Noise is any sound that is undesirable for a person. Under normal atmospheric conditions, the speed of sound in air is 344 m/s.
The sound field is the region of space in which sound waves propagate. When a sound wave propagates, energy is transferred.
In a free field, the intensity of sound propagation decreases in proportion to the square of the distance from the source. Noise propagation can also be affected by weather and climatic factors that determine the absorption of sound by air and the propagation of sound: temperature and humidity, wind strength, temperature gradients, atmospheric turbulence, fog and snow. The green belt of trees or bushes around the springs helps isolate the surrounding area from noise: the high-frequency nature of the sound decreases as it passes through the green fence. In addition, the movement of bushes and trees caused by the wind creates an acceptable camouflage effect.
The noise level is measured in units expressing the degree of sound pressure - decibels (dB). This pressure is not perceived indefinitely. Noise of 20 - 30 dB is practically harmless to humans and constitutes a natural sound background, without which life is impossible. As for “loud sounds”, here the permissible limit rises to about 80 dB. Noise at 130 dB already causes a painful sensation in a person, and reaching 150 dB becomes unbearable for him. Not without reason in the Middle Ages there was an execution - "to the bell"; the ringing of bells killed a man.
2.3.2 The problem of noise pollution today
If in the 60-70s of the last century the noise in the streets did not exceed 80 dB, then at present it reaches 100 dB or more. On many busy highways, even at night, noise does not fall below 70 dB, while according to sanitary standards it should not exceed 40 dB.
Over the past decade, the problem of noise control in many countries has become one of the most important. Introduction to the industry of new technological processes, the growth of power and speed of technological equipment, the mechanization of production processes have led to the fact that a person in production and at home is constantly exposed to high levels of noise.
According to experts, the noise in big cities increases by about 1 decibel every year. Bearing in mind the level already reached, it is easy to imagine the very sad consequences of this noise “invasion”.
More and more super-powerful sound sources appear, for example: the noise of a jet aircraft, a space rocket. The level of industrial noise is very high. In many industries, it reaches 80-100 dB or more, contributing to an increase in the number of errors in work, reducing labor productivity by about 10-15% and at the same time significantly deteriorating its quality.
2.3.3 Impact of noise on human health
Depending on the level and nature of noise, its duration, as well as on the individual characteristics of a person, noise can have various effects on him.
Noise, even when it is small, creates a significant load on nervous system person, exerting psychological influence on him. This is especially often observed in people engaged in mental activity. Weak noise affects people differently. The reason for this may be: age, health status, type of work. The impact of noise also depends on the individual attitude to it. So, the noise produced by the person himself does not bother him, while a small extraneous noise can cause a strong irritating effect.
The lack of necessary silence, especially at night, leads to premature fatigue. Noises high levels can be good ground for the development of persistent insomnia, neuroses and atherosclerosis.
Under the influence of noise from 85 - 90 dB, hearing sensitivity at high frequencies decreases. For a long time, a person complains of malaise. Symptoms - headache, dizziness, nausea, excessive irritability. All this is the result of working in noisy conditions.
The influence of noise on a person has not been the object of special studies until some time. Now the impact of sound, noise on body functions is studied by a whole branch of science - audeology. It was found that the noise natural origin(the noise of the surf, foliage, rain, the murmur of a stream, and others) have a beneficial effect on the human body, soothe it, induce a healing sleep.
The effects of noise on the health of Europeans in 2003 were studied. It turned out that, in addition to heart disease, noise pollution causes dangerous sleep disorders in 2% of Europeans, and other negative effects in 15%. Constant exposure to road noise is responsible for 3% of the cases, which is expressed in the constant sensation of tinnitus.
Studies published in recent years show that noise can increase blood levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine - even during sleep. The longer these hormones are present in the circulatory system, the more likely they are to lead to life-threatening physiological problems. Severe stress can cause heart failure, angina, high blood pressure, and immune problems.
Among the sense organs, hearing is one of the most important. Thanks to him, we are able to analyze the whole variety of sounds that surrounds us. external environment. Hearing is always awake, to a certain extent even at night, in sleep. He is constantly exposed to irritation because he does not have any protective devices, similar, for example, to the eyelids that protect the eyes from light.
The ear is one of the most complex and subtle organs; it perceives both very weak and very strong sounds. Under the influence of strong noise, especially high-frequency noise, irreversible changes occur in the hearing organ.
At high noise levels, hearing sensitivity drops after 1-2 years, at medium noise levels it is detected much later, after 5-10 years, that is, hearing loss occurs slowly, the disease develops gradually. Therefore, it is especially important to take appropriate noise protection measures in advance. Nowadays, almost everyone exposed to noise at work is at risk of becoming deaf.
Acoustic stimuli gradually, like poison, accumulate in the body, more and more depressing the nervous system. The strength, balance and mobility of nervous processes change - all the more, the more intense the noise. The reaction to noise is often expressed in increased excitability and irritability, covering the entire sphere of sensory perceptions. People who are constantly exposed to noise often become difficult to communicate with.
