Environment Engineering Noise Pollution Notes.

1. ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE POLLUTION
M.Arivazhagan,
Dept of chemical Engg
NIT,Trichy .

2. Why worry about noise?
 Of all the pollution concerns:
 Air,water,land, and noise; noise pollution
is the one that has the potential for the
most damage to humans and wildlife.
 It is a hidden health hazard that impacts
our physical, psychological and
intellectual well being.
 Our ears never shut down, even while
we are sleeping, so the input is constant.

3. Noise Pollution
 Noise pollution has a broad effect.
 It can excite us
 Warn us of danger
 Soothe us
 Inspire us
 Keep us in touch with our
surroundings.
 And, harm our well being.

4. Noise is
Everywhere

5. Source of Noise
1.Noise in Industrial Area
2.Noise in Residential Area
 Mechanical devices
 Voices
 Music's
 Neighbors
3.Transportation Noise
 Road Traffic
 Rail Traffic
 Air Traffic

6. Continuation of sources
4.Constrution Noise /Public /Military
5.Domestic
6.Noise from Leisure Activities

7. Our Magical Ears

8. What does our ear drum do?
 Sound waves are
collected by our ear
canal and passed to
the ear drum, which
vibrates. The sound
waves are then
picked up by fluid in
the inner ear and
passed to the inner
ear structures where
the acoustic nerve
connects to the
brain.

9. The Mighty Decibel
 Hearing loss can occur
from a single exposure
to a loud noise or from
repeated exposures.
 The Environmental
Protection Agency has
set a standard of 70 db
in a 24 hour period as
safe.
 Decibels measure the
intensity of sound.

10. The Numbers
 Rustling leaves- 10db  Stereo - 90 db
 whisper - 30 db  bagpipes - 90-110 db
 normal speech - 60 db
 power saw - 100 db
 television - 70 db
 fire cracker - 115-120 db
 traffic - 75-80 db
 blow dryer - 85 db
 rock concert - 120 db
 noisy hall - 85 db
 gunshot/train/jet - 150 db
 classroom - 85 db

11. Environmental Noise

12. Physical Effects
 Examples: hearing
loss, digestive
disorders, birth
defects, arthritis,
cancer, heart disease,
fatigue, headaches,
asthma, hypertension,
insomnia, sexual
dysfunction, altered
immune system.

13. Psychological Effects
 Examples:
depression, anger,
aggression,
anxiety, increased
violence, alcohol
and drug use,
fatigue, increase in
suicide, decreased
social skills,
personality
disorders

14. Communicative Effects
 Examples:
decreased learning
capacity, memory
loss, poor language
skills, decreased
speech
development,
decreased
academic
performance,
decreased cognitive
ability

15. How much is too much?
 Damage to health begins at
75 db.
 Hearing damage begins at 90
db and can be permanent with
one exposure of 120 db or
more.
 The average decibel levels at
Montpelier High School are
70-86; where damage to
physical, psychological and
communicative health begins.

16. Sound Level Meter
 Type 1 Precision Sound Level Meter
 Type 2 General Purpose Sound Level Meter
 Type 3 Survey Sound Level Meter
 Type 4 Special Purpose Sound Level Meter

17. Microphones
Condenser

18. Piezoelectric

19. Dynamic

20. Weighing Networks

21. Auxiliary Equipment of the Sound
Level Meter
 Calibrator
 Octave Band Filter Set
 Wind Screen
 Impulse Network
 Graphic Level Recorder

22. Types and Measurement Procedure

23. Noise control
 Reducing the Sound Producer
 Interrupting the Path of the Source
 Protecting the Recipient

24.  Industrial Noise Control
 Community Noise
 Noise in the Home

25. Controlling the noise in your life is not hopeless, but does
require determination on your part to respect and alter the level
of noise.
 Wear ear plugs in
 Increase trees and
very loud places. shrubs around
Filtered ear plugs, property.
such as Sonic II can  Be aware of your
be purchased in any surroundings and do
music or gun shop. whatever you can to
They reduce the reduce the noise level.
damaging decibels,  Find quiet time daily.
whereas foam plugs  Carpeting, pictures
will muffle sound but and plants will absorb
still allow too high a sound.
decibel range to  Limit your time in a
enter your ears.
noisy environment

26. Under Sea Noise Pollution
 Severe threat to the Marine organisms/
Eco system
 Low Frequency Activities Sonar (LFAS)

Covers 80% World Ocean
 Detect Submarine Noise (240db)

27. Ambient noise standards
Area code category Limits in dB
Day Night
A Industrial area 75 70
B Commercial area 65 55
C Residential area 55 45
D Silence zone 50 40
Figure in parenthesis are percentage

28. Sources of noise affecting male and female
Respondents(Narendra Singh et al, 2004 )
Noise sources Male Female
Loud speaker 64(82) 57(79)
Automobiles 52 (67) 52(67)
Neighborhoods 38(49) 35(49)
Religious 42(54) 47(65)
functions 78(100) 72(100)
Total respondents
Figure in parenthesis are percentage

29. Effect of nosie on different age groups
Effect of
 0-20 20-40 40-60 Above Total
60
noise
Effect on hearing 23(68) 28(57) 34(79) 22(92) 107(71)
Interfere with
communication 33(97) 47(96) 41(95) 20(83) 141(94)
Cause annoyance 25(73) 38(78) 35(81) 18(75) 116(77)
Disturb sleep 33(68) 46(94) 41(95) 22(92) 132(88)
Result in 9(26) 15(31) 15(35) 13(54) 52(35)
Deafness 8(23) 17(35) 17(40) 8(32) 50(32)
Mental
Breakdown
Total 34(100) 49(100) 43(100) 24(100) 150(100)
Figure in parenthesis are percentage

30. Suggestion by different (age group) respondents
Suggestion Total
Education 50(33)
Government Efforts 33(22)
Involving NGO’S
26(17)
Empowering police
18(12)
Empowering Civil Authorities
23(15)
Total 150(100)
Figure in parenthesis are percentage

31. Remedies
 Administrative remedies
 Judicial Remedies
 Legislative Remedies
 Public Co-operation
 International Co-operation

32. References
 Environmental Noise Pollution , Patrick F.Cunniff,John Wiley &
Sons (1977)
 Narendra Singh et al ,Noise pollution Sources , Effects &
Control , J.Hum.Ecol, 16(3):181-187(2004)
 Noise and You by JOAN FITCH RN/B.S.N
 Environmental Engineering Ruth F.Weiner, Fourth edition
Butter worth& Heinemann (2003)

33. The End