What Is Noise?

What Is Noise Pollution?

Introduction and definitions

What Is Noise?
The most common definition of noise is "unwanted sound." A sound might be unwanted because
it is:

Loud

Unpleasant or annoying

Intrusive or distracting

The word "noise" descends from the Latin word "nausea," meaning seasickness, or, more
generally, any similar sensation of disgust, annoyance, or discomfort.
The opposite of noise is: quiet, silence, peace, calm. (Hence, making too much noise in public is
sometimes called "disturbing the peace.")

What Is Noise Pollution?

Noise pollution refers to sounds in the environment that are caused by humans and that threaten
the health or welfare of human or animal inhabitants. The most common source of noise
pollution by far, the one that affects the most people on the planet is motor vehicles. Aircraft and
industrial machinery are also major sources. Additional noise pollution is contributed by office

machines, sirens, power tools, and other equipment. Noise pollution is not easy to measure,
because the very definition of noise depends on the context of the sound and the subjective effect
it has on the people hearing it. One person's idea of exultant, joyful music might be another
person's pure torment.

Noise pollution - Definition and causes

It is not easy to give an adequate noise pollution definition. Basically noise pollution would be a
form of pollution done by different audio sources that either distract, irritate or damage certain
environment. Noise is really any unwanted sound, some sound that isn't natural to given
environment and it causes disturbance to not only natural processes but can also cause harm to
human society.
Noise pollution can become big environmental problem in some areas. It is not only stressful to
many animals but can also cause the problems in predator/prey relation and detection, and even
lead to different reproduction problems. More serious noise can even significantly reduce usable
habitats for many sound-sensible animals, and can in the end even result in extinction of some
species. For instance the noise pollution caused by man kills lot of sea animals, especially the
ones that use the sense of hearing as the most important organ of perception like dolphins and
whales. Scientists have found out that many whales and dolphins commit massive suicides by
coming ashore guided by false signals that resulted from noise pollution.
Noise pollution doesn't have only negative effect on animals but can also have negative impact
on human health. Exposure to much noise can lead to stress, aggression, sleep disturbance,
hearing loss, and different other psychological issues. Many studies have shown negative effect
of noise pollution to human health, and many people these days tend to find homes in some quiet
and peaceful areas with where noise levels are very low.
The most common source of noise pollution is transportation, in form of motor vehicles. Some
other sources like car alarms, emergency service sirens, office equipment, factory machinery,
construction work, barking dogs, power tools, lighting hum, different audio systems,
loudspeakers and noisy people can also cause noise pollution but motor vehicles are globally
speaking dominant source of noise pollution.
Noise pollution problem definitely deserves more attention from environmental point of view.
Though noise pollution is not widely recognized as one of the big environmental problems noise
laws still do not exist in many parts of the world. If we look at the United States for example we
can see that there are federal standards for highway and aircraft noise, many states and local
governments have specific statutes on building codes, urban planning and roadway development
but U.S. still doesn't have a single body that would regulate noise pollution. Not one country in
the world does which means that effects of noise pollution are still underestimated.
In some countries different types of noise are managed by agencies responsible for the source of
the noise, and so for instance transportation noise is often regulated by the relevant transportation
ministry, while for instance loud music noise is a criminal offense in many areas. Basically world
is still seeing noise pollution as the annoyance rather than the real problem, and this is the main

reason why there aren't special bodies that would regulate noise pollution and suggest noise laws
to legislative bodies.

Types of noise pollution

There are many different types of noise pollution
Contents

Neighbour hood noise

Barking dogs

Commercial noise

Construction noise

Street and traffic noise

Car and house alarms

Parties

Fireworks

Neighbourhood noise
Excessive noise from neighbours can be frustrating and can cause a lot of unnecessary stress. In many
cases, the person making the noise is unaware they are causing a problem. This can usually be sorted out
quite quickly by letting the person know the noise is affecting you.
If this approach fails, you can ask the council to investigate. Usually, we write to the person making the
noise and ask them to take any necessary steps to prevent the noise. We also ask you to complete diary
sheets detailing the noise and its effect on you. We will assess the diary sheets and determine the extent of
the disturbance. Noise recording equipment is then usually installed, or an officer will make arrangements
to visit you if the noise is very regular.
After investigation, if the Officer is satisfied that a statutory nuisance exists, a Noise Abatement Notice
will be served on the person causing the problem. Where the notice requires work, a period of time will
be given to allow it to be carried out. Failure to comply with the notice after that time is a criminal
offence and the person could be prosecuted.
Barking dogs