So, noise has its destructive effect on the entire human body. The fact that we are practically defenseless against noise also contributes to its disastrous work. A blindingly bright light makes us instinctively close our eyes. The same instinct of self-preservation saves us from being burned by moving our hand away from the fire or from a hot surface. But on the impact of noise defensive reaction the person does not.
Over the problem of noise "invasion" in many countries have seriously thought, and some have taken certain measures. Due to the increase in noise, one can imagine the state of people in 10 years. Therefore, this problem must be addressed, otherwise the consequences could be catastrophic.
High noise level environment is the sonic scourge of today. This problem stands next to the pollution of soil, air, water. Noise pollution level in recent times increased greatly, negatively affecting human health, as well as flora and fauna. What it is? How to avoid its negative impact?
Noise pollution is a problem of our time
High noise level is a type of physical pollution characterized by the following features:
- increased degree of noise in a certain place;
- distorted sound characteristics - repeatability, sound power and others.
Almost every source of noise that is not of natural origin can be considered as anthropogenic noise pollution. This is not just a harmless nuisance, but a problem of a deeper scale. Recent studies by British scientists gave a disappointing result - they found that prolonged exposure to noise has a negative effect on the human body, reducing life expectancy by about 8-10 years. The level of noise exposure at enterprises is controlled using special procedures, such as and.
Effects of noise pollution on the human body
The most dangerous noises are those to which mankind is accustomed in Everyday life and does not notice them. These are minor sounds of household appliances, computers, laptops, fax machines, printers, and so on.
The effects of excessive noise levels on human health are devastating. Neurological diseases, dizziness appear, fatigue, irritability, absent-mindedness increase. Enhanced Level noise adversely affects a person's hearing, lowering his sensitivity. There may also be problems with the heart, liver. However, the nervous system is depleted most of all.
Impact of noise pollution on flora and fauna
Noise discomfort is also bad for animals and plants. Its sources in the environment are trolleybuses, compressors and much more. The acceptable noise level ranges from 30-60 dB, but in fact, the figures often exceed these figures, reaching 100 dB.
Numerous tests have established that plants that are constantly exposed to noise dry out. The reason for their death is the discharge of leaves too a large number moisture. This happens because noise pollution exceeds the acceptable barrier. So, trees in big cities live much less, and bees at the sound of a jet engine lose their ability to navigate in space.
How to prevent the negative impact of noise pollution
Today, the level of noise in a given place is easily measured using special devices and technology. Numerous environmental studies allow with high precision determine how safe a certain area is. So, noise of 15 dB is comfortable for human body level, and the permissible threshold is 55 dB in the daytime.
Noise level meter
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Plan
Introduction
Aircraft and noise
Inside the ear
Impact of noise on organisms
The impact of noise on humans
The fight against noise pollution
Noise scale
Introduction
Man has always lived in a world of sounds and noise. Sound is called such mechanical vibrations of the external environment, which are perceived by the human hearing aid (from 16 to 20,000 vibrations per second). Vibrations of a higher frequency are called ultrasound, a smaller one is called infrasound. Noise - loud sounds, merged into a discordant sound.
For all living organisms, including humans, sound is one of the environmental influences. In nature, loud sounds are rare, the noise is relatively weak and short. The combination of sound stimuli gives animals and humans time to assess their nature and form a response. Sounds and noises of high power affect the hearing aid, nerve centers, can cause pain and shock. This is how noise pollution works.
Noise pollution environment - this is the sound scourge of our time, apparently the most intolerable of all types of environmental pollution. Along with the problems of air, soil and water pollution, mankind is faced with the problem of noise control. Such concepts as “acoustic ecology”, “noise pollution of the environment”, etc. have appeared and are becoming widespread. All this is due to the fact that the harmful effects of noise on the human body, on the human body, on animals and vegetable world undeniably established by science. Man and nature are increasingly suffering from its harmful effects.
According to I. I. Dedyu (1990), noise pollution is a form of physical pollution, which manifests itself in an increase in the noise level in excess of natural noise and causes anxiety in the short term, and damage to the organs that perceive it or the death of organisms in the long term.
normal noise human environment environment varies between 35-60 dB. But more and more decibels are added to this background, as a result of which the noise level often exceeds 100 dB.
