A Boeing 747-400 passes close to houses shortly before landing at London Heathrow Airport

Noise pollution (or environmental noise) is displeasing human or machine created sound that disrupts the activity or happiness of human or animal life. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in Air pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of Chemicals Particulate matter, or Biological materials that cause harm or discomfort Acid rain is Rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually Acidic It has harmful effects on plants aquatic animals and infastructure The Air Quality Index ( AQI) is a standardized indicator of the Air Quality in a given location Atmospheric dispersion modeling is the mathematical simulation of how air pollutants disperse in the ambient atmosphere. The haloalkanes (also known as halogenoalkanes or alkyl halides) are a group of Chemical compounds consisting of Alkanes such as Methane Global dimming is the gradual reduction in the amount of global direct Irradiance at the Earth 's surface that was observed for several decades after the start of systematic Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the Haze is traditionally an atmospheric phenomenon where dust smoke and other dry particles obscure the clarity of the sky Indoor Air Quality (IAQ deals with the content of interior air that could affect health and comfort of building occupants Ozone depletion describes two distinct but related observations a slow steady decline of about 4 percent per decade in the total amount of Ozone in Earth's Particulates, alternatively referred to as particulate matter (PM or fine particles, are tiny particles of solid or liquid suspended in a gas Smog is a kind of Air pollution; the word "smog" is a Portmanteau of Smoke and Fog. Water pollution is the contamination of Water bodies such as Lakes Rivers Oceans and Groundwater caused by human activities Eutrophication is an increase in chemical Nutrients -- typically compounds containing Nitrogen or Phosphorus -- in an Ecosystem, and may occur For other uses of the term "hypoxia" see Hypoxia. Hypoxia or oxygen depletion is a phenomenon that occurs in aquatic environments Marine pollution is the harmful effect caused by the entry into the ocean of chemicals particles, or Plastic debris. For the fictional character see Oil Slick (Transformers. An oil spill is the release of a Liquid Petroleum Hydrocarbon into Ship pollution is the pollution of air and Water by Shipping. Surface runoff is a term used to describe when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess Water, from Rain, Snowmelt, or other sources flows Thermal pollution is a Temperature change in natural bodies of water caused by human influence Distinguish from Wastwater (a lake in the Lake District in northwest England Waterborne diseases are caused by Pathogenic Microorganisms which are directly transmitted when contaminated Drinking water is consumed Water quality is the physical chemical and biological characteristics of Water in relationship to a set of standards Water stagnation occurs when Water stops flowing Stagnant water can be a major Environmental hazard. Soil contamination is caused by the presence of man-made chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment Bioremediation can be defined as any process that uses Microorganisms Fungi, green plants or their Enzymes to return the natural environment altered A herbicide is used to kill unwanted Plants Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired Crop relatively unharmed A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest. Radioactive contamination is the uncontrolled distribution of radioactive material in a given environment Actinides in the environment refer to the sources environmental behaviour and effects of Actinides in the environment. Environmental Radioactivity is the study of radioactive materials in the Human environment. Fission products are the atomic fragments left after a large nucleus fissions. Fallout is the residual radiation hazard from a Nuclear explosion, so named because it "falls out" of the atmosphere into which it is spread during the explosion Plutonium in the environment is an article which is part of the Actinides in the environment series Radiation poisoning, also called " radiation sickness " or a " creeping dose " is a form of damage to organ tissue due to excessive exposure to This is a subpage of Environmental radioactivity. Radium Radium in quack medicine See the story of Eben Byers for details of one very nasty case Uranium in the environment, this page is about the Science of Uranium in the environment and in animals (including humans Introduced species|Weed Invasive species is a phrase with several definitions Light pollution, also known as photopollution or luminous pollution, is excess or obtrusive Light created mainly by Humans Among other effects Radio spectrum pollution is the straying of waves in the radio and Electromagnetic spectrums outside their allocations that cause problems for some activities Visual pollution is the term given to unattractive or unnatural (human-made visual elements of a vista a Landscape, or any other thing that a person might not want to For other similarly-named agreements see Montreal Convention (disambiguation. Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or Their Transboundary Fluxes, opened for signature on The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the international Framework Convention on Climate Change with the objective of reducing Greenhouse gases in an effort The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, often abbreviated as Air Pollution or CLRTAP, is intended to protect the human environment against Air This is a list of environmental organizations. See also Environmental organization Intergovernmental organizations International organizations The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs ( Defra) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for environmental protection The Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW is a worldwide system established by the World Meteorological Organization a United Nations agency to monitor trends in the Greenpeace, originally known as the Greenpeace Foundation, was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1972 The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS are standards established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency that apply for outdoor Air Environmental science is the study of interactions among physical chemical and biological components of the environment. See also Nature The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a terminology that is comprised of all living and See also Nature The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a terminology that is comprised of all living and A common form of noise pollution is from transportation, principally motor vehicles. A motor Vehicle is a Machine which incorporates a motor (sometimes known as an Engine) and which is used for Transportation ^[1] The word "noise" comes from the Latin word nausea meaning "seasickness", referring originally to nuisance noise. is a one volume manga created by Tsutomu Nihei as a prequel to his ten-volume work Blame!. Nausea ( Latin: Nausea, Greek:, " Sea-sickness " also called wamble) is the sensation of unease and discomfort Seasickness is a form of Motion sickness characterized by a feeling of Nausea and in extreme cases vertigo experienced after spending time on a craft ^[2]

