Pollution occurs when a contaminant enters the environment, causing undesirable effects. There are several types of pollution, including:
We will mainly discuss about noise pollution. Noise pollution is the spread of unwanted sounds into the environment.
Noise is almost always around us, whether natural, such as birdsong, or from human activity, such as vehicle traffic. However, noise build-up can have a significant impact on the well-being of humans and animals.
Compared to other types of pollution, noise pollution as a health hazard. However, many people are experiencing a rise in noise pollution due to an increase in human activity.
Unwanted sounds can have a range of mental health effects.
The brain is always monitoring sounds for signs of danger, even during sleep. As a result, frequent or loud noise can trigger anxiety or stress. With continued exposure to noise pollution, a person's sensitivity to stress increases.
People living with noise pollution may feel irritable, on edge, frustrated, or angry. If a person feels they cannot control the amount of noise in their environment, its impact on their mental health intensifies.
Environmental noise is also a common cause of sleep disturbance. A person may experience: difficulty in falling asleep, inability to stay asleep, waking too early.
Sounds can also reduce the depth and quality of sleep, altering the amount of rapid eye movement sleep. This can impact a person's mood and ability to concentrate
The physical health effects of noise pollution can occur as a direct or indirect result of noise exposure.
In severe cases, loud sounds can directly cause hearing impairment. Some forms of noise-induced hearing impairment include: abnormal loudness perception; tinnitus, which causes a persistent high-pitched ringing in the ears; paracusis, or distorted hearing.
Noise pollution can affect a child's hearing at any stage of development, including fetal, infancy, and adolescence.
Additionally, unwanted or loud noise at school or home may make it challenging for children to learn. They may experience more difficulty with: concentration, communication and speech development, cognitive performance.
This may affect a child's behavior, their ability to form relationships, and their confidence. They can also develop high blood pressure due to chronic exposure to sound.
In some cases, noise pollution is unavoidable. However, there are ways to reduce noise levels inside the home. A person can try:
Reducing noise from appliances, reducing noise from media devices, repair or replace old machinery, soundproofing, create more quiet time, ear protection and more preventives.
Written by- Karan Ijral
Class-12th 'B'
What is noise? Anything unpleasant to our ears can be considered noise. We all listen to music, but it becomes irritating when very loud music is played. The smoothness and the originality of the music are lost, and it becomes unpleasant. This is how it pollutes the whole environment and becomes hazardous to our ears. The effects of water and air pollution can be visible, but noise pollution is hardly seen but is equally threatening. When we are exposed to loud noises for a more extended time, it becomes hazardous and may cause life-threatening diseases. It is always advisable to be careful while listening to music.
Like air and water pollution, noise pollution is also a dangerous threat to the environment. Noise pollution can originate from our homes themselves. Playing loud music on the roads, burning loud crackers, etc., can be hazardous to the environment. Many older adults, newborn babies, pregnant ladies, patients, etc., will be affected due to the noise pollution caused by us.
There is a threshold above which sound that stop being pleasant to our ears. Any sound above 65 db can be considered noise, and beyond 75 db can be painful. Therefore, we need to start controlling it from our homes themselves by reducing the volumes of television, listening to music at low volumes, etc. We can avoid using loud horns and loud sounds from other vehicles in our society. We can restrict using unnecessary horns in public places. We cannot avoid use of electric devices, but we can always limit their use at home, like mixers, drilling machines, etc.
Noise pollution is a threat to the environment that can cause adverse effects on human lives and also animals. It can affect our blood pressure and cause deafness, turning into a permanent disease. When it is Diwali, a festival of lights, we can stop burning high noise-making crackers, which is sometimes painful to our ears.
Anant Ankit Das
Class = XIIth B
Roll no = 09
The aim of the Institution is to impart sound education, inculcating among the boys / girls the habit of co-operation, discipline, self confidence, regularity and punctuality.