Helena Joyce
Noise pollution, or sound pollution, is defined as unwanted sound with the potential to cause harmful effects on humans, animals, and the environment. The concept of noise pollution is not new, with documented problems associated with noise in urban environments dating as far back as ancient Rome. However, the term noise pollution itself started to gain prominence in the 20th century, with the growing recognition of the adverse effects of noise on health and well-being. The transition from considering noise as merely an annoyance to recognizing it as a significant health threat began in the 21st century, with scientific evidence establishing direct links between noise and various health conditions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| When noise pollution started | The Stone Age |
| First mention in history | Ancient Rome |
| Major causes in the 20th century | Vehicle noise, aviation noise |
| Major causes in the 21st century | Industrial facilities, highway, railway, airplane traffic, outdoor construction activities |
| Steady growth of noise pollution | With the invention of gunpowder in the 9th century and the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century |
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What You'll Learn
Noise pollution in ancient Rome
Noise pollution has been a long-standing issue in Rome. Even in ancient times, the city was a bustling hub of trade and commerce, with people flocking from all over the empire to sell their goods and services. The narrow streets of Rome, often crowded with people, amplified the noise and chaos.
Traders and merchants shouting about their wares contributed significantly to the clamour. The poet Juvenal, in the 1st century AD, described the noise and traffic in ancient Rome, specifically mentioning the "oaths of cattle-drovers" and the movement of heavy wagons through narrow streets that would "break the sleep of a deaf man". The population of Rome at this time had grown to a million people, leading to space constraints and the construction of tall blocks of flats called "insulas".
The Roman writer, Juvenal, also lamented the constant pushing and shoving in the crowded streets. He described a chaotic scene with people being jostled, muddied, and having their clothing torn. The city, with its constant influx of cargoes and merchants from places like Egypt, Sicily, India, and Arabia, resembled a "common warehouse of the world".
Recognising the issue of noise, Julius Caesar implemented a rule prohibiting the movement of wagons through the streets of Rome during certain hours, specifically after sunrise and before the tenth hour of the night. This is one of the earliest known attempts to regulate noise pollution in the city.
Thus, ancient Rome, with its dense population, bustling trade, and narrow streets, experienced significant noise pollution, prompting early attempts at noise regulation.
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20th-century noise control efforts
The 20th century saw the greatest loss of natural quiet in world history. Noise spread into previously quiet lands, penetrating suburbs, rural areas, and even protected wilderness areas. The main sources of noise were vehicles, planes, industry, energy production, resource extraction, and a host of other newly invented noise sources.
The 20th century began with efforts to eliminate unnecessary noise. By the late 1920s, technology was being used to measure and control noise levels. However, these efforts were set back by the Great Depression, World War II, and the post-war flight to the suburbs. Noise control efforts did not recover until the late 1950s.
In the 1960s and 1970s, noise control reemerged as a concern, but it was again sidelined in the 1980s by political conservatism opposed to environmental regulations. As a result of these setbacks, noise control efforts in the 20th century primarily focused on controlling product or source noise levels, rather than the use of noise-generating products.
Despite these challenges, the 20th century also saw the development of noise control regulations and the recognition of noise as a health issue. The spread of transportation noise was identified as the most harmful to the soundscape, and it is likely that 21st-century aviation regulations will be more responsive to the noise impacts on homes. Additionally, with growing scientific evidence of the direct health effects of noise, it is expected that noise will be increasingly associated with health effects and no longer viewed merely as an annoyance.
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21st-century noise activism
Noise pollution, or sound pollution, refers to the elevation of natural ambient noise levels due to sound-generating human activities, which may have detrimental consequences for humans and animals alike. The primary sources of outdoor noise worldwide are machines, transport, and propagation systems. The 20th century was the noisiest century in the history of the world, with the invention of the car and plane, and the burning of fossil fuels in internal combustion and jet engines. This led to the spread of transportation noise, causing unprecedented loss of natural quiet.
The 21st century has seen a growing body of scientific evidence showing the direct health effects of noise pollution, which will lead to a shift in how we define and conceive of noise. Noise is now associated with several health conditions, including cardiovascular disorders, hypertension, high stress levels, tinnitus, hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and faster cognitive decline. This recognition of noise as a significant health threat will have profound consequences, with public policymakers likely to be more responsive to the issue.
The 21st century will also likely see the end of the Fossil Fuel Era of Noise, with electric vehicles, tools, and appliances becoming quieter than their gas-powered counterparts. However, the speed of travel in the 21st century is expected to increase, potentially leading to more noise. Additionally, new technologies such as drones and flying cars may contribute to noise levels in the air, similar to how vehicles impacted the land in the 20th century.
To address these issues, noise activism in the 21st century aims to raise awareness about noise pollution, strengthen laws and governmental efforts to control it, and establish networks among environmental, professional, medical, governmental, and activist groups working on noise pollution issues. The Noise Pollution Clearinghouse is one such example, seeking to provide resources and assist activists working to mitigate noise pollution.
