Noise Pollution

Noise pollution affects human beings at threelevels: auditory effects, non-auditory effects and physiological effects. Noisepollution control avenues include insulation of noise source, isolation of noisesource, personal isolation, volume reduction, legal protection, ekistics andpolitical will. Many countries have adopted ambient noise pollution standards.This book all important aspects of this subject in detail.

Environmental Noise Pollution: Noise Mapping, Public Health and Policy addresses the key debates surrounding environmental noise pollution with a particular focus on the European Union. Environmental noise pollution is an emerging public policy and environmental concern and is considered to be one of the most important environmental stressors affecting public health throughout the world. This book examines environmental noise pollution, its health implications, the role of strategic noise mapping for problem assessment, major sources of environmental noise pollution, noise mitigation approaches, and related procedural and policy implications. Drawing on the authors' considerable research expertise in the area, the book is the first coherent work on this major environmental stressor, a new benchmark reference across disciplinary, policy and national boundaries. Highlights recent developments in the policy arena with particular focus on developments in the EU within the context of the European Noise Directive Explores the lessons emerging from nations within the EU and other jurisdictions attempting to legislate and mitigate against the harmful effects of noise pollution Covers the core theoretical concepts and principles surrounding the mechanics of noise pollution as well as the evidence-base linking noise with public health concerns

In this handbook on a growing public menace, Clifford R. Bragdon applies acoustical engineering and social science to the least understood—yet one of the most serious—environmental hazards of modern society. This book is a precision tool; it gives facts and figures, precise scientific measurements, and accurate data on what noise is, what it does, and how to combat it. The author pinpoints the noise levels—many of them illegal—of automobiles, buses, subways, airplanes, household appliances, and children's toys in numerous charts and tables and relates these data to the measurable social, physical, and psychological damage they do to human beings. He catalogues the "noise-free" claims of manufacturers of these products in an Appendix that speaks for itself. A thorough case study of an area near Philadelphia International Airport and other townships, including five hundred households, the author evaluates existing noise abatement programs on local, state, and federal levels, and finds most of them seriously inadequate. As steps toward the solution to the noise crisis, he proposes a system for rating environmental health, new approaches to community noise management, and a variety of architectural suggestions. The bibliography—probably the most complete and up-to-date source collection on the subject ever assembled—is an invaluable reference work in itself. It lists over five hundred sources, arranged in six major categories: Noise, General; Physical Effects; Psycho-Social Effects; Law; Noise Abatement; and Noise Sources. Noise Pollution is indispensable not only for the concerned citizen but for all those who can, and must, take immediate and effective action in our unquiet crisis: urban planners, architects, hospital administrators, public health officials, transportation executives, lawyers, realtors, sound engineers, manufacturers of transportation equipment and household appliances, and community leaders. It is a vital resource in dealing with the noise crisis that is destroying pleasure, lowering work performance, eroding health, causing physical injury, and even challenging basic human survival.

Uses a question-and-answer format to present information on what noise pollution is, its causes and effects, and possible ways to prevent it.

"Noise Pollution and Control Strategy discusses the basics of acoustic propagation, reviews the problem of noise generation over all national and international situations and gives various techniques available for noise measurements and assessment, health effects of noise, the standards adopted by various countries of the world, environmental impact assessment techniques, control measures and status of noise measurement and abatement practices. In the last chapter, an effort has been made to lay an appropriate strategy to control noise. The book concludes with the future vision in the area of noise pollution and an up-to-date list of references and bibliography. The acoustical terminology in a separate appendix would be of great help as a ready reference."--BOOK JACKET.

Environmental noise is defined as the noise emitted from sources such as road, rail and air traffic, industries, construction and public works, and the neighborhood. Noise has been ranked high among forms of pollutions, which include air pollution, radioactive waste pollution, water pollutions, etc. In recent years, noise has received considerable worldwide attention as a result of the many studies linking noise pollution to various health effects that include auditory as well non-auditory health effects. It should be noted here that the effect of noise is seldom catastrophic, and is often only transitory. However, its adverse effects can be cumulative with prolonged or repeated exposure. Noise with daily activities and it causes sleep disruption, masking of speech, reduction in performance and the inability to enjoy one's property or leisure time. It impairs the quality of life. In addition, several studies have linked extended exposure to high noise levels to cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat. It has also been reported that high noise levels have an economic effects, especially tourism and real estate sectors, where it has been reported that the prices of houses tend to be higher in quite areas. There is also some evidence that noise can adversely affect general health and well-being in the same manner as chronic stress. Because of these factors, and the recent public awareness of the adverse effects of noise in the last few decades, many studies and noise monitoring programs have been established in various parts in the world. These studies and programs focus on measurements of perceived sound levels in communities, in the workplace (occupational noise), near airports and in public parks. A second area of research, which is getting more attention in recent years, focuses on assessing the effects of noise on individuals and communities, i.e. noise annoyance. This book discusses several topics that include driver style influence in the vehicle acoustic emissions in urban traffic; reaction to hybrid noise in communication; otoacoustic emissions by product distortion in metallurgical workers exposed to different doses of occupational noise; underwater noise pollution; and noise pollution in Zimbabwe.

Leading pollution control educators and practicing professionals describe how various combinations of different cutting-edge process systems can be arranged to solve air, noise, and thermal pollution problems. Each chapter discusses in detail a variety of process combinations, along with technical and economic evaluations, and presents explanations of the principles behind the designs, as well as numerous variant designs useful to practicing engineers. The emphasis throughout is on developing the necessary engineering solutions from fundamental principles of chemistry, physics, and mathematics. The authors also include extensive references, cost data, design methods, guidance on the installation and operation of various air pollution control process equipment and systems, and Best Available Technologies (BAT) for air thermal and noise pollution control.