Noise pollution and its Health Effects

1. Effects Of Noise pollution on health P resented B y SAURABH GUPTA

2. Unwanted sound pollutant which produces undesirable physiological and psychological effects in an individual , by interfering with one’s social activities. any sound that is undesired by the recipient. One man’s sound could be another man’s noise. What Is Noise Pollution

3. S/N Sources of noise pollution Level dB(A) 1 Air compressors 95-104 2 110 KVA diesel generator 95 3 Pulveriser 92 4 Riveting 95 5 Steam turbine (12,500 kW) 91 6 Ticking clock 30 7 Computer rooms 55-60 8 Type institute 60 9 Printing press 80 10 Sports car 80-95 11 Trains 96 12 Trucks 90-100 13 Car horns 90-105 14 Jet takeoff 120 Typical noise levels of various sources of noise [1]

4. There are several measurement parameters to describe noise. A few significant of these are as follows: i ) Type of noise, i.e., whether it is continuous, impulsive, intermittent or repetitive etc; ii) Its overall sound pressure level i.e., loudness or intensity; iii) Variation of the sound pressure level with time; iv) Spectral composition i.e., whether it is narrow band or broad band and/or a complex mixture of many different frequencies within the human hearing frequency range; v) Duration of sound; and vi) Time of the day. Noise Evaluation Parameters

5. Sound Level In Decibels Effects 65 Annoyance - Nervous Effects, 90 Many Years Of Exposure - Permanent Hearing loss 100 Short periods - Temporary impairment; Prolonged - Irreparable Damage to auditory organs 120 Causes the pain in the inner ear 150 Instantaneous Hearing Loss Effects Of Noise

6. Adverse health effects of noise pollution [2] The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented seven categories of adverse health effects of noise pollution on humans. Hearing impairment Children seem to be more vulnerable than adults . Long exposure to high sound levels cause loss of hearing . occurs at levels of 80 dB or greater The ability to understand partially masked or distorted speech begins to deteriorate around age 30 and declines steadily thereafter. Generally, therefore, the older the listener, the lower the back ground noise must be for normal communication. [9] Interference with spoken communication include problems with concentration, fatigue, uncertainty, lack of self confidence, irritation, misunderstandings, decreased working capacity, disturbed interpersonal relationships and stress reactions.

7. Sleep disturbances Noise pollution during sleep causes increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, increased pulse amplitude, vasoconstriction, cardiac arrhythmias and increased body movement. Secondary effects include fatigue, depressed mood and well-being and decreased performance.

8. Cardiovascular disturbances Acute exposure to noise activates nervous and hormonal responses , leading to increased blood pressure and heart rate and to vasoconstriction . If the exposure is of sufficient intensity, there is an increase in heart rate and peripheral resistance, an increase in blood pressure and increased levels of stress hormones. Disturbances in mental health Accelerate and intensify the development of latent mental disorders. Anxiety, stress, nervousness, nausea, headache , emotional instability, argumentativeness, changes in mood, increase in social conflicts, neurosis. Negative social behavior and annoyance reactions Annoyance increases significantly when noise is accompanied by vibration or by low frequency components. social behavior effects include changes in everyday behavior , changes in social behavior and changes in social indicators and changes in mood. Noise above 80 dB is consistently associated with decreased helping behavior and increased aggressiveness.[2]

9. Source:[9]

10. Noise pollution study of jaipur city(2014) [5] conducted at eleven different locations in the Jaipur city . four zones i.e. industrial, commercial, residential and silence zone were selected in the city . The ambient noise level was monitored with the help of Sound Level Meter during day time and evening time Readings were recorded after interval of ten seconds for six minutes at every site during day and evening time .

