can be harmful to you and those around you. To minimize exposure and protect your health – especially if you suffer from hearing loss or heart problems – try these ways to reduce noise levels in different environments:

• In bars with live bands, arrive early so as not to have an extremely long wait before the show begins,
• If possible use earplugs when traveling by plane,
• Consider using outside air conditioning units instead of window units,
• Keep windows closed during construction work near your home and
• Avoid working out close to busy streets.

Together we can reduce the harmful impacts of noise pollution and start taking care of ourselves and others!

* Featured image source

Interested in learning more about pollution? Check out this blog post on Air Pollution.