NOISE POLLUTION: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, SOLUTIONS - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

The noise pollution, noise or noise is excessive loudness standards affecting the environment of a particular location. Although noise does not travel or accumulate like other types of pollution - such as garbage - it can harm the life not only of human beings, but also that of other living beings.

The concept of noise pollution (or auditory, in its defect) is used to define annoying and excessive sound that is caused mainly by human work and activities, especially those related to vehicles and industries.

The noise pollution generated by cars is one of the most annoying and harmful. Source: pixabay.com

In the case of transport, all means of transport can cause noise pollution, such as airplanes, boats and cars, which produce more noise during congested traffic. Some factories also produce annoying noise, especially those where saws and grinders are used, among other tools.

Loud music - very typical of cosmopolitan societies where there are nightlife or entertainment venues - also causes damage to the environment. Most experts assure that all societies that are victims of noise pollution are in large cities, so rural areas do not usually suffer from this disease.

For this reason, in many countries there are rules that regulate the amount of sound that can be produced in a day, through the establishment of schedules that limit city noise. If these regulations are not met, the authorities have a duty to apply sanctions to users or owners who act irresponsibly.

Depending on the intensity, noise pollution can cause severe damage to the hearing organ. In less severe cases, tedious noises can disturb people's psychosomatic health, resulting in increased levels of stress, moodiness, and discomfort.

In the most developed countries, initiatives have been enacted to protect the environment and people from noise pollution in order to promote the well-being of large cities. However, continuous modernization and new technologies, as well as unconscious citizens, prevent further development of sound protection.

Causes

As mentioned above, noise or noise pollution is generally caused by means of transportation, as well as some factories and infrastructure constructions.

Pollution from automobile traffic

The noise that is produced by cars is classified as one of the most annoying and stressful, so it is almost never unnoticed by citizens, pedestrians and passers-by. This pollution takes place mainly in large cities, where there is a large volume of inhabitants; this produces high levels of traffic.

These days, large automotive corporations are making electric cars, which are known to emit much less noise than other vehicles. As a counterpart, there are the large gandolas or trucks, whose extensive machinery usually generates very annoying noises.

Pollution from air traffic

Airports tend to cause loud noises on a daily basis, almost twenty-four hours a day. Therefore, people who work within these areas, as well as people who must constantly travel, must deal with the auditory and neurological consequences that these highly polluting places cause.

Airplanes make a lot of noise due to the turbines, which have to spin at full speed in order to keep the vehicle in the air. This causes sound to spread through the wind, which explains the auditory discomfort that humans feel when an airplane glides or flies very close to the city.

Construction pollution

Constructions cause strong noise or noise pollution, since most implements and tools used to build generate annoying and excessive noise.

For example, due to the size and force required for a crane to operate, it generates a lot of noise. The elements used for welding and drilling also cause a lot of hearing discomfort.

Workers who use these machines must cover their ears to prevent damage to the organ; however, repeated exposure still causes hearing problems.

Pollution from leisure and entertainment venues

Nightclubs and bars are the main places where noise pollution is brewing, since they use large equipment to play music at full volume.

People are very likely to leave these sites in a daze, although many consider it an essential part of the nighttime experience.

In turn, these premises tend to cause nuisance in adjacent homes. For this reason, clubs and bars have anti-noise walls or are located in basements. In order not to harm other people, schedules are usually established that limit the volume of the music.

Pollution by screams and sounds produced in urbanizations

In many societies, some neighbors tend to be inconsiderate with the other inhabitants of the area, since they play loud music, drag furniture or other artifacts - it annoys those who live in buildings or apartments -, hammer or shout, producing annoying sounds for others persons.

To avoid this type of situation that can generate stress and discord among neighbors, it is recommended that institutions promote empathy and respect for others.

Regulations and legal sanctions should also be used, as these influence the subject to be more considerate of those who live in the adjacent dwellings.

Consequences

Tokyo

Noise and auditory pollution generates a series of consequences that are very harmful to both physical and mental health of human beings. Likewise, it can also affect some animals.