11. Zone Location taken Commercial 1.Ajmeri Gate 2.Rambagh 3.O.T.S 4.B2B Bye Pass Residential 1.Tonk Phatak 2.Sanganer Thana Silence 1.S.M.S Hospital 2.M.N.I.T 3.Fortis Hospital industrial 1.Gopalpura 2.Sitapura

12. Sr. no. Noise zones location Sound levels dB(A) Leq First day second day Day Night Day Night AVERAGE Day Time Night time (in dB) (in dB) 1 industrial Gopalpura 76.1 70.2 79.2 70.1 77.65 70.15 Sitapura 75.3 71.0 77.8 72.0 76.55 71.50 2 commercial Ajmeri gate 78.0 70.0 79.0 70.2 78.5 70.1 Rambagh 70.1 67.1 71.2 66.2 70.65 66.65 O.T.S. 68.2 66.3 70.3 66.1 69.25 66.2 B2 Bye Pass 66.4 57.9 68.3 58.1 67.35 58.0 3 Residential Tonk Phatak 55.3 49.8 58.4 50.0 56.85 49.95 Sanganer thana 58.3 50.0 60.1 49.1 59.2 49.55 4 silence S.M.S. Hospital 55.0 49.2 53.1 49.3 54.05 49.25 M.N.I.T. 56.3 50.0 55.1 48.3 55.7 49.15 Fortis Hospital 59.2 49.8 58.1 49.9 58.65 49.85 Status of Noise Levels at Various Zones in Jaipur City

13. Area code Category of area Limits in dB Day time Night time A Industrial 75 70 B Commercial 65 55 C Residential 55 45 D Silence zone 50 40 Noise Standards for Ambient Noise Level(CPCB )

14. Results Of The Study The average noise level at all locations was found to be above the prescribed limits of CPCB. Significant variation at different sites which gradually increased or decreased on the basis of location of the site. One of the major causes for this increased level is increased number of vehicles and the enhanced transportation activities . Increasing number of vehicles in the Jaipur city increases the number of noise sources, road construction at various parts of the Jaipur city, road jams are observed at several parts of the city, people are not following traffic rules, the mismanagement of traffic and infrastructure of the city is not as good as it should be and therefore majority of the places noise levels are well above the CPCB standards.

15. Noise control in buildings T o place the building as far from the noise source as possible. Every doubling of distance will reduce the noise level by 6 DB. Avoiding zones of directional sound. The screening effect of walls, fences, plantation belts etc can be utilized to reduce the noise reaching the building. A given barrier will be most effective when it is as near to the source as possible. Positioning of openings away from noise sources Noise insulating building envelope Educating people about the hazards of loud sound and restriction on the use of pressure horns, loud speakers and fire crackers Isolate noise at source By reducing the noise levels from domestic sectors, Maintenance of automobiles, Control over vibrations, Low voice speaking, Prohibition on usage of loud speakers and optimum selection of machinery, tools or equipment reduces excess noise levels . Noise control measures

16. The usage of protective equipment and the worker's exposure to the high noise levels can be minimized by Job rotation, Exposure reduction, Hearing protection, use of Equipment like earmuffs, ear plugs etc. Proper maintenance of the vehicles, Laying good roads and their maintenance, Strict enforcement of the existing law to remove the encroachments on road sides Green belt development

17. REFERENCES 1.Sinha, S.P., “Urban Environment an contemporary ecology”, INDIA, 1986 2.Savale P. A. EFFECT OF NOISE POLLUTION ON HUMAN BEING :ITS PREVENTION AND CONTROL Journal of Environmental Research And Development Vol. 8 No. 4, April-June 2014 3. Rebecca Kerwin Urban Noise Pollution: A Planning Perspective. NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITIES 4. Anurag V. Tiwari , Prashant A. Kadu , Ashish R.Mishra Study of Noise Pollution Due To Railway and Vehicular Traffic at Level Crossing and Its Remedial Measures 5. Manish Raman and R C Chhipa , Study of Noise Pollution at Major Intersections in Jaipur City INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING SCIENCES & RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY. 6.Ken Hume Sleep disturbance due to noise: Current issues and future research, Noise and Health 7. Noise pollution: non-auditory effects on health Stephen A Stansfeld  and  Mark P Matheson British Medical Bulletin 8. Exposure of Urban Communities to Noise Pollution S.P. Singal indian journal of air pollution control 9.  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Public Health and Welfare Criteria for Noise, 550/4-73-002, (July 27, 1973).