Wikipedia
writes here Noise pollution is unwanted human-created sound that
disrupts the environment. The dominant form of noise pollution is from
transportation sources, principally motor vehicles, referred to as
environmental noise. The word noise comes from the Latin word nausea
meaning seasickness. The overarching cause of most noise worldwide is
generated by transportation systems, principally motor vehicle noise, but
also including aircraft noise and rail noise.
And
here: Noise health effects, the collection of health consequences of
elevated sound levels, constitute one of the most widespread public health
threats in industrialized countries. Current conditions expose tens of
millions of people to sound levels capable of causing hearing loss[1], but
also are known to induce tinnitus, hypertension, vasoconstriction and
other cardiovascular impacts.
The World Health Organization
writes here on the Health impact of Noise pollution:
The recognition of the noise as a serious health hazard as opposed to a
nuisance is a recent development and the health effects of the hazardous
noise exposure are now considered to be an increasingly important public
health problem.
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Globally, some 120 million people are estimated to
have disabling hearing difficulties. (ref. Guidelines p.X)
-
More than half citizens of Europe live in noisy
surroundings; a third experience levels of noise at night that disturb
sleep. (ref. Guidelines p.XII)
-
In the USA in 1990 about 30 million people were daily
exposed to a daily occupational noise level above 85 dB, compared with
more than nine million people in 1981; these people mostly in the
production and manufacturing industries. (ref Noise Sources p.85)
-
In Germany and other developed countries as many as 4
to 5 million, that is 12-15% of all employed people, are exposed to
noise levels of 85 dB or more. In Germany, an acquired noise-related
hearing impairment that results in 20% or more reduction in earning
ability is compensatable; in 1993, nearly 12 500 new such cases were
registered. (ref Noise Sources p.85 and p. 86)
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Prolonged or excessive exposure to noise, whether in
the community or at work, can cause permanent medical conditions, such
as hypertension and ischaemic heart disease. (ref. Guidelines p.XII)
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Noise can adversely affect performance, for example
in reading, attentiveness, problem solving and memory. Deficits in
performance can lead to accidents. (ref. Guidelines p.XII)
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Noise above 80 dB may increase aggressive behavior.
(ref. Guidelines p.XIII)
-
A link between community noise and mental health
problems is suggested by the demand for tranquillizers and sleeping
pills, the incidence of psychiatric symptoms and the number of
admissions to mental hospitals. (ref. Guidelines p.XII)
Noise can cause hearing impairment, interfere with communication, disturb
sleep, cause cardiovascular and psycho-physiological effects, reduce
performance, and provoke annoyance responses and changes in social
behavior. The main social consequence of hearing impairment is the
inability to understand speech in normal conditions, which is considered a
severe social handicap.
So what can you do about it?
Well please just make less noise whatever you do!
We thank you for it!
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