Noise pollution how does it affect environment

Looking at the current data, we estimate that environmental noise contributes to 48, new cases of ischaemic heart disease a year as well as 12, premature deaths. In addition, we estimate that 22 million people suffer chronic high annoyance and 6. As a result of aircraft noise we estimate that 12, school children suffer reading impairment in school.

Of course, there are many more premature deaths associated with air pollution than for noise. However, noise seems to have a larger impact on indicators related to quality of life and mental health. In fact, according to some World Health Organization WHO findings, noise is the second largest environmental cause of health problems, just after the impact of air pollution particulate matter. In some countries, there is still a high percentage of data missing in terms of noise maps and action plans.

The current state of knowledge on noise sources and population exposure in Europe is largely based on this database. We produce a number of reports and assessments based on this data. They help track the progress made towards meeting noise pollution objectives and can also inform the development of future environmental action programmes.

Apart from the recently published Environmental Noise in Europe report, there are a number of previous reports on noise undertaken by the EEA, such asQuiet areas in Europe — The environment unaffected by noise pollution ,Unequal exposure and unequal impacts: Social vulnerability to air pollution, noise and extreme temperatures in Europe People can also check the noise pollution information through the EEA noise viewer or the country fact sheets on noise.

Countries, regions and cities are taking a variety of measures to address noise problems. For instance, installing low noise asphalt on roads, using quiet tyres in public transport vehicles, putting more infrastructure for electric cars in cities, promoting active travel like walking or cycling, pedestrianisation of streets, etc.

A significant number of cities and regions have also put in place so-called quiet areas, where people can go to escape city noise. These are mostly green spaces, like parks or nature reserves. Many of these measures have also proved to be beneficial for reducing air pollution. We see that a way to increase the impact of noise mitigation measures while optimising costs and efforts could be to design combined strategies for mitigating noise and air pollution from traffic.

If noise measures are not implemented to address noise problems, it is unlikely that the number of people exposed to noise will significantly decrease in the future due to urban growth and increased mobility demand.

Software updated on 09 November from version Code for developers. Systems Status. Legal notice. Creative commons license. However, the study also found something else—as the scrub jays relocated, the forest they left behind began to decline. The birds are considered critical to the health of the pinyon pine ecosystem in New Mexico. In normal conditions, the birds collect and bury pine seeds in preparation for winter.

The birds fail to collect all the seeds they bury, and these become the next generation of trees. In the areas near the gas wells, without jays to plant the seeds, the pines are disappearing. This could have long-term effects on ecosystem diversity and structure. Similarly, some birds, such as the black-chinned hummingbird Archilochus alexandri , have been shown to commonly select noisy areas, such as near active gas wells, to avoid nest predators who are themselves more susceptible to sound.

Again, this change in behaviour can have unexpected flow-on effects. By discouraging species sensitive to loud sound, and replacing them with more tolerant ones, noise may be reshaping ecosystems.

This can potentially alter whole food webs and species combinations, resulting in groupings that may never have occurred naturally in the wild. There are other effects too. The phantom road was situated near an important stop for migratory birds, where they would traditionally rest and fatten up before undertaking the journey ahead. For four days the team turned on the speakers playing the faux traffic noise.

The results showed that during the periods of noise, birds stopping to rest in the area declined by more than one-quarter. When the speakers were off, the numbers bounced back. Birds are not the only animals affected by noise.

A study published in found that noise pollution—specifically traffic noise — decreased the foraging efficiency of an acoustic predator, the greater mouse-eared bat Myotis myotis.

Successful foraging bouts decreased and search times increased dramatically with proximity to the highway. Noise pollution could potentially interfere with other acoustic predators, such as owls, in a similar fashion.

A study conducted in Melbourne, Australia, by Dr Kirsten Parris and colleagues found that, for some highly vocal frog species, noise pollution is correlated with an increase in the frequency of their calls. This increase partially compensates for the loss of communication distance in noise-traffic areas experienced by these frogs.

The mating call of male pobblebonk frogs could historically be heard up to metres away by interested females. At very noisy sites, this is reduced to just 14 metres. If male frogs alter their call to a higher frequency to be heard, the females may not like what they hear. Researchers noted a different outcome for the black-tailed prairie dog Cynomys ludovicianus in free-ranging colonies in Colorado. The dogs were exposed to simulated traffic noise from a series of speakers, similar to that which would be heard if a real highway were metres from the colony.

The dogs did not leave their homes, but the researchers did note a distinct change in their behaviour during times of traffic noise broadcast:. So while noise pollution may not necessarily drive animals away from a site, it may alter their established behaviours and be having a less-obvious negative effect on their physical wellbeing. At least our marine creatures are okay, you might think.

They swim in the quiet depths of the ocean with only the gentle lapping of waves to listen to. But, unfortunately, noise made by humans is increasingly disrupting life below the surface, with many marine animals being affected. Rising levels of intense underwater sound are produced by a range of sources — shipping traffic, industrial noise from oil and gas exploration, seismic surveys, military sonar and others. This cacophony can present a range of problems for marine species, many of which rely on hearing as their primary sense for mating, hunting and communicating.

Noise travels faster in the water approximately 1, metres per second—around five times faster than on land and attenuates GLOSSARY attenuates reduces the force, effect, or value of less per unit of distance from the source that is, it doesn't lose its intensity as quickly as it does on land. Between and , ambient noise over low frequencies at one location in the Pacific Ocean increased by about 10 decibels, representing a tenfold increase.

This trend is not universal though, and is not as apparent at other frequencies. But there are many areas of the world's oceans which do show high levels of human-made noise, particularly in ocean basins heavily searched for petroleum, and near shipping lanes or port facilities. Many cetaceans—marine mammals such as whales, dolphins and porpoises—live in a world largely defined by acoustic information.

They use sound to communicate, and to navigate and monitor their surroundings, creating a picture of the world around them with 3D clarity. By emitting pulses of active sonar clicks they can echolocate food sources and pinpoint features in the environment around them down to millimetres. There are fewer aircraft flying over cities than there are cars on the roads, but the impact is greater: a single aircraft produces dB. Building and car park construction and road and pavement resurfacing works are very noisy.

For example, a pneumatic drill produces dB. Bars, restaurants and terraces that spill outside when the weather is good can produce more than dB. This includes noise from pubs and clubs. Noise made by animals can go unnoticed, but a howling or barking dog, for example, can produce around dB.

The world's noisiest cities. As well as damaging our hearing by causing — tinnitus or deafness —, constant loud noise can damage human health in many ways, particularly in the very young and the very old.

Here are some of the main ones:. Respiratory agitation, racing pulse, high blood pressure, headaches and, in case of extremely loud, constant noise, gastritis, colitis and even heart attacks. Noise can cause attacks of stress, fatigue, depression, anxiety and hysteria in both humans and animals.

Noise above 45 dB stops you from falling asleep or sleeping properly. Remember that according to the World Health Organization it should be no more than 30 dB. Loud noise can have latent effects on our behaviour, causing aggressive behaviour and irritability.

Noise may affect people's ability to focus, which can lead to low performance over time. It is also bad for the memory, making it hard to study.

Interestingly, our ears need more than 16 hours' rest to make up for two hours of exposure to dB. International bodies like the WHO agree that awareness of noise pollution is essential to beat this invisible enemy.