Sources of noise

See also: Roadway noise, Aircraft noise, and Noise measurement

The source of most noise worldwide is transportation systems, motor vehicle noise, but also including aircraft noise and rail noise. Roadway noise is the collective sound energy emanating from Motor vehicles In the USA it contributes more to environmental noise exposure than any other noise source and is Aircraft noise is defined as Sound produced by any aircraft or its components during various phases of a flight on the ground while parked such as auxiliary power Noise measurement is carried out in various fields In Acoustics, it can be for the purpose of measuring Environmental noise, or part of a test procedure using Aircraft noise is defined as Sound produced by any aircraft or its components during various phases of a flight on the ground while parked such as auxiliary power ^[3][1] Poor urban planning may give rise to noise pollution, since side-by-side industrial and residential buildings can result in noise pollution in the residential area.

Other sources are office equipment, factory machinery, construction work, appliances, power tools, lighting hum and audio entertainment systems. Lighting includes both artificial Light sources such as lamps and natural illumination of interiors from Daylight.

Human health effects

Main article: Noise health effects

Noise health effects are both health and behavioral in nature. Noise health effects are the Health consequences of elevated Sound levels Elevated workplace or other Noise can cause Hearing impairment Noise health effects are the Health consequences of elevated Sound levels Elevated workplace or other Noise can cause Hearing impairment Health is a state of complete physical mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity Behavior or behaviour (see spelling differences) refers to the actions or Reactions of an object or Organism, usually The unwanted sound is called noise pollution. This unwanted sound can damage physiological and psychological health. Noise pollution can cause annoyance and aggression, hypertension, high stress levels, tinnitus, hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and other harmful effects. ^[4][5][6] Furthermore, stress and hypertension are the leading causes to health problems, whereas tinnitus can lead to forgetfulness, severe depression and at times panic attacks. ^[5][7]

Chronic exposure to noise may cause noise-induced hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL is an increasingly prevalent disorder that results from exposure to high-intensity Sound, especially over a long period of time Older males exposed to significant occupational noise demonstrate significantly reduced hearing sensitivity than their non-exposed peers, though differences in hearing sensitivity decrease with time and the two groups are indistinguishable by age 79. In Statistics, a result is called statistically significant if it is unlikely to have occurred by Chance. ^[8] A comparison of Maaban tribesmen, who were insignificantly exposed to transportation or industrial noise, to a typical U. Maaban is a remote populated place in Ghana. Its coordinates are Latitude (DMS 6° 58' 60 N Longitude (DMS 2° 13' 0. A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally consists of a Social group existing before the development of or outside of States Many anthropologists use S. population showed that chronic exposure to moderately high levels of environmental noise contributes to hearing loss. ^[4]

High noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects and exposure to moderately high levels during a single eight hour period causes a statistical rise in blood pressure of five to ten points and an increase in stress^[9] and vasoconstriction leading to the increased blood pressure noted above as well as to increased incidence of coronary artery disease. This is an article about the rock music band "Circulatory System" Blood pressure is also the title of a short story by Damon Runyan in Guys and Dolls and Other Stories Vasoconstriction is the narrowing of the blood vessels resulting from contraction of the muscular wall of the vessels particularly the large Arteries, Arterioles Hypertension, also referred to as high blood pressure, HTN or HPN, is a medical condition in which the Blood pressure is chronically elevated Coronary artery disease (CAD (or atherosclerotic Heart disease) is the end result of the accumulation of atheromatous plaques within the walls

Noise pollution is also a cause of annoyance. A 2005 study by Spanish researchers found that in urban areas households are willing to pay approximately four Euros per decibel per year for noise reduction. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e ^[10]

Environmental effects

Noise can have a detrimental effect on animals by causing stress, increasing risk of mortality by changing the delicate balance in predator/prey detection and avoidance, and by interfering with their use of sounds in communication especially in relation to reproduction and in navigation. Acoustic overexposure can lead to temporary or permanent loss of hearing. ^[11]

An impact of noise on animal life is the reduction of usable habitat that noisy areas may cause, which in the case of endangered species may be part of the path to extinction. Habitat destruction is the process in which natural Habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species originally present In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. One of the best known cases of damage caused by noise pollution is the death of certain species of beached whales, brought on by the loud sound of military sonar. Sonar (which started as an Acronym for sound navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses Sound propagation (usually underwater to navigate ^[12]

Noise also makes species communicate louder, which is called Lombard vocal response. ^[13] Scientists and researchers have conducted experiments that show whales' song length is longer when submarine-detectors are on. ^[14] If creatures don't "speak" loud enough, their voice will be masked by anthropogenic sounds. A mask is an artefact normally worn on the face typically for protection concealment performance or amusement Anthropogenic effects processes objects or materials are those that are derived from Human activities as opposed to those occurring in Natural environments without These unheard voices might be warnings, finding of prey, or preparations of net-bubbling. When one species begins speaking louder, it will mask other species' voice, causing the whole ecosystem to eventually speak louder. A mask is an artefact normally worn on the face typically for protection concealment performance or amusement

Zebra finches become less faithful to their partners when exposed to traffic noise. The Zebra Finch, Taeniopygia guttata is the most common and familiar Estrildid finch of Central Australia and ranges over most of the continent avoiding This could alter a population's evolutionary trajectory by selecting "sexy" traits, sapping resources normally devoted to other activities and thus lead to profound genetic and evolutionary consequences. ^[15]

Mitigation and control of noise

Main article: Noise mitigation

The sound tube in Melbourne, Australia, designed to reduce roadway noise without detracting from the area's aesthetics. Noise mitigation is a set of strategies to reduce Noise pollution. Monash Freeway|Tullamarine Freeway|West Gate Freeway CityLink is a system of tolled urban Freeways in Melbourne, Victoria, Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Roadway noise is the collective sound energy emanating from Motor vehicles In the USA it contributes more to environmental noise exposure than any other noise source and is

Technology to mitigate or remove noise can be applied as follows:

