Noise pollution
What is Noise Pollution?
Litter on the side of the road, junk floating in the water, and smokes spewing into the atmosphere from factory smokestacks are obvious forms of pollution. There are other types of pollution that are not as obvious. Noise pollution is one form. What is noise pollution? It is defined as sounds, or noises, that are loud, annoying and harmful to the ear. Often, sound pollution is thought to be a sound so intense that it could shatter glass, or crack plaster in rooms or on buildings. That is not so. It can come from sources such as jet airplanes, constant droning of traffic, motorcycles, high-power equipment, or loud music.
How is Noise Pollution Harmful?
Sound energy is transferred through compressions and rarefactions. (Reference lesson 1, if necessary.)If the intensity is very large, it can harm human and animal ears, and do damage to physical structures. When sound reaches the human ear, it causes structures to vibrate. Intense vibrations can rupture the eardrum, but more often, loudness-related hearing loss usually develops over time. When sound enters the ear, it is transferred to the brain as a nerve impulse. Each nerve is composed of tiny nerve fibers, surrounded by special fluid within the ear. When intense sound is transferred (as compressional waves) through the fluid, the tiny nerve fibers are destroyed, and hearing loss occurs. Sounds in the frequency range of 4,000 to 20,000 Hz cause most of the damage to the nerve fibers. Noise pollution sometimes requires legal intervention because it can be harmful. The laws have been created because loud sounds can damage the ear, not only in humans, but also in animals.
Hearing Loss in Humans and Marine
Mammals
Background noise in the ocean, including the noise of ships and other industrial activity, can interfere with marine mammals’ use of sound for hunting, navigating, and communicating. This is called masking.
Noise trauma is another impact that results in declined hearing ability in marine mammals. Sudden and long or repeated exposure to high frequency sounds can cause permanent hearing loss. Sudden onset of intense sounds can also induce trauma. One of these sounds would be the sudden revving of a boat engine from idle to full speed. The motor makes a very sharp and distinctive change in sound. Another injury that marine mammals suffer from is blast trauma. This results from a single exposure to a sound that has an explosive shock wave. The shock wave has a compressive wave phase carrying much energy through the water quickly. The pressure rises much higher than normal for a few seconds, and then drops quickly to levels below normal. This is much like the feeling that humans have during the ascent and descent of airplane; although it is much, much faster. So fast, that it causes damage to the ear of marine mammals. The damage may or may not be reparable.
Specifics of Hearing
The ability to hear is at its peak at birth. From there, it decreases with age. This is called degenerative hearing loss, or degeneration. Humans are born with a hearing range of 16-30,000 cycles per second. The measurement of cycles per second is also called hertz. A cycle per second refers to the number of times per second that the mallet in the ear touches the eardrum, and transfers information. By the age of twelve, that has declined to approximately 20,000 cycles per second.
Grandparents at the age of 50 and older might only hear 4000 cycles per second. In marine mammals, the ability to hear high frequencies is the first hearing loss to occur. Remember, many marine mammals hear and detect sounds that are much higher and lower than the human ear can detect. Loss of high frequency hearing in marine mammals could result in the animal losing its locating ability, and its ability to detect food or predators.
It is commonly thought that all animals suffer from degenerative hearing loss. The ability to hear is at its peak at birth. From there, it decreases with age. Outside forces act strongly on hearing loss. Some forms of these include:
� Drum punctures (perhaps from pressure).
� Ringing resulting from fever, tumors, and circulation changes.
� Infection (usually middle ear in the Eustachian Tube)
� Bone overgrowth
� Loudness
All of these forms of hearing loss can be applied to marine mammals and humans. Unfortunately, marine mammals have a few more problems to contend with.
Underwater shock waves
� Underwater explosions (perhaps missile testing, or from mining) And last but not least:
... Motor boats of all kinds.
Litter on the side of the road, junk floating in the water, and smokes spewing into the atmosphere from factory smokestacks are obvious forms of pollution. There are other types of pollution that are not as obvious. Noise pollution is one form. What is noise pollution? It is defined as sounds, or noises, that are loud, annoying and harmful to the ear. Often, sound pollution is thought to be a sound so intense that it could shatter glass, or crack plaster in rooms or on buildings. That is not so. It can come from sources such as jet airplanes, constant droning of traffic, motorcycles, high-power equipment, or loud music.
How is Noise Pollution Harmful?
