Traffic, construction, industries, and nightlife are a part of urban life; they are also the biggest factors that contribute to urban noise pollution.
In fact, noise levels just from traffic in Australia go upwards of 63 dB, very close to the WHO limit of 65 dB. But, how to know if the noise pollution limits are being exceeded?
The answer is simple: noise monitoring.
Various kinds of pollution harm the environment daily. One of them is noise pollution.
There are various kinds of noise, like industrial and workplace-related sounds. Even non-industrial sounds can cause pollution to the environment. The process of noise monitoring helps reduce pollution levels.
The remediation services help mitigate the problems of noise pollution. However, you must clear the concepts of noise pollution. Following this, you need to take up a few practices to get rid of the noise-related pollution. It is thus vital to prevent it from reaching the higher sound limits.
What Is Noise Pollution?
It refers to the creation and accumulation of loud, disruptive sounds for prolonged periods.. During the night, this refers to sounds above 35 dB. For the daytime, this lower limit is set at 65 dB.
The unwanted noise often interferes with your normal day-to-day tasks, like:
- Conversation
- Sleeping
- Carrying out mental exercises like meditation.
So, this creates a disturbance in maintaining your healthy lifestyle.
The unwanted sounds prevail in the environment, which act as one of the major pollutants. The noise monitoring services help you keep a check on the unwanted sources of sound.
The Human Decibel Range And How Noise Forms
The constant vibration of a specific source helps generate sound waves. The two vital features of creating sound pollution include loudness and frequency.
When sound travels through air, it leads to a change in the air pressure between two particles. It then pushes the air molecules in the condensation series, leading to compression. It is followed by rarefaction, which is the thinning of the molecules.
This cycle helps create sound waves and helps them travel.
The intensity of sound waves is measured in decibels (dB). The human ear can bear 20 Hz – 20000 Hz. However, increased exposure to high-intensity sounds can damage your hearing.
The noise monitoring services help keep a check on the loudness levels. You need to know that the loudness includes the sound pressure, relying on the energy that your ear receives over time. You can easily hear high-frequency sounds as compared to low-frequency ones.
Why Noise Monitoring Is Essential
Noise is one of the primary factors affecting both your physical and psychological health. Have you ever felt stressed out after returning from a party? It might be the result of your exposure to excessive noise for a long time.
Noise above 45 dB might result in problems with falling asleep and can eventually reduce your ability to concentrate.
Besides, in a workplace, excessive noise can impact the productivity level and reduce the ability of employees to think and communicate.
Improving the compliance of businesses with the guidelines of occupational health and safety (OHS) is a must. So, steps to monitor and control noise are a priority for both health and work.
The Types of Noise Sources
The two most prominent sources of noise include the following-
- Industrial Noise
There are industries that generate at every level. The levels include hammering, welding, blowing, drilling, running motors, and other types of machinery.
The grinding, forging, construction, fabricating, breaking, vacuuming, molding, compressing, boiling, venting, packing, transporting, and pumping industries make most of the noise.
The workplace noise might be a concern to you if you don’t have good health. Noise monitoring programs help prevent the hazards caused by the workplace.
Though multiple tools are available to measure the workplace noise, choosing one depends on the type of workplace noise and the need for the information.
- Non-Industrial Noise
The sources of noise that are non-industrial include the sound created by vehicles like cars, trains, airplanes, or other forms of transport. The noise coming from the neighborhood might also be one of the major sources of noise pollution in your space.
The noise monitoring system includes a number of interruptions from residential activities and railroads.
Impact Created By Noise
There can be many effects of noise pollution, causing serious hazards. These are-
- Environmental Impacts
Noise pollution typically impacts animals across various habitats. For instance, birds might not lay eggs with the same frequency, or stop chirping, and so on. That’s why carrying out a noise monitoring approach helps you evaluate the damage to the environment.
This helps reduce the risks to the ecological balance. Impacts on animals like dolphins or whales are quite prominent. The count of these animals is gradually decreasing with the passing days.
- Health-Related Impacts
There is a large impact on your health due to the high-frequency noise.. Anxieties, hearing issues, heart-related issues, and sleep disturbances become more frequent if you are exposed to high-frequency sounds.
Noise monitoring programs help you reduce the risks of auditory impacts, preventing loud noise from directly impacting the sensitive hair cells of your inner ear.
Noise Monitoring Conduct
Bringing various changes or replacements to the source of the noise can help minimize noise pollution. There are a few steps, like using low-noise generation machinery and tools. One can easily achieve the upkeep of the lubrication of tools and machinery.
Obstructing the place where the noise can travel through from its source. The noise monitoring systems help you achieve the objective of cutting down on high levels of sound.
How Remediation Services Tackle These Issues
Given the multiple sources of noise pollution, you should consider professional remediation services, as they can help you tackle this issue easily by suggesting measures to reduce unwanted noise, such as:
- Using low-noise machinery
You should utilise machines or equipment that do not create much noise when they are being used. In case you work in an industrial manufacturing facility, then you should consider carrying out regular maintenance checks and lubricating them.
- Regular maintenance and lubrication of equipment
The remediation services you hire also suggest that you carry out periodic maintenance of your machinery or equipment. Apart from that, you should also lubricate or grease the equipment to reduce friction and prevent damage.
- Installing sound barriers or dampening materials
You will also have to install various barriers or sound-dampening materials in specific areas around the machinery to ensure that the sound does not escape. You can also consider soundproofing panels for increased sound dampening.
- Replacing outdated systems
Finally, the remediation services you hire will also suggest replacing the old machinery with brand-new machinery. This way, you won’t have to pay increased maintenance or repair costs.
Apart from that, replacing old machinery ensures that you can avoid possible accidents due to unwanted explosions or damage.
Final Thoughts
Noise pollution levels will continue to increase as the years go by, due to the rising demands of civilization.
That’s why you should hire reputable noise remediation services, as they can help you tackle this issue. They will provide custom solutions based on your issues to ensure peaceful living.