Noise pollution can come from various sources such as machinery, construction, aircraft, and entertainment venues. Prolonged exposure to high levels of sound can cause irritability, affect concentration, and lead to hearing loss. Health and safety laws require hearing protection for employees in industrial facilities, and public nuisance laws regulate noise levels in residential, commercial, and industrial areas. Zoning can also help limit noise pollution.
Noise pollution could come from commercial activities, domestic conditions, and street noise becoming disruptive. Pollution can exist within a facility or extend outdoors, where it affects the public. Noise pollution commonly comes from machinery, construction, aircraft and entertainment venues. Noise level regulations protect citizens in many regions.
The word noise comes from the Latin term for nausea. Prolonged exposure to high levels of sound may cause irritability and affect concentration. Sudden bursts of noise pollution could also disrupt a person’s work productivity and lead to tension and anxiety. Over time, exposure to noise pollution can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss. Sound registering around 15 decibels resembles a whisper, while 80 decibels or more could be considered painful.
Industrial noise commonly comes from compressors stored outside buildings. Machinery noise can also permeate through uninsulated walls, open doors and windows. Health and safety laws commonly require hearing protection for employees in industrial facilities where noise could be harmful. In outdoor construction areas, jackhammers and jackhammers make loud sounds that may require ear protection.
Domestic noise pollution often occurs where houses or apartments are close together. In some housing developments, neighbors may be disturbed by the sounds of plumbing, footsteps or air conditioners. The daily noise of vacuum cleaners, blenders or other appliances can be heard through the shared walls. Loud music, which one person might enjoy, may be considered irritating noise to another.
Some road noise is unavoidable in cities and areas with heavy vehicle traffic. Buses, motorcycles, garbage trucks and emergency vehicles all contribute to increased road noise levels. These sounds can be amplified in regions where tall buildings trap sound. In some areas, loudspeakers on vehicles or from businesses contribute to overall noise levels.
Other forms of transportation create noise that may exceed healthy levels. Jet aircraft engines, registering 120 decibels or more, could drown out normal conversation as planes pass over a business or residence. The squealing sound commonly heard near railroad switching equipment could also contribute to noise pollution. Train engines, whistles and horns generally create an unhealthy noise near train platforms and stations.
In the entertainment industry, amplified music is the most common source of noise pollution. Noisy conditions typically occur near bars and clubs offering live entertainment and near concert halls. A marching band represents another type of entertainment noise that could intrude on a person’s sense of peace and quiet.
Some jurisdictions work to limit noise through zoning. They typically plan industrial operations and commercial entertainment venues away from residential areas, schools and hospitals. Public nuisance laws commonly regulate the level of noise permitted in residential, commercial and industrial areas to protect the public from noise pollution and provide a method for voicing complaints.
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