August 24, 2020

Noise Pollution

Submitted by:
Macjorge Julio T. Espiritu
SPL ECE 5F

Submitted to:
Prof. Raul D. Canlas
Assignment 1:
1. What is noise pollution. Effects, sources, etc.
2. How do we measure noise?
3. Allowable noise levels (in decibels), intensity, frequency etc.
4. Is there law for regarding noise pollution in the Philippines? Cite them all. From
republic act to civil codes.
Answers:

1. 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.[1][2] Poor urban planning may give rise
to noise disintegration or pollution, side-by-side industrial and residential buildings can
result in noise pollution in the residential areas. Some of the main sources of noise in
residential areas include loud music, transportation (traffic, rail, airplanes, etc.), lawn
care maintenance, construction, electrical generators, explosions, and people.
Documented problems associated with noise in urban environments go back as far
as ancient Rome.[3] Today, the average noise level of 98 decibels (dB) exceeds
the WHO value of 50 dB allowed for residential areas.[4] Research suggests that noise
pollution is the highest in low-income and racial minority neighborhoods, [5] and noise
pollution associated with household electricity generators is an emerging environmental
degradation in many developing nations.
High noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects in humans and an increased
incidence of coronary artery disease.[6][7] In animals, noise can increase the risk of death
by altering predator or prey detection and avoidance, interfere with reproduction and
navigation, and contribute to permanent hearing loss.[8] A substantial amount of the
noise that humans produce occurs in the ocean. Up until recently, most research on
noise impacts has been focused on marine mammals, and to a lesser degree, fish. [9][10] In
the past few years, scientists have shifted to conducting studies on invertebrates and
their responses to anthropogenic sounds in the marine environment. This research is
essential, especially considering that invertebrates make up 75% of marine species, and
thus compose a large percentage of ocean food webs.[10] Of the studies that have been
conducted, a sizable variety in families of invertebrates have been represented in the
research. A variation in the complexity of their sensory systems exists, which allows
scientists to study a range of characteristics and develop a better understanding of
anthropogenic noise impacts on living organisms.
While the elderly may have cardiac problems due to noise, according to the World
Health Organization, children are especially vulnerable to noise, and the effects that
noise has on children may be permanent.[11] Noise poses a serious threat to a child's
 physical and psychological health, and may negatively interfere with a child's learning
and behavior.[12]
Man-Made Noise
This refers to the noise created due to man-made activities. It can be anything
from construction work, noise from the air, vehicular traffic, household noise, noise
from pubs and bars, to name a few. Ranging from 30 to a whopping 140 dB, this form of
noise is extremely harmful to humans.
Environmental Noise
Environmental Noise refers to the kind of noise occurring from a range
of environmental activities. This can be anything from the mating call of animals to the
sound of thunderstorms that often go up to 140 dB.

Effects of noise pollution-

1. Hearing Problems
Any unwanted sound that our ears have not been built to filter can cause problems within the
body. Our ears can take in a certain range of sounds without getting damaged.
Man-made noises such as jackhammers, horns, machinery, airplanes, and even vehicles can be
too loud for our hearing range.
Constant exposure to loud levels of noise can easily result in the damage of our eardrums and
loss of hearing, causing tinnitus or deafness. It also reduces our sensitivity to sounds that our
ears pick up unconsciously to regulate our body’s rhythm.

2. Psychological Issues
Excessive noise pollution in working areas such as offices, construction sites, bars and even in
our homes can influence psychological health.

Studies show that the occurrence of aggressive behavior, disturbance of sleep, constant stress,
fatigue, depression, anxiety, hysteria and hypertension in humans as well as animals can be
linked to excessive noise levels. The level of irritation increases with increased noise, and
people tend to become less and less patient. These, in turn, can cause more severe and chronic
health issues later in life.
3. Physical Problems
Noise pollution can cause headaches, high blood pressure, respiratory agitation, racing pulse,
and, in exposure to extremely loud, constant noise, gastritis, colitis and even heart attacks may
occur.

4. Cognitive Issues & Behavioral Changes

Noise affects brain responses and people’s ability to focus, which can lead to low-performance
levels over time. Like other sound waves, too much noise when it goes to the brain leads to
lower response rates as well as making the mind dull.
It is also poor for memory, making it hard to study. The studies have shown that school children
living near railway stations or airports have problems in learning.