Sound energy is transferred through compressions and rarefactions. (Reference lesson 1, if necessary.)If the intensity is very large, it can harm human and animal ears, and do damage to physical structures. When sound reaches the human ear, it causes structures to vibrate. Intense vibrations can rupture the eardrum, but more often, loudness-related hearing loss usually develops over time. When sound enters the ear, it is transferred to the brain as a nerve impulse. Each nerve is composed of tiny nerve fibers, surrounded by special fluid within the ear. When intense sound is transferred (as compressional waves) through the fluid, the tiny nerve fibers are destroyed, and hearing loss occurs. Sounds in the frequency range of 4,000 to 20,000 Hz cause most of the damage to the nerve fibers. Noise pollution sometimes requires legal intervention because it can be harmful. The laws have been created because loud sounds can damage the ear, not only in humans, but also in animals.
Hearing Loss in Humans and Marine
Mammals
Background noise in the ocean, including the noise of ships and other industrial activity, can interfere with marine mammals’ use of sound for hunting, navigating, and communicating. This is called masking.
Noise trauma is another impact that results in declined hearing ability in marine mammals. Sudden and long or repeated exposure to high frequency sounds can cause permanent hearing loss. Sudden onset of intense sounds can also induce trauma. One of these sounds would be the sudden revving of a boat engine from idle to full speed. The motor makes a very sharp and distinctive change in sound. Another injury that marine mammals suffer from is blast trauma. This results from a single exposure to a sound that has an explosive shock wave. The shock wave has a compressive wave phase carrying much energy through the water quickly. The pressure rises much higher than normal for a few seconds, and then drops quickly to levels below normal. This is much like the feeling that humans have during the ascent and descent of airplane; although it is much, much faster. So fast, that it causes damage to the ear of marine mammals. The damage may or may not be reparable.
Specifics of Hearing
The ability to hear is at its peak at birth. From there, it decreases with age. This is called degenerative hearing loss, or degeneration. Humans are born with a hearing range of 16-30,000 cycles per second. The measurement of cycles per second is also called hertz. A cycle per second refers to the number of times per second that the mallet in the ear touches the eardrum, and transfers information. By the age of twelve, that has declined to approximately 20,000 cycles per second.
Grandparents at the age of 50 and older might only hear 4000 cycles per second. In marine mammals, the ability to hear high frequencies is the first hearing loss to occur. Remember, many marine mammals hear and detect sounds that are much higher and lower than the human ear can detect. Loss of high frequency hearing in marine mammals could result in the animal losing its locating ability, and its ability to detect food or predators.
It is commonly thought that all animals suffer from degenerative hearing loss. The ability to hear is at its peak at birth. From there, it decreases with age. Outside forces act strongly on hearing loss. Some forms of these include:
� Drum punctures (perhaps from pressure).
� Ringing resulting from fever, tumors, and circulation changes.
� Infection (usually middle ear in the Eustachian Tube)
� Bone overgrowth
� Loudness
All of these forms of hearing loss can be applied to marine mammals and humans. Unfortunately, marine mammals have a few more problems to contend with.
Underwater shock waves
� Underwater explosions (perhaps missile testing, or from mining) And last but not least:
... Motor boats of all kinds.
NoiseTube
Measure and map noise in your neighbourhood with your iPhone or Android phone!
NoiseTube is a research project started in 2008 at the Sony Computer Science Laboratory in Paris in collaboration with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Since 2010 the project has been managed by the BrusSense group at Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
The goal of the project is to turn smartphones into mobile noise level meters to enable citizens to measure their exposure to noise in their everyday environment and participate in the collective noise mapping of their city or neighborhood.
Iphone app link
Androod app link
Measure and map noise in your neighbourhood with your iPhone or Android phone!
NoiseTube is a research project started in 2008 at the Sony Computer Science Laboratory in Paris in collaboration with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Since 2010 the project has been managed by the BrusSense group at Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
The goal of the project is to turn smartphones into mobile noise level meters to enable citizens to measure their exposure to noise in their everyday environment and participate in the collective noise mapping of their city or neighborhood.
Iphone app link
Androod app link
extra videos on the subject
Data and entry on your website
- Record 20 noise levels using a noise level recorder application of your choice. Record the location of the noise with a photo of the location or map.
- Load the 20 photos onto your webpage using a slideshow with numbers.
- Below the slideshow you can write notes about each sound recording by using the number that corresponds to the image in the slideshow.