[Answered] What is noise pollution? Discuss various causes of noise pollution and examine its impact on human health.

Noise pollution is generally defined as regular exposure to elevated sound levels that may lead to adverse effects in humans or other living organisms. According to the WHO, sound levels less than 70 dB are not damaging to living organisms, regardless of how long or consistent the exposure is. Noise pollution has emerged as a hazard especially in urban and industrial areas. Noise pollution or noise disturbance is the noise levelsthat may harm the activity or balance of human or animal life.

Various causes of noise pollution:

1. Industrialization:Most of the industries use big machines which are capable of producing a large amount of noise. Apart from that, various equipment like compressors, generators, exhaust fans, grinding mills also participates in producing big noise.
2. Poor Urban Planning: In most of the developing countries, poor urban planning also plays a vital role. Congested houses, large families sharing small space, fight over parking, frequent fights over basic amenities leads to noise pollution which may disrupt the environment of society.
3. Social Event: Noise is at its peak in most of the social events. Whether it is marriage, parties, pub, disco or place of worship, people normally flout rules set by the local administration and create nuisance in the area.
4. Transportation: A large number of vehicles on roads, airplanes flying over houses, underground trains produce heavy noise and people get it difficult to get accustomed to that. The high noise leads to a situation wherein a normal person loses the ability to hear properly.
5. Construction Activities: Under construction activities like mining, construction of bridges, dams, buildings, stations, roads, flyovers takes place in almost every part of the world. These construction activities take place every day. The down point is that these construction equipment are too noisy.

Effects of Noise pollution on human health:

1. Hearing Problems: Any unwanted sound that our ears have not been built to filter can cause problems within the body. Constant exposure to loud levels of noise can easily result in the damage of our eardrums and loss of hearing. It also reduces our sensitivity to sounds that our ears pick up unconsciously to regulate our body’s rhythm.
2. Psychological Issues: Studies show that the occurrence of aggressive behaviour, disturbance of sleep, constant stress, fatigue, and hypertension can be linked to excessive noise levels. These, in turn, can cause more severe and chronic health issues later in life.
3. Sleeping Disorders: Loud noise can certainly hamper sleeping pattern and may lead to irritation and uncomfortable situations. It may lead to problems related to fatigue and individual’s performance goes down.
4. Cardiovascular Issues: Blood pressure levels, cardiovascular disease, and stress-related heart problems are on the rise. Studies suggest that high-intensity noise causes high blood pressure and increases heartbeat rate as it disrupts the normal blood flow.
5. Communication troubles: High decibel noise can put trouble and may not allow two people to communicate freely. Constant sharp noise can give you a severe headache and disturb emotional balance.

While this form of pollution may seem harmless, it, in fact, has far-reaching consequences. The adverse effects on the health of the environment are quite severe. Not only is the local wildlife affected by pollution but humans also face a number of problems due to it.