NOISE

POLLUTION
PROBLEM
AND
SOLUTIONS
 POLLUTION
“Pollution means any contamination
of air, soil, water and environment.”

“Even loud noise and sound is also a

part of pollution.”
 NOISE…
 from the Latin word noxia meaning
"injury" or "hurt"

 unwanted, unpleasant and annoying sound

caused by vibration of the matter

 contaminants are not physical

particles, but rather waves that
interfere with naturally-occurring
waves of a similar type in the
same environment
 NOISE
 they adversely affect wildlife, human
activity, or are capable of damaging
physical structures on a regular,
repeating basis
Vibrations impinge on the ear drum
of a human or animal and setup a
nervous disturbance, which we call
sound. When the effects of sound
are undesirable that it may be
termed as “Noise”.
 MEASUREMENT OF NOISE
-Decibel is the standard measurement of noise
• 20 db is whisper
• 40 db is noise in a quiet office
• 60 db is normal conversation
• 80 db is the level at which sound
becomes physically painful and
can be termed as noise
 Classification of Noise Pollution
There are 2 kinds of noise pollution.
A. Community Noise/ Environmental Noise (non
industrial noise pollution).
• Poor urban planning
• Social events
• Household chores
• Transportation noise pollution
• Construction activities
B. Occupational Noise( industrial noise pollution)
• Industries
COMMUNITY NOISE
-also called environmental noise,
residential noise or domestic
noise
- noise emitted from all sources,
except at the industrial
workplace
- main sources: road, rail and air
traffic, construction and public
work, and the neighborhood
 Poor urban planning

• Pronounced in developing countries

-congested houses
-large families sharing small space
-fight over parking
-frequent fights over basic amenities leads to noise
pollution which may disrupt the environment of
society
 Social Events
• Noise at peak in most of the social
events
-marriage
-parties, pub, disc
-place of worship
-in markets
Fire crackers
Use of firecrackers with high noise level may harm the
human hearing system. Especially sensitive are small
children.
 Household Chores

• Use of gadgets in our daily life

-TV, mobile , mixer grinder, pressure cooker,
vacuum cleaners , washing machine and dryer,
cooler, air conditioners
 neighborhood noise:
live or recorded music
sporting events including motor sports
playgrounds and car parks
domestic animals as barking dogs
 Transportation

• vehicles on roads, aeroplanes

flying over houses, underground
trains
• high noise leads to a situation
wherein a normal person lose
the ability to hear properly
 Aircraft Noise
Pollution
-from planes flying over
residential areas impairs
people's ability to work, learn
in school and sleep, and
consequently results in
lowered property values in
affected areas
 Roadway noise pollution
-emanating from motor vehicles
-rail car retarders can produce a
high frequency, high level
screech that can reach peak
levels of 120 dB at a distance of
100 feet, which translates to
levels as high as 138, or 140 dB
at the railroad worker’s ear
 Construction Activities

• mining, construction of bridges, dams,

buildings, stations, roads, flyovers
• construction equipment are too noisy
 OCCUPATIONAL NOISE

- sources of noise: industrial machinery and

processes including rotors, gears, turbulent
fluid flow, impact processes, electrical
machines, internal combustion engines,
pneumatic equipment, drilling, crushing,
blasting, pumps and compressors
- emitted sounds are reflected from
floors, ceiling and equipment.
- occupational exposure limit of 85 dB
for 8 hours should protect most people
against a permanent hearing
impairment induced by noise after 40
years of occupational exposure
 Under water noise pollution
UNP is intense human-generated noise in
the marine environment. It is caused by
use of explosives, oceanographic
experiments, geophysical research,
underwater construction, ship traffic,
intense active sonars and air guns used
for seismic surveys for oil and related
activities.
• white noise: a constant noise (such as that
the noise from a television or radio that is
turned on but is not receiving a clear signal)
that is a mixture of many different sound
waves
• pink noise: a mixture of sound waves with an
intensity that diminishes proportionally with
frequency
• Sound Exposure Level (SEL) - provides a basis for
computing noise events of variable durations
which matches a person’s impression of noise. It is
standardized to 1 sec.
• Day - Night Sound Level (DNL)- with a 10-dBA
penalty for night time which is more annoying.
• Temporary Threshold Shift (TTS)- Temporary
hearing loss (approx. 1 month)
• Noise -induced permanent threshold shift (NIPTS) -
loss of hearing with no chance of recovery
Effects of Noise Pollution
 HEALTH EFFECTS