Research has shown that people who live near airports or busy roads, usually have a higher
incidence of headaches, take more sleeping pills and sedatives, are more prone to minor
accidents, and are more likely to seek psychiatric treatment. 
5. Sleeping Disorders
While it may not seem like much at this point, excessively high levels of noise are likely to
hamper your sleeping pattern, thereby leading to irritation and uncomfortable situations.

Without a good night’s sleep, you might experience multiple problems related to fatigue. This
will affect your performance in the office as well as at home. It is therefore recommended to
take a sound sleep to give your body proper rest.

If a certain noise is disturbing your sleep, take an actionable measure to reduce it. While in
some instances, it is completely unavoidable; there are other instances (like noise from TV or
gadgets) that can be easily avoided by making good lifestyle changes.

Interestingly, our ears need rest for 16 hours and even more to make up for two hours of
exposure to 100 dB.

6. Cardiovascular Issues
Blood pressure levels, cardiovascular disease, and stress-related heart problems are on the rise.

Studies suggest that high-intensity noise causes high blood pressure and increases heartbeat
rate as it disrupts the normal blood flow.

Since bringing these rates to a manageable level depends on our understanding of noise
pollution, we need to be wary of the ill-effects and tackle these situations mindfully.

7. Trouble Communicating
High decibel noise can put trouble and affect free communication between people. This may
lead to misunderstanding, and you may get difficult understanding the other person. Constant
sharp noise can give you a severe headache and disturb your emotional balance.

8. Effect on Wildlife
Wildlife faces far more problems than humans because of noise pollution since they are more
dependent on sound. Animals develop a better sense of hearing than us since their survival
depends on it.
A recent study published in Biology Letters found that human-created noise affects a wide
range of animals. The ill-effects of excessive noise begin at home. Pets react more aggressively
in households where there is constant noise.
They become disoriented more easily and face many behavioral problems. In nature, animals
may suffer from hearing loss, which makes them easy prey and leads to dwindling populations.
Others become inefficient at hunting, disturbing the balance of the eco-system.

9. Effects on Species Depending on Mating Call

Species that depend on mating calls to reproduce are often unable to hear these calls due to
excessive man-made noise. 

As a result, they are unable to reproduce and cause declining populations. Others require sound
waves to locate and find their way when migrating.

Disturbing their sound signals means they get lost easily and do not migrate when they should.
To cope up with the increasing sound around them, animals are becoming louder, which may
further add to the pollution levels. This is why understanding noise pollution can help us lower
the impact it has on the environment.

Causes of noise pollution-

1. Industrialization
Most of the industries use big machines which are capable of producing a large amount of
noise. Apart from that, various equipment like compressors, generators, exhaust fans, grinding
mills also participates in producing big noise.

You’re probably familiar with the sight of workers in these factories and industries wearing
earplugs to minimize the effect of noise.

However, even after taking precautionary measures like these, extensive exposure to high
levels of noise might damage their hearing abilities in the long run.

2. Poor Urban Planning

In most of the developing countries, poor urban planning also plays a vital role. Congested
houses, large families sharing small space, fight over parking, frequent fights over basic
amenities lead to noise pollution, which may disrupt the environment of society.
Noise pollution in urban settings may also be caused when residential properties and industrial
buildings are in proximity. In situations like these, the noise from the nearby industrial property
might hinder the basic well-being of the individuals living in residential properties.
It doesn’t just affect their sleep and hours of rest but also has an adverse effect on the
development and well-being of children.

3. Social Events
Noise is at its peak in most of the social events. Whether it is marriage, parties, pub, disc or
place of worship, people normally flout rules set by the local administration and create a
nuisance in the area.

People play songs on full volume and dance till midnight, which makes the condition of people
living nearby pretty worse. In markets, you can see people selling clothes via making a loud
noise to attract the attention of people.

While this may not seem like much at the outset, over time, it affects the hearing abilities of the
individuals who are constantly exposed to these sounds.

4. Transportation
A large number of vehicles on roads, airplanes flying over houses, underground trains produce
heavy noise, and people find it difficult to get accustomed to that.
The high noise leads to a situation wherein a normal person loses the ability to hear properly.