Consequences on human health

Constant exposures to high noise levels can lead to anxiety, stress, learning disabilities, and even cardiovascular problems.

They can also cause insomnia, which harms the subject in different areas since, by not sleeping well, the person cannot carry out their work or domestic activities efficiently.

People who are exposed to noise levels that exceed 65 decibels, or even exceed 85 decibels, can suffer from heart problems.

This happens because the human body responds to these noises through the release of hormones that can raise blood pressure. Older people are often the most vulnerable to this effect.

In addition, exposure to these loud sounds can cause damage to the organ of hearing, gradually destroying the cells that make this sense possible. Losing hearing damages the individual in their work and academic performance, as well as in their social relationships.

Consequences on animal health

Just as human beings suffer the consequences of noise pollution, so do some animals that make up the ecosystem.

Generally, many species can suffer disorientation or considerable changes in behavior. The most delicate animals can even lose their hearing.

Some animals communicate through sounds or calls, such as whales. This species can be affected by sound waves produced by boats or other vehicles, which impairs its reproduction.

It also causes them disorientation, so today it is common to find several whales or dolphins stranded on the beach.

In conclusion, noise pollution can cause an imbalance in the natural course of ecosystems.

Types

There are three types of noise pollution: vehicular noise, industrial noise and that produced in urban environments.

Vehicular noise

It is considered the most polluting noise, since it occurs in any area and is the most common in all cities of the world. This classification includes not only automobiles, but also heavy machinery, motorcycles, trains, and all other vehicles.

Currently, as a result of economic processes, an increase in the number of vehicles has developed, which encourages noise pollution.

According to existing records, a car can experience an increase of 10 decibels when it increases the speed from 50 km / h to 100 km / h, at which time not only the engine produces noise, but also the exhaust pipe, tires and the fan.

For their part, trucks can generate up to thirty times more noise than a conventional or small car. Railroads also produce a lot of noise pollution, especially the underground, also known in some places as the subway.

Industrial noise

These noises are carried out within the product manufacturing and manufacturing sector. This includes different processes and activities such as packing, transporting, welding and hammering, among others. These jobs often create a very noisy atmosphere for your workers.

High frequencies are very common in the work of steel companies, mines, petrochemicals, cement plants and thermoelectric plants.

Urban noise

Kuala Lumpur

In this category are all those annoying noises that are produced in the home and in the urbanization or community. Alterations within daily activities can occur due to the sound of radios, televisions, blenders, air conditioners, washing machines and vacuum cleaners, among others.

According to the existing records, it has been established that noise pollution increases every ten years after the Industrial Revolution. Humans are so used to noise that they are likely to feel uncomfortable in very quiet places like huts or desert beaches.

Solutions

To improve the situation of noise or noise pollution, some measures must be taken that can be applied by all citizens, in order to improve the quality of life.

For example, you should avoid making unnecessary noise in housework or work; it is recommended to control the closing of the doors, as well as to avoid hammering at night. It is also encouraged to prefer the bicycle to any other vehicle, whenever possible.

Neighbors need to respect each other's rest hours, especially if they live in buildings or blocks. In addition, listening to music and television at high volumes should be avoided, since they can damage the ears of the members of the household.

In turn, it is advisable not to use fireworks, since these not only harm humans, but also those animals that have a much more sensitive hearing organ, such as dogs or parrots.

Situation in Mexico

Due to high noise or noise pollution, Mexico has chosen to take a series of measures in order to improve the situation.

For example, there is a program known as Ecobici, which consists of promoting the use of public bicycles in order to alleviate traffic and pollution.

An improvement in electric lighting has also been implemented and some streets have been closed in order to encourage pedestrian movement; in this way, the inhabitants of this country (especially in the capital) decrease the use of cars.

For some authors, the problem of noise pollution -mainly in Mexico City- is closely related to the disorderly planning of the city, where vehicular traffic has also been privileged over any other means of transport.

One of the solutions offered by various organizations is to continue building pedestrian corridors, with the aim of turning the city into a “walkable” city, which significantly reduces noise pollution.

