In addition to long-term damage, OSHA warns that excessive noise can cause physical and psychological stress, reduce productivity, interfere with communication and concentration, and contribute to workplace accidents and injuries.
From neighbors and traffic to trains and pets, noise is a part of our everyday lives. But there are serious repercussions when it comes to daily exposure to high noise levels. It’s important to stay aware of how noise can affect you—both physically and emotionally—and learn how you can protect yourself from noise pollution.
The world is getting louder. Scientists define "noise" as unwanted sound, and the level of background din from human activities has been doubling roughly every three decades, beating population growth. Road traffic in the United States has tripled over the last 30 years. By 2032, the number of passenger flights is expected to be nearly double the 2011 figure—at peak hours, planes are even audible overhead 70 percent of the time in the remote backcountry of Yosemite National Park.
New technologies, developed under the purview of NASA’s Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) project, could cut airline fuel use in half, pollution by 75 percent and noise to nearly one-eighth of today’s levels.
Muffle the sound at home: Consider whether freeway noise might be seeping into your house in unexpected ways. "Houses and apartments also have exhaust vents, attic vents, unsealed construction joints, electrical outlets and other openings which are 'weak links' for the transmission of noise," says David Lord, a principal at 45dB Acoustics Consulting, who works throughout the greater L.A. area.
The Bombay High Court in January 2016 directed the state government to start a website and mobile application where citizens can register complaints about noise pollution in their areas. The court has also set a deadline of two months.
We can’t see or smell it, but it’s one of the most insidious pollutants of the modern world.
Noise. Whether it's the neighbors upstairs having a party at 5 am (complete with herd of elephants), or a jet aircraft coming into land with you directly underneath the flight-path.
The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) has submitted a letter of support for legislation proposed by U.S. Rep. Grace Meng, (D-New York-6th District). The legislation, H.R. 3384, the "Quiet Communities Act of 2015," would reestablish and reauthorize funding for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Noise Abatement and Control.
Harmful levels of road traffic noise affect one in four people in Europe and raise health risks ranging from sleepless nights to heart disease, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has stated.
