INTRODUCTION

Noise pollution, also known as environmental noise or

sound pollution, can be defined as propagation of noise with
ranging impacts on the activity of human or animal life, most of
them harmful to a degree. Noise pollution often emanates from
railroads, road traffic, aircraft, loud music, construction sites,
and industrial activities. Nevertheless, the definition of noise is
subjective as it varies from one individual to another. In the
majority of cases, individual response to noise is influenced by
loudness, time pattern, and frequency.
Other factors include the nature of the activity that produces the
noise and the level of background sound before the introduction
of another louder sound frequency. Noise is the only form of
pollution that is ever-present but rarely noticed despite its
adverse effects. It can lead to loss of memory, deafness or in
some cases psychiatric disorders. Sensitivity to different sound
frequencies is measured using the A-weighted decibel scale
(dB). According to the World Health Organization (WHO)
noise above 65 decibels (dB) are considered as noise pollution.
Noise above 75 decibels (dB) is harmful to all living creatures.

VARIOUS SOURCES OF NOISE POLLUTION

The sources of noise pollution are classified into two broad
categories: Internal and external sources of noise pollution.
[Link] sources of pollution:

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These are the major sources of noise pollution in the
environment. They are sources that are extremely difficult to
control. They include:
 Industrial sources: The industrialization has resulted in
the rise of noise pollution. The industries include textile
mills, engineering plants, printing presses, and metal
industries. Most industries use heavy machines capable of
producing very high levels of noise. They have equipment
such as compressors, exhaust fans, grinding mills, and
generators which increase the overall noise levels in the
environment. Workers in these environments are in great
health risks in case they do not take proper measures like
wearing earplugs to minimize the effect of the noise.

 Vehicles for transportation: The automobile revolution

has turned out to be a big source of environmental noise in
urban regions. In the modern age, there is an increase in
traffic due to the growth in the number of vehicles such as
buses, trains, and trucks. People caught in traffic jams are
also often impatient and will continuously hoot their horns
in an attempt to alert the driver in front of them to move.
These acts produce unbearable noise to the people living in
the neighboring areas, the commuters or passersby, and the
environment as a whole. Airplanes also increase the
problem of noise in major urban cities. Most airports are
located near residential areas and for this reason, the jet-

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 planes taking off and landing in such areas normally
produce high sound levels.

 Poor urban planning: Developing nations habitually lack

proper urban planning that leads to congested housing,
small spaces, small industry proliferation, and lack of
enough parking areas. Poor urban planning thus contributes
to environmental noise through fights or social and basic
amenities, noise from small manufacturing industries,
wrangles over parking space, family quarrels from the
neighboring houses, and noise from playing children.

 Public address systems: Public functions such as rallies,

strikes, elections, religious and secular events use
addressing systems that are very loud. The organizers of
such events normally flout the rules set against public noise
pollution by the state. Loud noise from public address
systems and music systems during social events such as
parties and religious crusades are another source of noise
pollution. Open markets also often produce high levels of
noise pollution due to the activities of buying and selling,
and the use of loudspeakers and megaphones in advertising
merchandise or services.

 Agriculture machines: Noise level of as high as 90 dB to

98 dB has been recorded in some farms using heavy types

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 of machinery and equipment. These equipment include
thrashers, tube wells, tractors, drillers, powered tillers, and
harvesters.

 Military equipment: Artillery tanks, rocket launching,

military airplanes drills, explosions, and shooting practice
are serious noise polluters. Deafening impacts are produced
by the sounds of jet engines and in extreme cases, they
cause the shattering of window panes and cracking of old
dilapidates buildings located near their take-off and landing
areas or when they fly past such structures.

1. Indoor sources of noise:

They are noises associated with human activities within a
household or building. They also occur due to operations of
building services and office services.

 Inside building services: Construction works, workshops

and automobile repairs cause noise pollution. The
equipment used in such jobs produces a lot of noise that
causes nuisance and may hamper hearing ability.

 Household activities: These are activities such as the loud

banging of doors, noises from playing children, furniture
movement, crying infants, loud arguments. Many
households also own entertainment equipment such as Hi-
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 Fi Systems, Television sets, and loudspeakers that may
further contribute to the overall noise emanating from
indoor household activities. Household equipment like
pressure cookers, vacuum cleaners, washing machines,
sewing machines, mix-grinders, desert coolers, exhaust
fans, and air-conditioners equally produce a lot of noise.

