The introduction
Noise pollution meaning
When speaking about the effects of noise pollution, it is necessary to highlight some fundamentals of the issue. So, first of all, it should be pointed out that noise is considered to be a negative phenomenon both at physiological and psychological levels.
Generally, one is to keep in mind that noise seems to be one of the most important threats to the quality of a person’s life. The modern technological developments are recognized to be the basic reasons of noise appearance. Moreover, the effects of noise pollution are especially harmful for urban areas where industry and transportation are developed.
The body
Some fundamentals of noise pollution
A sound pressure, which exceeds 70 dB, is recognized to be harmful for human ears. In most cases, “continuous exposure to such high level noise higher than the acceptable values can lead to a progressive loss of hearing and/or an
increase in the threshold of hearing” (Roba 2). It should be pointed out that such high sound levels are mostly associated with noise from factories, motorcycles, etc.
Noise pollution studies
The impact of noise pollution on people was also observed. For instance, those adults, who were annoyed by traffic noise (trains, air and road traffic) had hypertension; while for children, it was extremely hard to lean and to differentiate between the words under high sound levels.
Those people, who live in high traffic areas, have more health problems (higher blood pressures and lower heart pulse rates). The employees of some factories in Turkey also took part in the investigation. The results of the studies showed that approximately 50% of employees suffered from NIHL.
In other words, one is to keep in mind that noise-induced hearing loss seems to be the most widespread disease in industries. Lane is of the opinion that “Noise has numerous health effects, making noise pollution a public health concern; although, it has not been well addressed. To name a few, these effects include elevated blood pressure, noise-induced hearing loss, sleep disorders, and irritability” (1).
It is obvious that noise pollution is really a great problem, as there are not only adults, but also children who show the signs of noise-induced hearing loss. For instance, it might be noted that 15% of children (6-19 years old) in the USA suffer from NIHL.
Mental diseases, however, should also be taken into account, as certain studies have shown that children’s decreased attention, oppositional behavior, etc. mostly depended upon noise levels, which exceeded 55 dB. Certain difficulties with social adaptation because of high sound levels should not be neglected too. Isabelle Lane states that “Noise pollution via community noise also causes annoyance and disturbance among those with depression and anxiety and may make their
symptoms worse” (4). Generally, there are many unpleasant consequences, which noise pollution causes. A person’s ability to work well, his or her memory, concentration and motivation depend upon the conditions he or she works within.
The conclusion
The effects of noise pollution seem to be really destructive, as they deteriorate people’s quality of life. Various accidents in the workplace also occur because of noise pollution. The employees’ effectiveness and accuracy depend upon sound level they work within. Increased negative reactions are also caused by high sound levels; so, to prevent negative social and behavioral effects, one is to think about his or her hearing protection.
Works Cited
Lane, Isabelle. Noise Pollution, n.d. Web.
Roba, Mohammed Anis Saeed. The Effects of Noise Pollution on Arterial Blood Pressure and Heart Pulse Rate of School Children at Jenin City, 2010. Web.