WHAT IS NOISE POLLUTION? CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF NOISE POLLUTION.

• Any unwanted or excessive sound that can have deleterious effects on human health and environmental quality is known as noise pollution.
• As per Indian law for noise pollution, Long exposure at 85 dB (decibel) is dangerous; at 120 dB, even short exposure can do damage.
• Noise can be defined as an unpleasant and unwanted sound.

      Main causes for noise pollution :

  1. Industries :

• After the introduction of technology, Industrialization was developed at quick frequency. The most excessive noise pollution are spreads by industries such as Textile mills, printing presses, engineering establishments and metal works etc. contribute heavily towards noise pollution. 
• These operate from workshops located on the ground floors of the residential areas and cause annoyance, discomfort and irri­tation to the residents exposed to the noise.

2. Transport vehicles :

• Automobile revolution is become a big source of noise pollution. Increasing traffic has given rise to traffic jams in congested areas where the repeatedly blowing of horns by impatient drivers pierce the ears of all road users.
• Heavy trucks, buses, trains, jet-planes, motor-cycles, scooters, mopeds, jeeps etc. are the list of vehicles that are endless use  but the outcome is same — noise pollution.

3. Household :

• The household is a source of many indoor noises such as the banging of doors, noise of playing children, crying of infants, moving of furniture, loud conversation of the inhabitants etc. Besides these are the entertainment equipment in the house, namely the radio, record-players and television sets. Domestic gadgets like the mixer-grinders, pressure cookers, desert coolers, air- conditioners, exhaust fans, vacuum cleaners, sewing and washing machines are all indoor sources of noise pollution.

4. Construction site :

• As we know the India is under construction country, Hence many construction are developed in now days. Those are equipped with too many machines such as mixer machine, lift machine, bulldozer, trucks, demolition machine, crane, generator and these machines are not operating silently. As well as some small machines also operated at construction site and they are breaker, driller, core cutter, steel cutter etc. are the sources of noise pollution.

5. Agricultural Machines :

• As we know the India is agricultural country. So many machines are used in agricultural practices like Tractors, thrashers, harvesters, tube wells, powered tillers etc. have all made agriculture highly mechanical but at the same time highly noisy.

6. Miscellaneous Sources:

• The automobile repair shops, blasting, bulldozing, stone crushing, Mining etc. are other sources of noise pollution.

      Effects of noise pollution :

Noise is generally harmful and a serious health hazard. It has far-reaching consequences and has many physical, physiological and psychological ef­fects on human beings.

1. Physical Effects:

• The physical effect from the noise pollution is inferior to hearing ability. Repeated exposure to noise may result in temporary or permanent shifting of the hearing ability of a person depending upon the decibel and duration of exposure. The immediate and acute effect of noise pollution is damage of hearing (i.e. total deafness.)

2. Physiological Effects :

• Headache by dilating blood vessels of the brain.
• Increase in the rate of heart-beat.
• Narrowing of arteries.
• Fluctuations in the arterial blood pressure by increasing the level of choles­terol in the blood.
• Decrease in heart output.
• Pain in the heart.
• Digestive spasms through anxiety and dilation of the pupil of the eye, thereby causing eye-strain.
• Impairment of night vision.
• Decrease in the rate of color perception.
• Lowering of concentration and affect on memory,
• Muscular strain and nervous breakdown.

3. Psychological Effects :

• Depression and fatigue which considerably reduce the efficiency of human.
• Insomnia or poor sleep or lack of sleep.
• Emotional disturbance.