Noise pollution

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A Boeing 747-400 passes close to houses shortly before landing at London Heathrow Airport

Noise pollution is excessive, displeasing human, animal or machine-created environmental noise

that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life. The word noise comes from the
Latin word nauseas, meaning seasickness.

The source of most outdoor noise worldwide is mainly construction and transportation systems,
including motor vehicle noise, aircraft noise and rail noise.[1][2] Poor urban planning may give rise
to noise pollution, since side-by-side industrial and residential buildings can result in noise
pollution in the residential area.

Indoor and outdoor noise pollution sources include car alarms, emergency service sirens,
mechanical equipment, fireworks, compressed air horns, groundskeeping equipment, barking
dogs, appliances, lighting hum, audio entertainment systems, electric megaphones, and loud
people.

Contents
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 1 Effects
o 1.1 Human health
o 1.2 Environment
 2 Impact in the United Kingdom
 3 Mitigation and control of noise
 4 Legal status
 5 References
 6 External links
Effects
Human health

Main article: Noise health effects

Noise health effects are both health and behavioral in nature.[citation needed] The unwanted sound is
called noise. This unwanted sound can damage physiological and psychological health. Noise
pollution can cause annoyance and aggression, hypertension, high stress levels, tinnitus, hearing
loss, sleep disturbances, and other harmful effects.[3][4][5][6] Furthermore, stress and hypertension
are the leading causes to health problems, whereas tinnitus can lead to forgetfulness, severe
depression and at times panic attacks.[4][7]

Chronic exposure to noise may cause noise-induced hearing loss. Older males exposed to
significant occupational noise demonstrate significantly reduced hearing sensitivity than their
non-exposed peers, though differences in hearing sensitivity decrease with time and the two
groups are indistinguishable by age 79.[8] A comparison of Maaban tribesmen, who were
insignificantly exposed to transportation or industrial noise, to a typical U.S. population showed
that chronic exposure to moderately high levels of environmental noise contributes to hearing
loss.[3]

High noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects and exposure to moderately high levels
during a single eight hour period causes a statistical rise in blood pressure of five to ten points
and an increase in stress[3] and vasoconstriction leading to the increased blood pressure noted
above as well as to increased incidence of coronary artery disease.

Noise pollution is also a cause of annoyance. A 2005 study by Spanish researchers found that in
urban areas households are willing to pay approximately four Euros per decibel per year for
noise reduction.[9]

Environment

Noise can have a detrimental effect on animals by causing stress, increasing risk of death by
changing the delicate balance in predator/prey detection and avoidance, and by interfering with
their use of sounds in communication especially in relation to reproduction and in navigation.
Acoustic overexposure can lead to temporary or permanent loss of hearing.[10]

An impact of noise on animal life is the reduction of usable habitat that noisy areas may cause,
which in the case of endangered species may be part of the path to extinction. Noise pollution
has caused the death of certain species of whales that beached themselves after being exposed to
the loud sound of military sonar.[11]

Noise also makes species communicate louder, which is called Lombard vocal response.[12]
Scientists and researchers have conducted experiments that show whales' song length is longer
when submarine-detectors are on.[13] If creatures do not "speak" loud enough, their voice will be
masked by anthropogenic sounds. These unheard voices might be warnings, finding of prey, or
preparations of net-bubbling. When one species begins speaking louder, it will mask other
species' voice, causing the whole ecosystem to eventually speak louder.

European Robins living in urban environments are more likely to sing at night in places with
high levels of noise pollution during the day, suggesting that they sing at night because it is
quieter, and their message can propagate through the environment more clearly.[14] The same
study showed that daytime noise was a stronger predictor of nocturnal singing than night-time
light pollution, to which the phenomenon is often attributed.

