The effects of noise pollution are far-reaching than we consider them to be. It’s easy to believe that noise isn’t a major health concern; it’s just noise after all and not going to harm us, right? Well, the noise booming around all of us is causing permanent damages without our knowledge.
In the previous blog, we had a detailed discussion on noise pollution. In this blog let’s discuss the different effects of noise pollution.
Noise Pollution
Noise pollution is defined as repeated exposure to excessive sound levels that may cause harm to humans or other living beings. The main sources of noise pollution include street traffic noises, sounds generated in construction fields, air traffic noise, industrial sounds etc.
In the next section, we are going to see how noise pollution impacts human health.
Noise Pollution Effects on Human Health
Long-term or excessive noise exposure has been linked to a variety of health issues, including stress, poor concentration, and fatigue from a lack of sleep. Also, it can lead to more serious issues like cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, tinnitus, and hearing loss. Let’s have a closer look at each of them.
Cardiovascular Diseases
The heart is ‘excited’ by noise. When there is too much noise, it also affects the heart, and it beats quicker, raising blood pressure. In response to the loud noise, the body releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. If blood pressure continues to rise, it increases the risk of heart-related disorders such as stroke, hypertension and arteriosclerosis.
Tinnitus
Tinnitus is the ringing or buzzing sound that occurs in one or both of the ears even when there is no external sound source. It can induce sleep disturbances, anxiety, psychological discomfort, depression, communication problems, frustration, impatience, tension, inability to work, poor efficiency, and limited involvement in social activities in certain people.
Cognitive Functioning Issues
There exists a direct link between the ear and the brain, which controls the body’s response to stimuli. Consequently, all sound waves that enter the ear reach the brain. This signifies that too much noise dulls the brain and causes it to respond at a slower rate.
Cognitive functioning suffers as a result, and so does the ability to solve problems normally. Individuals who live in noisy locations, such as those near busy highways, railway lines, airports, or loud nightclubs, have lesser cognitive power than those who live in quieter environments.
Noise Pollution Effects on Children
Children are especially vulnerable to noise-induced hearing loss, according to a study conducted in 2018. The National Children’s Study (NCS) notes that chronic exposure to noise for 8 hours a day can cause irreversible hearing impairments in youngsters, including the inability to hear particular frequencies.
Noise pollution can impact a child’s hearing at any stage of development, including foetus, infancy, and adolescence, according to an article published in The Indian Journal of Pediatrics. Further, unpleasant or loud noise at school or home might make learning difficult for children. They might have a harder time with:
- Concentration
- Development of communication and speech
- Cognitive performance
This can have an impact on a child’s behaviour, capacity to develop relationships, and confidence. They may also suffer elevated blood pressure as a result of prolonged exposure to noise.
Also read: What are Water Pollutants? – Definition, Sources and Types
Noise Pollution Effects on Animals
For a variety of reasons, insects, frogs, birds, and bats all rely on sound. Noise pollution can impair an animal’s ability to attract a partner, communicate, locate, find food, or evade predators, posing a serious threat to their survival.
Due to increased man-made noise, species that rely on mating sounds to reproduce are frequently unable to hear these calls. As a result, they are unable to reproduce, resulting in a decline in their population.
Noise affects both wild and domesticated animals. If there is any noise surrounding them when milking, cows give less milk. They become agitated and, out of fear and discomfort, withdraw the milk.
The problem of noise pollution is particularly significant for marine animals that rely on echolocation, such as whales and dolphins. Much of the world’s oceans are polluted by chaotic sounds from ships, seismic experiments, and oil drilling. Let’s have a closer look at its hazardous effects.
Noise Pollution Effects on Marine Animals
Sound travels quicker through water than through air. Hence, underwater noise pollution caused by human activities is a major source of disruption of marine ecosystems. It causes severe harm to sea life, including marine mammals, fish, and invertebrates. Merchant ships, naval sonar operations, undersea nuclear explosions, and seismic research by the oil and gas sectors are the main sources of underwater anthropogenic noise.
Naval sonar equipment provides some of the loudest underwater noise. Sonar, like echolocation, works by delivering sound pulses deep into the ocean. These pulses rebound off an object and return an echo to the ship, indicating the object’s location.
Sonar waves can reach 235 decibels and travel hundreds of miles beneath the surface. Hence, these waves interfere with whales’ ability to use echolocation. It has been demonstrated to induce mass strandings of whales on beaches and to change the feeding behaviour of endangered blue whales.
Within the ocean, seismic surveys also cause powerful blasts of sound. Ships searching for deep-sea oil or gas deposits tow air guns, which fire sound pulses down to the ocean floor. These sound blasts damage the marine animals’ ears resulting in significant injury. Scientists believe that this noise is also contributing to the whales’ changing behaviour.
Also read: Air Pollution Causes – A Comprehensive Guide
Conclusion
Sound is an essential and significant component of daily life. However, when sound turns to noise, it can harm our emotional and physical well-being.
The realities of modern living dictate that the noises we generate will not go away overnight. Instead, we must acknowledge that noise pollution is a major public health issue that requires immediate attention. Hence, we must devise realistic and long-term solutions to manage and minimise it.
Hope you found this article insightful. For more articles on air pollution and water pollution, check out the following blogs: Water Pollution – Effects and Causes, Air Pollution Effects and Causes – A complete overview.
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