5. Construction Activities
Under construction activities like mining, construction of bridges, dams, buildings, stations,
roads, flyovers takes place in almost every part of the world.
These construction activities take place every day as we need more buildings, bridges to
accommodate more people. 
However, while this does help us to some degree, in the long run, the noise from construction
activities hinders the hearing abilities of individuals exposed to this sound.

A part of it includes construction workers who participate in these activities, while another part
of it consists of people who encounter these noise either from their homes or while traveling.

6. Household Chores
We people are surrounded by gadgets and use them extensively in our daily life. Gadgets like
TV, mobile, mixer grinder, pressure cooker, vacuum cleaners, washing machine and dryer,
cooler, air conditioners are minor contributors to the amount of noise that is produced. Still, it
affects the quality of life of your neighborhood in a bad way.
While this form of pollution may seem harmless, it, in fact, has far-reaching consequences. The
adverse effects on the health of the environment are quite severe. Not only is the local wildlife
affected by pollution, but humans also face a number of problems due to it.
7. Noise From Air Traffic
While many find it difficult to believe, air traffic too contributes to significant levels of noise
pollution. Noise from a single aircraft may produce sounds of up to 130 dB. Now, imagine the
amount of noise produced by the numerous aircraft traveling our airspace.

8. Catering and Nightlife

When the weather is good, restaurants, bars, and terraces spill outside. Late night parties
continue with loud music and unnecessary noise made by the party mongers. These can
produce more than 100 dB. The noise from pubs and clubs are also included.

9. Animals’ Sound
The noise made by animals cannot go unnoticed, particularly a howling or barking dog. These
can produce noise around 60-80 dB.

2. How we measure nosie?

We measure sound intensity (also referred to as sound power or sound pressure) in units called
decibels. Decibels (dB) are named in honor of Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of both the
telephone and the audiometer. An audiometer is a device that measures how well a person can
hear certain sounds. A modern version of it is still used today to diagnose hearing loss.

Decibels are different from other familiar scales of measurement. While many standard
measuring devices, such as rulers, are linear, the decibel scale is logarithmic. This kind of scale
better represents how changes in sound intensity actually feel to our ears. To understand this,
think of a building that is 80 feet tall. If we build up another 10 feet, the building will be 12.5
percent taller, which would seem just slightly taller to us; this is a linear measurement. Using
the logarithmic decibel scale, if a sound is 80 decibels, and we add another 10 decibels, the
sound will be ten times more intense, and will seem about twice as loud to our ears.
 3. Allowable noise:

4. Laws regarding noise pollution-

9.42.010    Noise.

A.    General Prohibition. It is unlawful for any person to cause, or for any person in possession
of property to allow to originate from the property, sound that is a public disturbance noise.

B.    Definition. “Public disturbance noise” means any noise, sound or signal which unreasonably
disturbs the comfort, peace, or repose of another person or persons. The following sounds are
declared to be public disturbance noises for the purposes of this section; provided, that the
following enumeration of acts and noises not be construed as excluding other acts and noises
which offend the public peace:

1.    The frequent, repetitive or continuous sounding of any horn or siren attached to a motor
vehicle, except as a warning of danger or as specifically permitted or required by law;

2.    The creation of frequent, repetitive or continuous sounds in connection with the starting,
operating, repair, rebuilding or testing of any motor vehicle, motorcycle, off-highway vehicle, or
internal combustion engine, including hobby vehicles and aircraft, within a residential area so
as to unreasonably disturb or interfere with the peace, comfort and repose of an owner or
possessor of neighboring real property; provided that this subsection shall not apply to the
operation of lawn mowers, garden tools, agricultural machinery, chainsaws or other power
equipment used for building, repair or ground maintenance between the hours of eight a.m.
and eight p.m.;

3.    Yelling, shouting, whistling or signing on or near the public streets, particularly between the
hours of nine p.m. and eight a.m. or at any time and place so as to unreasonably disturb or
interfere with the peace, comfort and repose of owners or possessors of real property;

4.    The creation of frequent repetitive or continuous sounds or electronically broadcast signals

which emanate from any building, structure, apartment or condominium or grounds of such
structures which unreasonably interferes with the peace, comfort and repose of owners or
possessors of real property such as sounds from musical instruments, audio sound systems,
citizens band radio, ham radio and similar apparatus, band sessions or social gatherings;