Noise from barking dogs is dealt with in the same way as other domestic noise (music, DIY etc.). We
would look at what reasonable barking was and whether your particular case overstepped the mark (eg.
barking all day or every night at 2am). Often owners are not aware that their dogs bark when they go out,
so do tell you neighbour if this is the case.
Commercial noise
Noise from commercial premises is often dealt with in the same way as that from domestic premises.
However, in some cases we may not need to prove a statutory nuisance where the premises hold a public
entertainment licence. These licences are issued in order to ensure that the disturbance caused to the
general public is kept to a minimum. Action can be taken against premises that operate outside of its
licensing agreement.
Construction noise:
Construction sites are a very common source of noise pollution. They are often in
areas which were quiet beforehand and therefore the noise generated from their
activities is very noticeable. Construction noise is an anticipated part of a
development and therefore a restriction on working hours is often prescribed as part
of the planning permission.
Street and traffic noise
The Environmental Protection Act does not cover noise from traffic, be it car, train, bus or aeroplane
traffic. In some circumstances we may be able to tackle individual vehicle owners who persistently use
their radio in an unacceptable way (e.g. a car parked outside your house on a regular basis with its radio
on loud). We are usually able to deal with car alarms where they ring persistently - see next page "car and
house alarms". We cannot deal with noise in the street unless it is from a specific piece of machinery or
equipment e.g. loudspeakers.
Car and house alarms
The Environmental Protection Act is used to deal with car and house alarms. Sometimes these
malfunction and sound continuously, or intermittently but for a prolonged period. All alarms should be
fitted with a 20 minutes cut off device. In addition, for house alarms there should be 2 key holders (other
than the occupants) who live within 20 minutes of the property. Owners should provide the council with
the details of key holders - please follow the link below. If an alarm does sound, wait to see if it cuts after
20 minutes. You may want to contact the police to report a possible break-in. If the alarm continues after
20 minutes then contact us on tel: 01923 278503. Outside of normal office hours we provide an
emergency service. To advise us of your audible intruder alarm installation and details of key holders
please follow the link below to download our notification form.
Parties
The out of hours emergency service will respond to noisy parties if we receive 3 or more complaints from
separate households. If we do not receive this number of complaints we can still investigate (e.g. regular

parties affecting only 2 people) using the neighbourhood noise procedures detailed under the
"Neighbourhood noise" section. Where we do receive 3 or more complaints for a single party we assess
whether a nuisance exists. It is rare that a one off party is a statutory nuisance. However, if it is very late
at night and/or very loud it may be severe enough to be classed as a statutory nuisance. Again, the
reasonable test applies. If you are planning a party let your neighbours know well in advance so that
they can make arrangements and reduce the volume around 10pm to 11pm. Remember as well as music,
noise from guests can be very loud, especially if they are outside.
Fireworks
Dealing with noise from fireworks is difficult. It would be extremely hard to prove that fireworks are
causing a nuisance for a number of reasons:
They are often short of duration
It is difficult to know where they are coming from
For statutory nuisance to apply the noise must be prolonged or repeated. Fireworks are often not
If the occupiers of the same property repeatedly have fireworks then we may be able to act.
Usually, the problem with fireworks is where lots of different people are letting them off in the streets this
is not something the council can tackle with noise nuisance legislation.

Effects of Noise Pollution:

How does noise affect you? Why is it bad?
The effects of noise on your ears your body your mind, your behavior.

Direct Effects of Noise:

The most direct and obvious effect of noise is to our ears. Loud sounds can cause
physical damage to the ear, resulting in:
Hearing loss

How noise damages the ear

Temporary hearing loss
High-frequency hearing loss
Degrees of hearing loss
Mild hearing loss
MP3 demonstration of hearing loss
Age-related hearing loss and noise
Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
Painfully over-sensitive hearing (hyperacusis)

These conditions can be either temporary or permanent.

