Noise Pollution

Noise pollution, also known as environmental noise or sound pollution, is the propagation of
noise with ranging impacts on the activity of human or animal life, most of them harmful to a
degree. The source of outdoor noise worldwide is mainly caused by machines, transport, and
propagation systems.
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 World Health
Organization, sound levels less than 70 dB are not damaging to living organisms, regardless of
how long or consistent the exposure is. Exposure for more than 8 hours to constant noise beyond
85 dB may be hazardous. If you work for 8 hours daily in close proximity to a busy road or
highway, you are very likely exposed to traffic noise pollution around 85dB. Noise pollution is
an invisible danger. It cannot be seen, but it is present nonetheless, both on land and under the
sea. Noise pollution is considered to be any unwanted or disturbing sound that affects the health
and well-being of humans and other organisms.

Sound is measured in decibels. There are many sounds in the environment, from rustling leaves
(20 to 30 decibels) to a thunderclap (120 decibels) to the wail of a siren (120 to 140 decibels).
Sounds that reach 85 decibels or higher can harm a person’s ears. Sound sources that exceed this
threshold include familiar things, such as power lawn mowers (90 decibels), subway trains (90 to
115 decibels), and loud rock concerts (110 to 120 decibels).

Not all sound is considered noise pollution. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines
noise above 65 decibels (dB) as noise pollution. To be precise, noise becomes harmful when it
exceeds 75 decibels (dB) and is painful above 120 dB. As a consequence, it is recommended
noise levels be kept below 65 dB during the day and indicates that restful sleep is impossible
with nighttime ambient noise levels in excess of 30 dB.

Sources of Noise Pollution

This type of pollution is so omnipresent in today’s society that we often fail to even notice it
anymore:

 street traffic sounds from cars, buses, pedestrians, ambulances etc.

 construction sounds like drilling or other heavy machinery in operation
 airports, with constant elevated sounds from air traffic, i.e. planes taking off or landing
 workplace sounds, often common in open-space offices
 constant loud music in or near commercial venues
 industrial sounds like fans, generators, compressor, mills
 train stations traffic
  household sounds, from the television set to music playing on the stereo or computer,
vacuum cleaners, fans and coolers, washing machines, dishwashers, lawnmowers etc.
 events involving fireworks, firecrackers, loudspeakers etc.
 conflicts generate noise pollution through explosions, gunfire etc. The dysfunctions, in
this case, are likely caused by the conflict and insecurity and less by the noise pollution in
itself, although that compounds stress levels too.

Human Diseases Caused by Noise Pollution

Whether we realize we are subjected to it or not, noise pollution can be hazardous to our health
in various ways.

 Hypertension is, in this case, a direct result of noise pollution caused elevated blood
levels for a longer period of time.
 Hearing loss can be directly caused by noise pollution, whether listening to loud music in
your headphones or being exposed to loud drilling noises at work, heavy air or land
traffic, or separate incidents in which noise levels reach dangerous intervals, such as
around140 dB for adult or 120 dB for children.
 Sleep disturbances are usually caused by constant air or land traffic at night, and they are
a serious condition in that they can affect everyday performance and lead to serious
diseases.
 Child development. Children appear to be more sensitive to noise pollution, and a
number of noise-pollution-related diseases and dysfunctions are known to affect children,
from hearing impairment to psychological and physical effects. Also, children who
regularly use music players at high volumes are at risk of developing hearing
dysfunctions. In 2001, it was estimated that 12.5% of American children between the
ages of 6 to 19 years had impaired hearing in one or both ears
 Various cardiovascular dysfunctions. Elevated blood pressure caused by noise pollution,
especially during the night, can lead to various cardiovascular diseases.
 Dementia isn’t necessarily caused by noise pollution, but its onset can be favored or
compounded by noise pollution.
  Psychological dysfunctions and noise annoyance. Noise annoyance is, in fact, a
recognized name for an emotional reaction that can have an immediate impact.