• Urban noise pollution produces

direct and cumulative adverse health
effects by degrading residential,
social, working, and learning
environments with corresponding
real (economic) and intangible (well-
being) losses.
 SEVEN CATEGORIES OF ADVERSE
HEALTH EFFECTS OF NOISE
POLLUTION ON HUMANS
(WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION)
1. Hearing Impairment
- related to duration and intensity of noise
exposure
- at levels of 80 dB or greater
- children more vulnerable than adults
- partial hearing loss also called Temporary
Threshold Shift (TTS)
2. Interference with Spoken
Communication
- interferes with ability to comprehend normal
speech; lead to a number of personal
disabilities, handicaps, and behavioral
changes
- problems with: concentration, fatigue,
uncertainty, lack of self confidence,
irritation, misunderstandings, decreased
working capacity, disturbed interpersonal
relationships, and stress reactions
3. Sleep Disturbances
- uninterrupted sleep ->
prerequisite for good
physiological and mental
functioning in healthy persons
- causes increased-- blood
pressure, heart rate, pulse
amplitude, vasoconstriction,
cardiac arrhythmias, body
movement
- secondary effects: fatigue,
depressed mood and well-being,
and decreased performance
4. Cardiovascular Disturbances
- acute exposure to noise activates nervous
and hormonal responses = increased
blood pressure and heart rate and to
vasoconstriction
- sufficient intensity exposure then increase
in heart rate and peripheral resistance; an
increase in blood pressure, and increased
levels of stress hormones (epinephrine,
norepinephrine, and cortisol)
5. Disturbances in Mental Health
- assumed to accelerate, intensify development of
latent mental disorders
- may cause following adverse effects: anxiety,
stress, nervousness, nausea, headache, emotional
instability, argumentativeness, sexual impotence,
changes in mood, increase in social conflicts,
neurosis, hysteria, and psychosis
6. Impaired Task Performance
- impairs task performance, increases
errors, and decreases motivation
- reading attention, problem solving,
and memory are strongly affected
- negative after-effects on performance
(children), longer exposure means
greater damage
7. Negative Social Behavior and Annoyance
Reactions
- annoyance increases when noise accompanied
by vibration or by low frequency components
include anger, disappointment, dissatisfaction,
withdrawal, helplessness, depression, anxiety,
distraction, agitation, or exhaustion
- causes aggressiveness or disengagement, and
changes in social indicators and changes in
mood
- above 80 dB : decreased helping behavior and
increased aggressiveness
Groups Vulnerable to the Effects of Noise
Pollution

• particularly vulnerable include:

-infants, children,
- those with mental or physical
illnesses
- elderly
Other health effects:

• Abortion is caused
• Pupil Dilation
• Digestive problems
ABORTION
There should be cool and calm atmosphere during
the pregnancy. Unpleasant sounds make a lady of
irriative nature. Sudden Noise causes abortion in
females.
PUPIL DILATION
Noise Pollution causes dilation of the pupil of the eye
Digestive problems
Noise Pollution causes digestive spasms and stomach
disorders
Effect on Property
Loud noise is very dangerous to buildings, bridges and
monuments. It creates waves which struck the walls and put
the building in danger condition.
 ENVIRONMETAL
EFFECTS OF
NOISE POLLUTION
1. Effects on Wildlife…
bats, owls and birds
 EUROPEAN ROBINS

• 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.
Elephants
Tree frogs
Hermit Crab
whales, dolphins and porpoises
 EFFECT ON BEACHED
WHALE
One of the best known damage
caused by noise pollution is the death
of certain species of beached whales,
brought on by the loud sound of
military sonar.
Bark Beetles
2. EFFECT ON VEGETATION
 PRACTICABLE CONTROL
MEASURES TO MITIGATE THE
NOISE IMPACT
Noise Pollution Controls and Mitigation
a.Land Use Planning
b.Alternative Siting / Alignment
c.Screening by Noise Tolerant Buildings
d.Building Disposition
e.Noise Barrier/Enclosure
f. Architectural Features/Balcony
g.Building Orientation and Innovative Layout
h.Open-Textured Road Surfacing
i. Acoustic Insulation of Receiver
 Land Use Planning
- ensure compatibility of different land uses
adjacent to each other
- land use planning provides separate zones for
the industrial undertakings and the residential
buildings to avoid incompatibility in land use
- buffer area for non noise sensitive use between
the two zones can further help to reduce noise
impact to the residents arising from the
industrial operation
Alternative Siting / Alignment
- If a certain locality found to be unsuitable for
the development of a certain noise sensitive
use or a certain noise source due to adverse
environmental noise impact on existing
sensitive development, then an alternative
location may have to be explored.
- noise impact from road traffic can be
minimized through suitable choice of
alternative alignment
 Screening by Noise Tolerant
Buildings

- Placing a noise tolerant building in

between the road traffic and the
residential building causes the noise in
the "shadow zone" to be reduced. This
brings about a reduction
in the traffic noise
affecting the residents.
 Building Disposition

- residential buildings are sited

Away or set back from main roads as
far as possible.
- development also employs
noise barrier to reduce the
impact of traffic noise
 Noise Barrier/Enclosure

- reduces noise by interrupting the propagation

of sound waves. With proper design and
selection of material for the noise barrier or
acoustic shield, noise reaching a noise
sensitive receiver would be primarily through
diffraction over the top of the barrier and
around its ends
- effective noise barriers can reduce noise levels
by as much as 20 dB(A)
 Mimic
Project Characteristics
Photographs
Semi-enclosure  Effective in protecting high-rise
for Tate's Cairn Tunnel sensitive receiver at one side of the
Approach at Choi Hung carriageway
Estate and Richland Gardens

