📚 Effects of Noise on the Human Body
1. Sources of Noise Pollution
Noise pollution refers to excessive sound from human activities that negatively affects health and quality of life.
- Transportation: Airplanes, trains, trucks, buses, cars, motorcycles.
- Construction Sites: Jackhammers, bulldozers, and other heavy equipment.
2. Decibels (dB) and Sound Intensity
Sound intensity is measured in decibels (dB). Decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, where each 10 dB increase represents a tenfold increase in intensity.
- 30 dB is 10× stronger than 20 dB, and sounds about twice as loud.
- 40 dB is 100× stronger than 20 dB, and sounds about 4× as loud.
- 80 dB is 1,000,000× stronger than 20 dB, and sounds about 64× as loud.
3. Health Effects of Noise
- Sleep Disruption: Noise above 45 dB can interfere with sleep.
- Hearing Damage: Prolonged exposure above 85 dB may cause hearing loss.
- Physiological Effects: High blood pressure, indigestion, ulcers, and increased heart disease risk.
- Psychological Effects: Anxiety, tension, irritability, and potentially mental illness in severe cases.
4. Time Weighting
- Slow (SLOW): Used for steady noise.
- Fast (FAST): Used for quickly fluctuating noise.
- Impulse (IMPULSE): Used for impact noise like explosions.