Effects of Noise Pollution on Wildlife and Marine Life

Our oceans are no longer quiet. Thousands of oil drills, sonars, seismic survey devices, coastal
recreational watercraft and shipping vessels are now populating our waters, and that is a serious
cause of noise pollution for marine life. Whales are among the most affected, as their hearing
helps them orient themselves, feed and communicate. Noise pollution thus interferes with
cetaceans’ (whales and dolphins) feeding habits, reproductive patterns and migration routes, and
can even cause hemorrhage and death.

Other than marine life, land animals are also affected by noise pollution in the form of traffic,
firecrackers etc., and birds are especially affected by the increased air traffic.

Social and Economic Costs of Noise Pollution

The World Health Organization estimates that one out of three people in Europe is harmed by
traffic noise. More than the purely medical effects of noise pollution on the individual, there is a
significant social and economic impact. Since noise pollution leads to sleep disturbance, it
affects the individual’s work performance during the day, it leads to hypertension and
cardiovascular disease and costs the health system additional time and money, and it negatively
affects school performance in children.

Tips for Avoiding Noise Pollution

 Wear earplugs whenever exposed to elevated noise levels

 Maintain a level of around 35 dB in your bedroom at night, and around 40 dB in your
house during the day
 If possible, choose your residential area as far removed from heavy traffic as you can
 Avoid prolonged use of earphones, especially at elevated sound levels
 If possible, avoid jobs with regular exposure to elevated sound levels
Standards for Sound
 Soil pollution

Land pollution or soil pollution is a heavy topic. With its direct impact on the environment and
consequently on the health of humans, animals, and plants, soil pollution is a real problem that involves
both political powers and citizens.

Soil is not a renewable resource. Its degradation can be rapid (a few years or decades) while it takes
several thousands of years to form and regenerate

What is land pollution?

Land pollution refers to all forms of pollution affecting any type of soil: agricultural, forestry, urban,
etc. Soil pollution is a disruptive element for many biological resources and ecosystems.

A soil is polluted when it contains an abnormal concentration of chemical compounds potentially

dangerous to human health, plants or animals.

There are different types of land pollution:

 Agricultural land pollution

 Chemicals
 Solid waste

What are the Pollutants that Contaminate Soil?

Some of the most hazardous soil pollutants are xenobiotics – substances that are not naturally
found in nature and are synthesized by human beings. The term ‘xenobiotic’ has Greek roots –
‘Xenos’ (foreigner), and ‘Bios’ (life). Several xenobiotics are known to be carcinogens. An
illustration detailing major soil pollutants is provided below.
Heavy Metals
The presence of heavy metals (such as lead and mercury, in abnormally high concentrations) in
soils can cause it to become highly toxic to human beings. Some metals that can be classified as
soil pollutants are tabulated below.

Toxic Metals that Cause Soil Pollution

Arsenic Mercury Lead

Antimony Zinc Nickel

Cadmium Selenium Beryllium

Thallium Chromium Copper

These metals can originate from several sources such as mining activities, agricultural activities,
electronic waste (e-waste), and medical waste.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (often abbreviated to PAHs) are organic compounds that:

1. Contain only carbon and hydrogen atoms.

2. Contain more than one aromatic ring in their chemical structures.
Common examples of PAHs include naphthalene, anthracene, and phenalene. Exposure to
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons has been linked to several forms of cancer. These organic
compounds can also cause cardiovascular diseases in humans.
Soil pollution due to PAHs can be sourced to coke (coal) processing, vehicle emissions, cigarette
smoke, and the extraction of shale oil.

Industrial Waste
The discharge of industrial waste into soils can result in soil pollution. Some common soil
pollutants that can be sourced to industrial waste are listed below.

 Chlorinated industrial solvents

 Dioxins produced from the manufacture of pesticides and the incineration of waste.
 Plasticizers/dispersants
 Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
The petroleum industry creates many petroleum hydrocarbon waste products. Some of these
wastes, such as benzene and methylbenzene, are known to be carcinogenic in nature.

