EFFECTS OF NOISE POLLUTION

Noise pollution can cause health problems for people and wildlife, both on land and in the sea.
From traffic noise to rock concerts, loud or inescapable sounds can cause hearing loss, stress, and
high blood pressure. Noise pollution is adversely affecting both human health and environment.
EFFECT ON ENVIRONMENT
Noise pollution can have a major impact on the environment. The greatest effect of noise
pollution on the environment is on animals. Noise affects many species of animals, from
amphibians, arthropods, birds, and fish to mammals, mollusks, and reptiles.
Noise affects animals and environment in following ways :
 It Hampers Communication. Most animals rely on vocalizations and other acoustic
signals to communicate with each other. Interference makes it challenging for animals to
find mates, warn of danger, establish territories, and coordinate group activities. Whales
have had to adjust the pitch of their calls just to hear each other over the hum of boats.


 It Disrupts Reproduction: Noise pollution is distracting and can disrupt breeding

behaviors and lead to diminished reproductive success. For instance, loud noises near
nesting sites can cause birds to abandon their nests. Cows produce less milk if there is
any noise around them during milking. They get agitated and tend to withdraw the milk
due to fear and discomfort. Chickens are also adversely affected by noise. There is a
drastic drop in the production of eggs for layers in noisy environments.
 It Compromises Dwindling Habitat: Noise can reduce the quality of usable habitat,
something that is already in critical decline. As a result, there is increased migration by
animals from their natural habitats in search of quieter places where they can feed
comfortably. Some animal species have slowly become extinct due to this.
 It Alters Foraging Patterns: Noise pollution can change the foraging patterns of
animals. Some birds and animals like bats, whales and dolphins use their sharp hearing
abilities known as echolocation for movements, foraging, and avoiding prey. Noise
pollution has negated this since the noise monopolizes all the sounds present.
 It Leads To Stress And Health Issues: Just like in human animals, prolonged exposure
to loud and constant noise can lead to chronic stress in non-human animals, which can
have many adverse effects. Like human beings, wild animals also experience a change in
behavior depending on the level of peace or noise present. The agitation caused by noise
influences heightened aggression levels in all animals, and interestingly, irritation has
even been reported for birds.
 It Drowns Out Environmental Cues: Noise pollution can make it hard to hear important
environmental cues that animals have always relied on to navigate and detect predators or
 prey.The marine mammals, Cetaceans (including dolphins), rely on echolocation to
communicate, navigate and find partners.
 It Disorients And Can Cause Strandings: Particularly in aquatic environments, noise
from ships or oil extraction activities can disorient marine animals and lead to beach
strandings or collisions with boats. Whales can no longer navigate through water and are
often found stranded onshore.
 Death: Bigger animals are able to survive in noisy areas. The case is different for smaller
marine organisms, such as cephalopods – one of the many species of shellfish. These
marine fish are heavily affected by the noise coming from moving vessels. The slow
movement of large ships over areas where they call habitat can lead to their death. It also
increase the risk of death by altering prey-predator behaviour (avoidance or detection).

 Slow Reaction Time: Hermit crabs, tortoises and turtles are some of the animals that
withdraw to their shells when trouble strikes. The presence of boats or human activity
quickly warrants trouble leading to their withdrawal.Noise pollution for long periods of
time has distorted this pattern, especially in crabs. Their reaction time to danger has
slowed, which puts them at a disadvantage when faced by predators.
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/effects-noise-pollution-humans-health-
animals.php
https://www.treehugger.com/what-is-noise-pollution-definition-environmental-impact-
5191271
EFFECT ON HUMANS
Noise can disturb our work, rest, sleep, and communication. It can damage our hearing and
evoke other psychological, and possibly pathological reactions. Given below are some of the
adverse health effects of noise pollution:
1. Impact On Mental Health
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.
 Disturbance of Sleep: Noise intrusion can cause difficulty in falling asleep and
can awaken people who are asleep, especially young infants, older people, etc.
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.
 Annoyance: Noise annoyance may be defined as a feeling of displeasure evoked
by noise. The annoyance-inducing capacity of a noise may happen over time also.
For example, if the loudspeaker plays near your house for more than 1 month,
then over time you may be annoyed. People living with noise pollution may feel
irritable, on edge, frustrated, or angry.
  Stress: Noise may cause stress in any number of ways, including headaches,
irritability, insomnia, digestive disorders, and psychological disorders. For
example, frequent exposure to excessive noise cause tiredness.
 Effect on Performance: Noise can change the state of alertness of an individual
and may increase or decrease efficiency. For example mental activities involving
vigilance, information-gathering and analysis may be affected by noise.
2. Impact On Physical Health
The physical health effects of noise pollution can occur as a direct or indirect result of
noise exposure.
 Hearing Loss: 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
 High Blood Pressure: Short-term exposure to noise pollution can temporarily
raise blood pressure and increase blood viscosity. There is also an association
between long-term exposure to noise and higher rates of cardiovascular disease.
3. Physiological Effect
Noise has an explicit effect on the blood vessels, especially the smaller ones known as
pre-capillaries. Overall, noise makes these blood vessels narrower. Noise causes the
peripheral blood vessels in the toes, fingers, skin and abdominal organs to constrict,
thereby decreasing the amount of blood normally supplied to these areas. Blood vessels
which feed the brain, dilate in the presence of noise. This is the reason why headaches
result from listening to persistent high noise. Some health problems which may occur
include:

 Galvanic skin response. In other words, changes in the body originating from sweat
glands in the skin that reflect the intensity of an emotional state.
 Increased activity related to ulcer formation. Prolonged chronic noise can also
produce stomach ulcers as it may reduce the flow of gastric juice and change its
acidity.
 Changes in intestinal motility which is the movements of the digestive system, and
the contents within it.
 Changes in skeletal muscle tension. In other words, the force generated by the
contraction of muscles changes.
 Subjective response irritability perception of loudness
 Increased sugar, cholesterol and adrenaline
 Changes in heart rate
 Increased blood pressure
 Vasoconstriction. In other words, the constriction of blood vessels which increases
blood pressure.
 4. Impact On Children
Children are particularly vulnerable to noise-induced hearing loss. A 2014 study found
that chronic exposure to noise for 8 hours a day could cause permanent hearing changes
in children, including the inability to hear certain frequencies. 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.
5. Interference with Communication
Noise interferes with speech communication. If both noise and speech are simultaneous,
then one of the two sounds makes the other one inaudible. An important aspect of
communication interference happens in:
 Occupational situations where the failure of workers to hear warning signals or shouts
may lead to injury.

 In offices, schools and homes where noise is a major source of annoyance.

https://nyaaya.org/legal-explainer/effects-of-noise-pollution/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/noise-pollution-health-effects