Situation in Colombia

According to data registered by the government, it is estimated that five million Colombians suffer from hearing problems; in turn, 14% of that number is known about hearing loss due to exposure within the working population.

Due to this, in Colombia a series of limits has been established around the level of decibels to which a person should be exposed: 65 decibels in residential areas and 70 decibels in industrial and commercial areas. At night only a maximum of 45 decibels is allowed.

In Colombia, some prevention measures have been adopted, which are applied within health institutions, in the educational sector and in the workplace. Various recommendations have also been made to technology users and laws have been enacted to control noise in residential areas.

Situation in Argentina

The Faculty of Engineering of the University of Palermo carried out an analysis on noise or noise pollution in the main cities of Argentina, specifically in Buenos Aires. This study showed that, in a single street, the noise from vehicles and pedestrians exceeds the sound level produced at Jorge Newbery Airport.

In fact, when a survey was conducted among Argentine citizens to find out the cause of noise pollution, 93% of the responses claimed that it was due to vehicular traffic, this being the main nuisance in the city of Buenos Aires.

In the second place, the citizens voted to repair the public highway, while in the third place they located the discos.

To control this problem, the Argentine government enacted a law known as Law 3013: Control of Noise Pollution, which establishes that vehicles must use a special horn that does not sound strident or prolonged. This applies to all kinds of transportation, be it cars, motorcycles or police vehicles.

Situation in Peru

Taking into account some informative articles, it can be established that noise pollution in Peru (especially in the city of Lima) has reached worrying levels: 90% of places exceed sound limits.

The authorities have implemented a series of regulations to improve the situation; however, according to TV Peru sources, bus drivers have ignored these indications, which prohibit the use of speakers.

This television channel decided to carry out a study using a sound level meter, which determined that the polluting noise reaches up to 110 decibels, which significantly exceeds the established noise terms.

For this reason, currently a sanction has been implemented that establishes that if a passerby honks the horn unnecessarily, he must pay a fine of up to 166 soles.

Situation in Spain

According to a series of studies, it can be established that the percentage of family dwellings with noise pollution problems is 30% in the Iberian Peninsula, although there are some areas - especially urban ones - whose percentage is slightly higher, such as For example, the Valencian community, which has an index of 37%.

According to Francisco Aliaga, professor at the Department of Social Health and Integrated Management of the European Institute of Business Studies, Spain is the country with the highest noise pollution in the European Union, which prompts the authorities to take a series of measures.

For example, the Noise Law was established, promulgated in 2002, with the aim of reducing noise pollution levels; This law also seeks to monitor and prevent.

The World Health Organization established that the tolerable noise limit is about 65 decibels per day; However, in Spain when traffic is congested, decibels can reach a level of 90. Likewise, in a Spanish nightclub the decibels reach 110.

References

1. (SA) (sf) Research: noise pollution in the city of Buenos Aires. Retrieved on May 13, 2019 from the University of Palermo: palermo.edu
2. Alfie, M. (sf.) Noise in the city: noise pollution and a walkable city. Retrieved on May 13, 2019 from Scielo: scielo.org
3. Aliaga, F. (2016) Spain, the country with the most noise in the European Union. Retrieved on May 13, 2019 from Revista Digital: revistadigital.inesem.es
4. González, A. (sf) Noise pollution in Spain. Retrieved on May 13, 2019 from Lawyers against noise: abogadosruido.com
5. A. (2015) Excessive noise in environments, one of the main causes for hearing loss. Retrieved on May 13, 2019 from the Ministry of Health and Social Protection: minsalud.gov.co
6. A. (2017) Know the noise pollution levels in Lima. Retrieved on May 13, 2019 from TVPe news: tvperu.gob.pe
7. A. (2018) Lima is one of the cities with the highest noise pollution in the world. Retrieved on May 13, 2019 from Panamericana: panamericana.pe
8. A. (sf) Law 3013: control of noise pollution. Retrieved on May 13, 2019 from Argentina environmental: argentinambiental.com
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