Pesticides
Pesticides are substances (or mixtures of substances) that are used to kill or inhibit the growth of
pests. Common types of pesticides used in agriculture include:

 Herbicides – used to kill/control weeds and other unwanted plants.

 Insecticides – used to kill insects.
 Fungicides – used to kill parasitic fungi or inhibit their growth.
However, the unintentional diffusion of pesticides into the environment (commonly known as
‘pesticide drift’) poses a variety of environmental concerns such as water pollution and soil
pollution. Some important soil contaminants found in pesticides are listed below.

Herbicides

 Triazines
 Carbamates
 Amides
 Phenoxyalkyl acids
 Aliphatic acids

Insecticides

 Organophosphates
  Chlorinated hydrocarbons
 Arsenic-containing compounds
 Pyrethrum

Fungicides

 Mercury-containing compounds
 Thiocarbamates
 Copper sulfate

These chemicals pose several health risks to humans. Examples of health hazards related to
pesticides include diseases of the central nervous system, immune system diseases, cancer, and
birth defects

Effects of Land pollution

Soil pollution can harm public health and animals, as well as the quality of groundwater and surface
water. Its effects are of several kinds, namely deferred or immediate, but also direct or indirect.

On The Environment

Contamination of groundwater, loss of topsoil, water nutrient enrichment and increased risk of
wildfires (because of the dry conditions created by the pollutants in the soil) are among the
consequences of land pollution.

On Wildlife

As land pollution and soil erosion progress, animals are forced to shift habitats and adapt to new
conditions. As a result, some species are at risk of extinction.

On Human Health

The potential effects of soil contamination on human health include breathing disorders, birth defects,
skin diseases, and cancer.
The contaminants found in polluted soil can enter human bodies through several channels such
as the nose, the mouth, or the skin. Exposure to such soils can cause a variety of short-term
health problems such as headaches, coughing, chest pain, nausea, and skin/eye irritation.
Prolonged exposure to contaminated soil can lead to the depression of the central nervous system
and damage to vital organs (such as the liver). Long-term exposure to polluted soils has also
been linked to cancer in humans.

Preventive Measures to Soil Pollution

1. Cleanup
Environmental remediation consists of removing pollution from the soil, groundwater or surface water.
Bioremediation (microbes) and phytoremediation (plants) can be used to convert the pollutants into
harmless products. These are natural solutions that need to be supported by in-depth actions.

2. Green agriculture
Sustainable agriculture is essential as it is meant to control the impact on the cultivated environment, by
minimizing the external contributions (phytosanitary products), by diversifying the cultures and by
using biological treatments.

3. Sustainable forest management

Conservation of the forests is key. Without the protection of the trees, the land becomes dry and starts
to erode. Therefore, sustainable forestry or logging is crucial to saving the soil from pollution.
4. Proper waste disposal
Be it for industrial or household waste, efficient waste disposal is one of the most effective ways of
curbing land pollution. This especially applies to toxic and hazardous waste disposal.

5. The "3 R's" Rule & Education

Reducing the use of non-biodegradable products will lower plastic pollution and eventually have an
impact on land pollution. This is why it is very important to reuse and recycle every possible item.
Education should also play a major role in efforts to protect the environment from land pollution.

Soil degradation is a complex problem that requires governments, institutions, communities and
individuals to take joint measures. The following are just some of the things we can do to
improve its health:

 Eat sustainable foodstuffs, properly recycle batteries, produce homemade compost and
dispose of drugs in the places authorised for this purpose.

 Encourage an eco-friendlier model for industry, farming and stock breeding, among other
economic activities.

 Improve urban planning and transport planning and waste water treatment.

 Improve the management of mining waste, restore the landscape and conserve topsoil.

 Involve local communities and indigenous peoples in the design, implementation and
assessment of sustainable land and soil management.
What are the environmental remediation processes that can be employed to curb the negative
effects of soil pollution?

 The contaminated soil can be excavated and transported to a remote disposal site.
 Thermal remediation of contaminated soil, which involves heating up the soil in order to
vaporize the volatile toxic pollutants.
 Soil decontamination via surfactant leaching.