Zebra finches become less faithful to their partners when exposed to traffic noise. This could
alter a population's evolutionary trajectory by selecting traits, sapping resources normally
devoted to other activities and thus lead to profound genetic and evolutionary consequences.[15]

Impact in the United Kingdom

Figures compiled by Rockwool, the mineral wool insulation manufacturer, based on responses
from local authorities to a Freedom of Information Act (FOI) request reveal in the period April
2008 – 2009 UK councils received 315,838 complaints about noise pollution from private
residences. This resulted in environmental health officers across the UK serving 8,069 noise
abatement notices, or citations under the terms of the Anti-Social Behaviour (Scotland) Act. In
the last 12 months, 524 confiscations of equipment have been authorised involving the removal
of powerful speakers, stereos and televisions. Westminster City Council has received more
complaints per head of population than any other district in the UK with 9,814 grievances about
noise, which equates to 42.32 complaints per thousand residents. Eight of the top 10 councils
ranked by complaints per 1,000 residents are located in London.[16]

Mitigation and control of noise

Main article: Noise mitigation

The sound tube in Melbourne, Australia, designed to reduce roadway noise without distracting
from the area's aesthetics.

Technology to mitigate or remove noise can be applied as follows:

There are a variety of strategies for mitigating roadway noise including: use of noise barriers,
limitation of vehicle speeds, alteration of roadway surface texture, limitation of heavy vehicles,
use of traffic controls that smooth vehicle flow to reduce braking and acceleration, and tire
design. An important factor in applying these strategies is a computer model for roadway noise,
that is capable of addressing local topography, meteorology, traffic operations and hypothetical
mitigation. Costs of building-in mitigation can be modest, provided these solutions are sought in
the planning stage of a roadway project.

Aircraft noise can be reduced to some extent by design of quieter jet engines, which was pursued
vigorously in the 1970s and 1980s. This strategy has brought limited but noticeable reduction of
urban sound levels. Reconsideration of operations, such as altering flight paths and time of day
runway use, has demonstrated benefits for residential populations near airports. FAA sponsored
residential retrofit (insulation) programs initiated in the 1970s has also enjoyed success in
reducing interior residential noise in thousands of residences across the United States.

Exposure of workers to Industrial noise has been addressed since the 1930s. Changes include
redesign of industrial equipment, shock mounting assemblies and physical barriers in the
workplace.

Noise Free America, a national anti-noise pollution organization, regularly lobbies for the
enforcement of noise ordinances at all levels of government.[17]

Legal status
Main article: Noise regulation

Governments up until the 1970s viewed noise as a "nuisance" rather than an environmental
problem. In the United States there are federal standards for highway and aircraft noise; states
and local governments typically have very specific statutes on building codes, urban planning
and roadway development. In Canada and the EU there are few national, provincial, or state laws
that protect against noise.[citation needed]

Noise laws and ordinances vary widely among municipalities and indeed do not even exist in
some cities. An ordinance may contain a general prohibition against making noise that is a
nuisance, or it may set out specific guidelines for the level of noise allowable at certain times of
the day and for certain activities.

Dr. Paul Herman wrote the first comprehensive noise codes in 1975 for Portland, Oregon with
funding from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and HUD (Housing and Urban
Development). The Portland Noise Code became the basis for most other ordinances for major
U.S. and Canadian metropolitan regions.[18]

Most city ordinances prohibit sound above a threshold intensity from trespassing over property
line at night, typically between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., and during the day restricts it to a higher
sound level; however, enforcement is uneven.[citation needed] Many municipalities do not follow up on
complaints. Even where a municipality has an enforcement office, it may only be willing to issue
warnings, since taking offenders to court is expensive.

The notable exception to this rule is the City of Portland Oregon which has instituted an
aggressive protection for its citizens with fines reaching as high at $5000 per infraction, with the
ability to cite a responsible noise violator multiple times in a single day.

Many conflicts over noise pollution are handled by negotiation between the emitter and the
receiver. Escalation procedures vary by country, and may include action in conjunction with
local authorities, in particular the police. Noise pollution often persists because only five to ten
percent of people affected by noise will lodge a formal complaint. Many people are not aware of
their legal right to quiet and do not know how to register a complaint.[citation needed