You know that jolt of adrenaline you feel when you are surprised by a loud
unexpected noise? That's an example of a hormonal disturbance (albeit a fleeting
one). Other physiological effects of noise include:

Increased blood pressure (hypertension)

Increased heart rate and breathing rate
Digestive disturbances

For some people, noise is a trigger for migraine headaches.

Secondary Effects of Noise:

If noise prevents you from sleeping, that introduces a host of other problems that
are associated with sleep loss, such as reduced concentration and a weakened
immune system. Sleep loss is bad enough when you are home in your own bed, but
it's especially rough if you're in a hospital bed. Hospitals can be noisy places, even
at night, and many patients find it difficult to get enough sleep in that environment.
This is more than a mere annoyance, because sleep loss can dramatically slow
healing and recovery. If kids are trying to learn in a noisy environment, their ability
to focus and concentrate is reduced, which can naturally lead to long-term learning
problems. Noise can cause irritability and other mood changes, which can damage
your relationships and interfere with your sex life. In some cases it can even
contribute to an increase in aggressive behavior.
Have you ever been in a bar or restaurant that was so noisy that you made yourself
hoarse trying to talk loudly enough to be heard? Maybe you gave up on having a
meaningful conversation altogether. Maybe you even ended up drinking more than
you intended to, because it was too noisy to converse. All of these are side effects
of noise. A few people find noise so intolerable that they go to extreme lengths to
avoid it, staying home as much as possible and effectively becoming social hermits.
From these examples, a subtle but consistent pattern emerges: Noise creates social
barriers between people.
Bottom Line: Stress! Putting all these effects together, it's easy to see that the noise
we experience adds to the stress in our lives.

Noise Protection Solutions

Explore a variety of tools and ideas for noise protection and for reducing noise. There are
different approaches you can use for different kinds of noise problems.

When faced with noise that is too loud or annoying, the first thing most people think of is ear
plugs! Ear plugs are a marvelous invention, a tried-and-true device for blocking noise, whether
the goal is to protect your hearing or simply to find some private peace and quiet. They're
conveniently small, they're affordable, and you can pop them in or out whenever you need to.
But sometimes ear plugs aren't enough, or just aren't the best solution for a given situation.
Fortunately, there are plenty of other approaches you can use, depending on the kind of noise
problem you're dealing with.
General Noise Protection Products and Techniques:
These are general solutions that are applicable to a wide variety

of types of noise problems.

Hearing protection devices. These work by reducing the level of sound that reaches
your ears. They include:
o Ear plugs
o "Ear muff" style hearing protectors
o ZEMs, a new type of hearing protection device

Sound masking devices, including the familiar "white noise" generators. These work by
adding to the total sound you hear, "drowning out" the disagreeable noise or unwanted
sound.

Noise-reducing headphones and earbuds. These include noise cancellation products,

which use electronic circuitry to cancel out sound waves from environmental noise, and
noise-isolating earphones, which physically block out external sound.

Soundproofing. Soundproofing is a way of engineering your environment using

specialized materials so that less sound enters your immediate surroundings.

Specialized Noise Protection Products and Techniques:

Each of these is designed for a very specific source of noise.

If there is a product or gadget that specifically addresses the kind of noise you're dealing with, it
might be a more suitable solution than one of the general-purpose approaches above.

Quiet models of noisy products. Certain home appliances, tools, and vehicles generate a
lot of noise. Some manufacturers have developed quiet versions, models that are specially
designed to emit less noise. Choose a quiet model and you can reduce noise right at the
source.

Special gadgets and ingenious ideas. In this category are a hodgepodge of clever
devices and techniques, each of which addresses a specific source of noise.

Personal Actions to Reduce Noise:

You might need to take more personal action to resolve a noise problem,

especially when neighbors are the source of noise. The action might be as simple as closing a
window at night to reduce the noise coming in from outdoors. Other possible actions include:

Negotiating with your neighbors

Taking legal action

"Punishing" your neighbors, or the revenge approach

Adapting your schedule or rearranging your surroundings

Moving to a new home (a last resort!)

Some of these measures can take weeks, months, or even years to accomplish and lead to
satisfying results. In the meantime, be sure to protect your sanity. One final thing to consider is
whether you or someone living with you has a medical condition that affects sensitivity to sound.

If so, you'll want to learn as much as you can about it so you can address it to the extent possible
and find ways of compensating for it.