Full Enclosure  Effective in protecting high-rise

for Wong Chu Road sensitive receivers located on both
sides of carriageway
 Architectural Features/Balcony
• Certain architectural features such as fins
and balcony can help reduce impact of road
traffic noise on residential buildings
Building Orientation and Innovative
Layout
- building is oriented so that less noise sensitive uses
such as kitchen, bathroom and store rooms are
located to one side of the flat while noise sensitive
uses such as living rooms and bed rooms are located
on the other side
- help to render sensitive development at an
otherwise "environmentally unacceptable site"
acceptable
 Open-Textured Road Surfacing

- a special type of bituminous

highway surfacing, designed to
improve skid resistance by virtue
of its open texture
- consists of tiny holes making up
20% of the volume and can
reduce traffic noise induced by
the interaction between road
surface and vehicles tyres of high-
speed traffic by up to 5dB(A)
 Acoustic Insulation of Receiver
- provision of window insulation and air-
conditioning is the "last resort" in an
attempt to abate the residual impact such as
aircraft, road traffic and helicopter
- places having warm and humid climate
makes it more expensive for noise sensitive
uses due to the need to provide air-
conditioning for a "closed-window"
environment
 Mitigation at the Sources
• Mufflers: Most construction noise originates
from internal combustion engines. A large part
of the noise emitted is due to the air intake and
exhaust cycle. Specifying the use of adequate
muffler systems can control much of this engine
noise
• Shields: Employing shields that are physically
attached to the particular piece of equipment is
effective, particularly for stationary equipment
and where considerable noise reduction is
required.
 Unshielded, non-baffled
equipment

Shielded compressor
• Dampeners: Equipment modifications, such as
dampening of metal surfaces, is effective in
reducing noise due to vibration. Another
possibility is the redesign of a particular piece of
equipment to achieve quieter noise levels.
• Bubble Curtains: introduce specifically sized air
bubbles into the water surrounding the pile in a
controlled manner, thus dampening the shock waves
and helping to minimize the effects on aquatic life. Air
may be released in a variety of ways, including
through a ring.
• Aprons: Sound aprons generally take the
form of sound absorptive mats hung from
the equipment or on frames attached to
the equipment. The aprons can be
constructed of rubber, lead-filled fabric, or
PVC layers with possibly sound absorptive
material covering the side facing the
machine. Sound aprons are useful when
the shielding must be frequently removed
or if only partial covering is possible.
• Blasting Mats: These mats are typically made
with layers of used tires cabled together. They
are commonly used as blankets for blasting
operations to control and confine debris. These
mats also provide a degree of noise attenuation
from the blast. However, they do not mitigate
vibration, which is usually more of a concern
than noise.
• Selection of Equipment: Newer equipment
is generally quieter than old equipment for
many reasons, including technological
advancements and the lack of worn, loose, or
damaged components.
- use of electric powered equipment is typically
quieter than diesel, and hydraulic powered
equipment is quieter than pneumatic power
 PRACTICABLE CONTROL MEASURES TO
MITIGATE THE NOISE IMPACT

1.Use of noise reduced plants and machineries

2.Enclose noisy plant in an acoustic shed.

3.Barricade noisy activities with portable noise
barriers/panels.
4. Erect noise barriers before commencement
of works.
5. Establish good rapport with the community.
 Noise Mitigation
“Noise mitigation is a set of strategies to reduce noise
pollution.”
Construction of sound proof rooms for noisy machines in industries.
Use of horns with jarring sounds to be banned. No motor vehicle
should be fitted with multitioned horn giving a succession of different
note or with any other sound producing device giving an unduly harsh,
shrill , loud or alarming noise on other similar vehicles of such sound
signals.
Every motor vehicle shall be fitted with a device (silencer).
Noise producing industries, aerodromes, and railway stations to be
shifted away from the inhabited areas.
Proper law should be enforced to check the misuse of loudspeakers
and public announcements systems. Loud speakers are banned from
10pm to 6am.
Growing green plants/trees along roadside to reduce noise
pollution as they absorb sound.
To avoid noise-induced hearing loss, pay attention to the
noises around you and turn down the volume whenever
possible.
Avoid or limit time spent in noisy sports events.
Wear adequate hearing protection, such as foam ear plugs or
ear muffs, when you must be in a noisy environment or when
using loud equipment.
We must constantly check up on the appliances we use at
home. Most of them have rubber insulations that act for
soundproofing. But over time, this insulation may wear out, and
that is when the noise pollution will begin. Keep track of which
appliances need maintenance, and replace insulations if needed
Noise is also made by the escape of exhaust gases from the
engine, therefore every motor vehicle should be so constructed
and maintained as not to cause undue noise when in motion.
Before buying a home, see how far it is from the local airport.