While the future of noise pollution in the 21st century remains uncertain, the growing awareness of its health impacts and the efforts of noise activists are crucial steps towards creating a quieter and healthier environment for all.
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Health effects of noise
Noise pollution has been deemed a "growing danger to the health and welfare of the Nation's population" by US agencies such as the EPA. The European Environmental Agency reports that noise ranks second only to air pollution as the environmental exposure most harmful to public health. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also reported similar findings.
Noise pollution is any unwanted or disturbing sound that affects the health and well-being of humans and other organisms. Sources of outdoor noise worldwide are mainly caused by machines, transport, and propagation systems. Poor urban planning may also give rise to noise pollution, with side-by-side industrial and residential buildings resulting in noise pollution in residential areas. Some of the main sources of noise in residential areas include loud music, transportation (traffic, rail, airplanes, etc.), lawn care maintenance, construction, electrical generators, wind turbines, explosions, and people.
The health effects of noise pollution include:
- Hearing loss: Exposure to high decibel levels can lead to Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). Approximately 10 million people in the US have permanent hearing loss from environmental noise or noise-related trauma.
- Cardiovascular problems: Research has shown that noise pollution contributes to heart disease, with estimates of 48,000 new cases in Europe each year. A Harvard study found that 2.3% of cardiac-related hospitalizations among older people were due to aviation noise.
- Sleep disturbances: Noise can interfere with sleep, with 6.5 million people in Europe estimated to have their sleep disrupted by noise.
- Stress: People continuously exposed to noise pollution experience elevated stress levels, with even those who tune out noise pollution experiencing autonomic stress reactions.
- Cognitive decline: Noise pollution has been associated with faster cognitive decline and memory impairment.
- Other health effects: Noise pollution has also been linked to high blood pressure, hypertension, tinnitus, mood swings, attention deficits, childhood learning delays, low birth weight, and other adverse health effects.
It is important to note that individuals can take steps to protect themselves from the harmful effects of noise pollution, such as wearing ear protection (earplugs or earmuffs) and soundproofing insulation.
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Impact on wildlife
Noise pollution has been a concern since at least the time of ancient Rome. However, the issue has become significantly worse since the Industrial Revolution, with the level of noise in both terrestrial and marine environments increasing dramatically. Today, the primary sources of outdoor noise worldwide are machines, transport, and propagation systems. This includes vehicles, aircraft, ships, rail, road traffic, and their associated infrastructure and systems, such as cargo ship engines, rail construction, and aviation regulations.
Noise pollution has a significant impact on wildlife, affecting their health, behaviour, and ability to survive and reproduce. The effects of noise pollution on wildlife were first synthesised in a review by Shannon et al. in 2015, which documented the results of two decades of research.
Noise pollution can cause behavioural changes in predation, mating, and migration. For example, some bird species in noisy environments have taken to singing at night to be heard over the din of the city, and male frogs have adapted to traffic noise by calling at a higher pitch, which may be problematic as females prefer lower-pitched calls. Additionally, noise can negatively influence the perception of stimuli and the sense of orientation, causing possible strandings in both invertebrates and vertebrates. For instance, cuttlefish change their visual cues when exposed to noise, and aquatic mammals can alter the use of their communication channels. Noise can also reduce the area in which predators can hear their prey, with Barber et al. finding a 70% reduction in such areas due to increased noise levels.
Marine environments are particularly sensitive to anthropogenic noise. Ship noise has been shown to negatively affect the embryonic development of sea hares, with a 21% reduction in embryonic development in response to boat noise. Larger crabs are also more negatively affected by ship noise than smaller crabs. Underwater noise pollution is a major source of disruption to marine ecosystems and causes significant harm to sea life, including marine mammals, fish, and invertebrates.
Noise pollution is a critical component of ecosystem management and can have far-reaching consequences for wildlife. With increasing human activities, careful consideration of the impacts of human-generated noise on wildlife is essential for maintaining healthy ecosystems.
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Frequently asked questions
Noise pollution has been a problem for humans since ancient Rome.
The main sources of noise pollution are machines, transport, and propagation systems. Some specific examples include loud music, transportation (traffic, rail, airplanes), construction, electrical generators, wind turbines, explosions, and people.
Noise pollution has been linked to various health issues, including cardiovascular disorders, hypertension, high stress levels, tinnitus, hearing loss, and sleep disturbances. It can also lead to faster cognitive decline and impact mental health.
Noise pollution can interfere with an animal's ability to communicate, navigate, find food, and avoid predators. It is particularly harmful to marine life, including whales and dolphins, which rely on echolocation for survival.
Efforts to address noise pollution began in the 20th century, with the use of technology to measure and control noise. In the 1970s, the EPA coordinated federal noise control activities through its Office of Noise Abatement and Control. The Noise Control Act of 1972 and the Quiet Communities Act of 1978 are still in effect today. However, noise pollution remains an ongoing issue, and there is a growing recognition of its adverse health, social, and economic impacts.