5.    Sound from motor vehicle audio sound systems, such as tape players, radio and compact
disc players, operated at a volume so as to be audible greater than seventy-five feet from the
vehicle itself;

6.    Sound from portable audio equipment such as tape players, radios and compact disc
players, operated at a volume so as to be audible greater than seventy-five feet from the source
and if not operated upon the property of the operator;

7.    Sound resulting from the squealing or screeching or such other sounds from motor vehicle
tires in contact with the ground or other roadway surface because of rapid acceleration,
braking or excessive speed around corners or because of such other reasons; provided that
sounds which result from actions which are necessary to avoid danger or are emergent in
nature shall be exempt from this section;

8.    Sounds originating from construction sites, including but not limited to sounds from
construction equipment, power tools and hammering, between the hours of nine p.m. and
seven a.m. on weekdays and nine p.m. and eight a.m. on weekends.

9.    Sounds originating from residential property relating to temporary projects for the
maintenance or repair of homes, grounds and appurtenances, including but not limited to
sounds from lawn mowers, power hand tools, snow removal equipment and composters,
between the hours of nine p.m. and seven a.m. on weekdays and nine p.m. and eight a.m. on
weekends.

C.    Exemptions. This chapter shall not apply to regularly scheduled events at parks, schools or
other public property between the hours of eight a.m. and ten-thirty p.m. nor shall it apply to
sounds originating from residential property relating to temporary projects for the maintenance
or repair of homes, grounds, appurtenances, including but not limited to sounds of lawn
mowers, hand power tools, chain saws, snow removal equipment and composters between the
hours of seven a.m. and nine p.m. Sounds originating from construction sites, including but not
limited to sounds from construction equipment, power tools and hammering between seven
a.m. and nine p.m. on weekdays and eight a.m. and nine p.m. on weekends shall also be
exempt. This chapter shall not apply to any public construction projects, emergency
construction or repair by public utility agencies, emergency vehicle operation or actions by
emergency service providers or any other emergency repair and construction to prevent further
damage to persons or property during floods or windstorms or other property or life-
threatening emergencies which may occur between the hours of nine p.m. and seven a.m. (Ord.
98-010 § 1, 1998)

 Local Government Code, RA 7160 (1991) which says that they shall “enforce laws and
regulations relating to pollution control and protection of the environment” and “promote the
general welfare of the barangay.” Community noise problems are now addressed by many
city/municipal ordinances, zoning restrictions and local licensing requirements. For LGUs still
without anti-noise ordinances, the people’s direct lawmaking power via a legal process called
initiative under the Local Government Code could be utilized.

As to noise-polluting motor vehicles, RA 4136 (An Act to Compile Laws Relative to Land
Transportation and Traffic Rules, 1964)) states in part, “No motor vehicle shall be operated in
such a manner as to cause it to emit or make unnecessary or disagreeable odor, smoke or
noise.” There are those who say that this anti-noise provision was effectively enforced by the
Land Transportation Office and LGUs which ordered the removal of the loud mufflers and ear-
splitting horns and stereo sound systems of jeepneys and tricycles three decades ago. But that
conclusion is no longer valid these days owing to the uncontrolled increase in the number of
motor vehicles overflowing main streets all over the country.
Reflection
Noise is a pollution. We create sounds that are sometimes annoying and it is called noise. In
some cases noise can rather be disturbing. It will give you health problems even can cause
death when the noise reach a specific decibel. The sound waves will kill you and give you a
painful death. We can measure noise or sound by using decibel. It is like a unit of sound which
say if it is too high it is harmful. There are limit in which we people only need the sound and it is
75 decibels. If higher the noise will become harmful to us.

Reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise_pollution
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-and-effects-of-noise-pollution.php

https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/BattleGround/html/BattleGround09/BattleGround0942.html#:~:t
ext=It%20is%20unlawful%20for%20any,is%20a%20public%20disturbance%20noise.&text=
%E2%80%9CPublic%20disturbance%20noise%E2%80%9D%20means%20any,of%20another%20person
%20or%20persons.

https://www.noisyplanet.nidcd.nih.gov/have-you-heard/how-is-sound-measured