There are a variety of strategies for mitigating roadway noise including: use of noise barriers, limitation of vehicle speeds, alteration of roadway surface texture, limitation of heavy duty vehicles, use of traffic controls that smooth vehicle flow to reduce braking and acceleration, and tire design. Roadway noise is the collective sound energy emanating from Motor vehicles In the USA it contributes more to environmental noise exposure than any other noise source and is A noise barrier (also called a soundwall, sound berm, sound barrier, or acoustical barrier) is an exterior structure designed to protect An important factor in applying these strategies is a computer model for roadway noise, that is capable of addressing local topography, meteorology, traffic operations and hypothetical mitigation. A computer simulation, a computer model or a computational model is a Computer program, or network of computers that attempts to simulate an Roadway noise is the collective sound energy emanating from Motor vehicles In the USA it contributes more to environmental noise exposure than any other noise source and is Topography ( topo-, "place" and graphia, "writing" is the study of Earth 's Surface features or those of Planets Meteorology (from Greek grc μετέωρος metéōros, "high in the sky" and grc -λογία -logia) is the Interdisciplinary Costs of building-in mitigation can be modest, provided these solutions are sought in the planning stage of a roadway project.

Aircraft noise can be reduced to some extent by design of quieter jet engines, which was pursued vigorously in the 1970s and 1980s. Aircraft noise is defined as Sound produced by any aircraft or its components during various phases of a flight on the ground while parked such as auxiliary power specific --->A jet engine is a Reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet of Fluid to This strategy has brought limited but noticeable reduction of urban sound levels. Reconsideration of operations, such as altering flight paths and time of day runway use, have demonstrated benefits for residential populations near airports. Trajectory is the path a moving object follows through space The object might be a Projectile or a Satellite, for example FAA sponsored residential retrofit (insulation) programs initiated in the 1970s has also enjoyed success in reducing interior residential noise in thousands of residences across the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of Within a urban area there is a tendency for land uses to Aggregate.

Exposure of workers to Industrial noise has been addressed since the 1930s. Industrial noise is usually considered mainly from the point of view of environmental health and safety rather than nuisance as sustained exposure can cause permanent hearing damage Changes include redesign of industrial equipment, shock mounting assemblies and physical barriers in the workplace.

Legal status

Main article: Noise regulation

Governments up until the 1970s viewed noise as a "nuisance" rather than an environmental problem. Noise regulation includes Statutes or guidelines relating to sound transmission established by national state or provincial and Municipal levels of government In the United States there are federal standards for highway and aircraft noise; states and local governments typically have very specific statutes on building codes, urban planning and roadway development. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as Buildings and Nonbuilding In Canada and the EU there are few national, provincial, or state laws that protect against noise. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in

Noise laws and ordinances vary widely among municipalities and indeed do not even exist in some cities. An ordinance may contain a general prohibition against making noise that is a nuisance, or it may set out specific guidelines for the level of noise allowable at certain times of the day and for certain activities.

Most city ordinances prohibit sound above a threshold intensity from trespassing over property line at night, typically between 10 p. A local ordinance is a Law usually found in a municipal code. m. and 6 a. m. , and during the day restricts it to a higher sound level; however, enforcement is uneven. Many municipalities do not follow up on complaints. Even where a municipality has an enforcement office, it may only be willing to issue warnings, since taking offenders to court is expensive.

Many conflicts over noise pollution are handled by negotiation between the emitter and the receiver. Escalation procedures vary by country, and may include action in conjunction with local authorities, in particular the police. Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force Noise pollution often persists because only five to ten percent of people affected by noise will lodge a formal complaint. In general use a complaint is an expression of displeasure such as poor service at a store or from a Local government, etc Many people are not aware of their legal right to quiet and do not know how to register a complaint.

See also

• Light pollution
• List of environmental health hazards
• The Hum
• Tranquility
• Noise (acoustic)
• Noise Pollution in Kerala, India

References

External links

• Noise pollution at the Open Directory Project
• World Health Organisation - Guidelines for Community Noise
• Clive Thompson on How Man-Made Noise May Be Altering Earths Ecology {sic}