EFFECTS OF NOISE POLLUTION ON HUMANS

AND WILDLIFE
 Human: Noise pollution can affect both the behavior and
health of humans. Noise or unwanted sounds can lead to
the damage of a person’s physiological health. Pollution by
noise can cause a lot of things like sleeping disturbances,
hearing loss, tinnitus, levels of stress that are very high,
hypertension and a host of many other effects that are
harmful. A sound can be classified as unwanted if it
disrupts normal human activities like conversation or sleep
or interferes with or diminishes the quality of a person’s
life. Hearing loss that is induced by nose can be as a result
of a prolonged and constant exposure to levels of noise that
are above 85 decibels. A study showed that people that
were not significantly exposed to industrial or
transportation noise did not suffer from a loss of hearing
like their counterparts that had significant exposure to
industrial or transportation noise. High levels of noise can
lead to a variety of cardiovascular conditions in humans
and it can also lead to an increase in the occurrence of
diseases of the coronary artery. Noise pollution can also
have negative affects on adults and children on the autistic
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 spectrum. Those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
can have hyperacusis, which is an abnormal sensitivity to
sound. People with ASD who experience hyperacusis may
have unpleasant emotions, such as fear and anxiety, and
uncomfortable physical sensations in noisy environments
with loud sounds. This can cause individuals with ASD to
avoid environments with noise pollution, which in turn can
result in isolation and negatively affect their quality of life.
The elderly have a possibility of suffering from cardiac
problems as a result of noise. The most vulnerable group to
noise are children, some of the effects of noise pollution on
children can be permanent. It is a very serious and
important threat to the psychological and physical health of
a child and can cause serious harm to the behavior and
learning of a child.
 Wildlife: Noise pollution can have a detrimental effect on
animals, increasing the risk of death by changing the
delicate balance in predator or prey detection and
avoidance, and interfering with the use of the sounds in
communication, especially in relation to reproduction, and
in navigation and echolocation. These effects then may
alter more interactions within a community through indirect
effects. Acoustic overexposure can lead to temporary or
permanent loss of hearing. Underwater noise pollution due
to human activities is also prevalent in the sea, and given
that sound travels faster through water than through air, is a
major source of disruption of marine ecosystems and does
significant harm to sea life, including marine mammals,
fish and invertebrates. Noise pollution can lead to an
imbalance in the habitat of animals which can in turn lead
to the extinction of some species of animals.
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NOISE POLLUTION CONTROL
It is, however, impossible to have a total elimination of
annoying sounds. Noise pollution can be reduced or noise
control can be done mainly by planning and forethought.
The passive barriers, isolators, distances and absorbers which
give rise to an acceptable noise level have been usually
permanent features of our environment and as such they will not
be easy to adapt or vary, and so must be adequate when
installed, and permit for possible increases in future noise levels.
Silence can only be achieved in two ways; either the noise
source should be switched off, thus depriving someone of a
facility, or else the noise suffers must move away until he can no
longer be able to hear the sound. The concept of an ‘acceptable’
level’ often involves setting of standards by an arbitrating body
like government and Court of law. Decisions must be made
involving a tradeoff between utility and noise.
Therefore, to control the pollution of noise some necessary steps
are:
1. Reduction of noise at the source of its origin:
Often a little precaution can reduce much of the nuisance
caused by loud noise. This can achieve by replacement of
noisy rattling devices or machines with quieter ones. Noise
level can be reduced effectively by replacement of noisy and
rattling parts, providing better cushioning. Check the
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 vibrations, proper oiling and greasing to ensure smooth
running and using effective silencers etc.

2. Application of sound proofing techniques to muffle

down loud noises:
Sound waves are absorbed by porous material such as
perforated sheets and other objects. Just as putting cotton
plugs in the ears reduces noise level for the individual
concerned, sound barriers placed around the source of origin
of loud noises drastically reduce the intensity of sound on the
other side of the obstacle. For example, little of loud noise
prodded in picture halls and auditoria escape out because of
effective sound proofing and acoustic techniques are applied
for the purpose. The same can be done for industrial units
also.

3. Keeping residential localities free of noisy industries,

busy highways, aerodromes etc.:
Residential localities should be established away from noisy
industries, busy highways, aerodromes or else these noisy
establishments should be developed away from quiet
residential areas. Industrial units can be displaced to some
industrial area whereas by-passes may be developed to divert
busy railway tracks and highways away tram domestic
establishments. Only that part of traffic should be allowed to

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 get into a residential area which is barely necessary. This shall
curb much of the nuisance caused by noise pollution.

4. Enactment of strict legislation and its effective

compliance:
In most of the countries, legal framework against noise
pollution has been developed. However, in most of the cases
little efforts are made to enforce these rules and regulations
effectively. If we ensure only effective compliance of these
rules much of the nuisance of noise pollution shall
automatically be curtailed.

CONCLUSION
To conclude, it is extremely essential that we take noise
pollution very seriously. There are a lot of harmful effects of
noise pollution to the human health and we must do all we can
to help prevent, control and, manage noise pollution in our
environment. It is very important that we employ various noise
control techniques and do the best we can in stopping noise
pollution. We can control noise pollution through proper urban
planning and separating residential areas from industrial areas.
We must protect our environment from noise pollution.