Noise Pollution Essay -- Cause Effect Noise Environment Essays

Noise Pollution Abstract No one on earth can escape the sounds of noise- an unwanted, disturbing sound that causes a nuisance in the eye of the beholder. Noise is a disturbance to the human environment that is escalating at such a high rate that it will become a major threat to the quality of human lives. In the past thirty years, noise in all areas, especially in urban areas, have been increasing rapidly. There are numerous effects on the human environment due to the increase in noise pollution. In the following paper, the cause and effects of noise pollution will be presented in some detail. Slowly, insensibly, we seem to accept noise and the physiological and psychological deterioration that accompanies it as an inevitable part of our lives. Although we attempt to set standards for some of the most major sources of noise, we often are unable to monitor them. Major sources of noise can be airplanes at takeoff and landing, and a truck just off the assembly line, yet we seem accept and enjoy countless other sounds, from hard rock music to loud Harley Davidson motor cycles. The following areas will be investigated in some detail; adolescent education, neural-effects, sleep, hearing damage, occupational environment, transportation, and physiological effects. Introduction Almost everyone has had one experience of being temporarily "deafened" by a loud noise. This "deafness" in not permanent, although it is often accompanied by a ringing in the ears, and one can hear another person if he raises his voice. Likewise, normal hearing comes back within a few hours at most. This sort of partial hearing loss is called Temporary Threshold Shift (TTS) (Bugliarello, et al., 1976). A TTS may be experienced after firing a gun or... ...aft Noise and Psychiatric Hospital Admissions Conducted in the Same Area. Psychol. Med Vol. 9: 681-693. Maser, A.; Sorensen,; and Krypter, K. 1978. Effects of Intrusive Sound on Classroom Behavior: Data from a Successful Lawsuit. San Francisco. Peterson, W. H. and Northwood, T. D. 1981. Noise raised blood pressure without impairing auditory sensitivity. Science Vol. 211: 1450-1452. United States National Industrial Pollution Control Council (NIPCC), 1970 Vallet, M. Psychophysiological 1979. Effects of Exposure to Aircraft or to Traffic Noise. Proc. Inst. Acoustics Vol. 3: 1-4. Von Bekesy, George. 1957. The Ear, Scientific American, 197: 61-67 Council on Environmental Quality. 1979. US Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. US Environmental Protection Agency. 1980. The Extent of the Noise Problem. WHO Report. 1990. UN Conference.