Universidad De Guanajuato

Campus Celaya Salvatierra

Lic. Administración Financiera

Noise pollution

Name:

Mariana Robles Diaz

Semester: 2do semester

Group:

200 B

Catedrático:

Roció García Contreras

Fecha:

13 de Mayo del 2024

 Introduction
The present work describes what noise pollution is, and what are the causes that
provoke it and the consequences of this type of pollution.
We will also discuss possible solutions to reduce noise pollution, and
recommendations to minimize the impact of noise and noise pollution.
Noise pollution, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is one of the
environmental factors that causes the most health problems.

Development
What is noise pollution?
Noise pollution is the presence in the environment of noise or vibrations, whatever
the source or acoustic emitter that originates them, that implies annoyance, risk or
damage to people, to the development of their activities or to goods of any nature,
or that causes significant effects on the environment. Noise is a particular case of
sound, in this case unwanted, annoying or harmful.
Sound, and noise, is a wave that propagates through the air, reaches our ears and
produces a sensation: we hear it. It is characterized by its frequency, its sound
pressure level (colloquially its energy, intensity or volume) and its duration. The unit
used to measure it is the decibel (dB). As it is not the same to be exposed more or
less time, the Equivalent Noise Level (Lq, Leq) is used, an index or average decibel
value that weights the sound pressure and the time during which we are exposed to
it. Thus we find, for example, Ld (daytime equivalent noise, 12 hours), Le (evening
equivalent noise, 4 hours), Ln (night noise, 8 hours) or Lden (day, afternoon, night
noise, which integrates 24 hours of exposure).

Causes of noise pollution

Noise pollution can come from many sources, but here are the main ones:
 Automobile traffic
The main source of noise in cities is generated by automobiles. For example, a car
horn produces 90 dB and a bus horn 100 dB.
 Air traffic
The number of airplanes flying over a city is less than the number of cars, but their
impact is greater: one of these aircraft produces 130 dB.
  Construction sites
The construction of a new building, a new parking lot or the resurfacing of a sidewalk
causes noise. For example, a jackhammer sounds at 110 dB.
 Restaurants and nightlife
Bars, restaurants and terraces that are set up outdoors in good weather can exceed
110 dB. This section also includes noise from pubs and discotheques.
 Animals
The noise generated by animals can go unnoticed, but the barking and howling of a
dog, for example, can be around 60-80 dB.
Consequences of noise pollution
Excessive and constant noise, beyond the logical negative effects on hearing -
tinnitus or deafness - can cause other problems for human health, especially among
the very young and the very old. Below, we review the main ones:
 Psychopathological
Respiratory agitation, accelerated pulse, increased blood pressure, headache and,
in case of extreme and constant sounds, gastritis, colitis or even heart attacks.
 Psychological
Noise can provoke episodes of stress, fatigue, depression, anxiety or hysteria in both
humans and animals.
 Sleep and behavior
Noise above 45 dB prevents people from falling asleep or sleeping properly -
remember that the ideal, according to the WHO, is not to exceed 30 dB. This can
influence, a posteriori, our behavior causing episodes of aggressiveness or
irritability.
 Memory and attention.
Noise can affect our ability to concentrate, which in turn can lead to poor
performance. It can also affect our memory, for example when studying.

As a curious fact: the ear needs just over 16 hours of rest to compensate for two
hours of exposure to 100 dB.
Solutions to reduce noise pollution
International organizations such as the WHO agree that public awareness is
essential to defeat this invisible enemy. For example: to carry out leisure activities
without generating excessive noise, to avoid the use of cars and opt for alternatives
such as bicycles or electric cars, to carry out domestic work at the recommended
times, to insulate homes with sound-absorbing materials, etc.
Administrations can also take measures for appropriate environmental noise
management to help reduce noise pollution. For example: protecting certain areas -
countryside areas, areas of natural interest, urban parks, etc. From noise,
establishing regulations that include preventive and corrective measures -
mandatory distances between residential areas and noise sources such as airports,
fines for those who exceed noise limits, etc. -, acoustic insulation of noise pollution,
etc. -, acoustically insulating newly constructed buildings, creating pedestrian zones
with restricted traffic hours for loading and unloading of goods, replacing the usual
asphalt with more efficient ones that reduce street noise by up to 3 dB, among others.

Actions to prevent noise and noise pollution

Avoid using household appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers,
especially at night.
Improve home insulation.
Use personal protection when exposed to intense noise.
Control the intensity when using headphones to listen to music.
Minimize traffic noise by installing low-noise asphalt on roads, use quiet tires on
public transport vehicles.
Construction of barriers or absorbent acoustic panels.

Conclusions
Noise pollution is an issue of utmost importance because we experience it on a daily
basis, at home, at university and where it is most prevalent on the street. Noise
becomes very harmful if it exceeds 75 dB and painful from 120 db.
Bibliografhy
https://www.iberdrola.com/sostenibilidad/que-es-contaminacion-acustica-causas-
efectos-soluciones