Decibel (dB) is a logarithmic unit of noise that expresses the degree of sound pressure. 1dB is the lowest level of noise that a person can barely pick up. Nature has never been silent, it is not silent, but silent. Sound - one of its most ancient manifestations, as ancient as the Earth itself. Sounds have always been and even monstrous strength and power. But still in natural environment the sounds of the rustling of leaves, the murmur of a stream, the voices of birds, the light splash of water and the sound of the surf, which are always pleasant to a person, prevailed. They calm him, relieve stress. Man created, and more and more new sounds appeared. After the invention of the wheel, he, according to the just remark of the famous English acoustician R. Tylor, without realizing it, sowed the first link contemporary problem noise. With the birth of the wheel, it began to tire and annoy a person more and more often. The natural sounds of the voices of Nature have become more and more rare, they disappear completely or are drowned out by industrial transport and other noises.
noise pollution decibel aircraft
Aircraft and noise
All planes make noise, and jets make more noise than most. As a result, noise levels, especially around airports, are constantly rising as more jet aircraft enter the airlines and their power increases. At the same time, public discontent is growing, so that aircraft designers have to work hard on how to make jets less noisy. The roar of a jet engine is caused mainly by the rapid mixing of the exhaust gases with the outside air. Its volume directly depends on the speed of collision of gases with air. It is greatest when the engines are brought to full power before the aircraft takes off.
One way to reduce noise levels is to use turbofan engines, in which most of intake air bypasses the combustion chamber, resulting in a reduced exhaust gas velocity. Turbofan engines are now used in most modern passenger airliners.
Usually the noise level jet engines It is measured in decibels (dB) of the actual perceived noise, which takes into account, in addition to the loudness of the sound, its height and duration.
Inside the ear
When a jet plane flies over you, it spreads sound waves around it in the form of fluctuations in the level of air pressure. These waves create vibrations in your eardrum, which transmits them through three small bones—the hammer, anvil, and stirrup—to your air-filled middle ear.
From there, the vibrations enter the fluid-filled inner ear, passing through the semicircular canals, which are in charge of your balance, and the cochlea. The auditory nerve responds to fluctuations in the fluid in the cochlea by converting them into encoded impulses. The impulses go to the brain, where they are decoded, and as a result, we hear a sound.
Impact of noise on organisms
Researchers have found that noise can destroy plant cells. For example, experiments have shown that plants that are bombarded with sounds dry out and die. The cause of death is excessive release of moisture through the leaves: when the noise level exceeds a certain limit, the flowers literally come out with tears. If you put a carnation next to a radio that is playing at full volume, the flower will wither. Trees in the city die much earlier than in the natural environment. The bee loses the ability to navigate and stops working with the noise of a jet aircraft. A specific example of the impact of noise on living organisms can be considered the following event two years ago. Thousands of unhatched chicks perished on the Ptichya spit near Bystroe (Danube delta) as a result of dredging carried out by the German company Mobius by order of the Ministry of Transport of Ukraine. The noise from the working equipment was carried for 5-7 km, rendering Negative influence to the adjacent territories of the Danube Biosphere Reserve. Representatives of the Danube Biosphere Reserve and 3 other organizations were forced to state with pain the death of the entire colony of the variegated tern and common tern, which were located on the Ptichya Spit.
The impact of noise on humans
Prolonged noise adversely affects the organ of hearing, reducing the sensitivity to sound. It leads to a breakdown in the activity of the heart, liver, to exhaustion and overstrain of nerve cells. Weakened cells of the nervous system cannot clearly coordinate the work of various body systems. This results in disruption of their activities.
As already mentioned, the noise level is measured in units expressing the degree of sound pressure - decibels. This pressure is not perceived indefinitely. The noise level of 20-30 decibels (dB) is practically harmless to humans, this is a natural background noise. As for loud sounds, here the permissible limit is approximately 80 decibels, and then at a noise level of 60-90 dB, unpleasant sensations arise. A sound of 120-130 decibels already causes pain in a person, and 150 becomes unbearable for him and leads to irreversible hearing loss. Not without reason in the Middle Ages there was an execution "under the bell". The hum of the bell ringing tormented and slowly killed the convict. A sound at 180dB causes metal fatigue, and at 190dB it pulls rivets out of structures. The level of industrial noise is also very high. In many jobs and noisy industries, it reaches 90-110 decibels or more. Not much quieter in our house, where more and more new sources of noise appear - the so-called Appliances. It is also known that tree crowns absorb sounds by 10-20 dB.
For a long time, the effect of noise on the human body was not specially studied, although already in ancient times they knew about its harm and, for example, in ancient cities, rules were introduced to limit noise. Currently, scientists in many countries of the world are various studies to understand the impact of noise on human health. Their studies have shown that noise causes significant harm to human health.
In the UK, for example, one in four men and one in three women suffer from neurosis due to high noise levels. Austrian scientists have found that noise reduces the life of city dwellers by 8-12 years. The threat and harm of noise will become more clear if we consider that in large cities it increases by about 1 dB annually. Leading American noise specialist Dr. Knudsen stated that noise is the same slow killer, as he could." But even absolute silence frightens and depresses him. So, employees of one design bureau, which had excellent sound insulation, already a week later began to complain about the impossibility of working in conditions of oppressive silence. They were nervous, lost their working capacity. Conversely, scientists have found that sounds of a certain intensity stimulate the process of thinking, especially the process of counting.
Each person perceives noise differently. Much depends on age, temperament, state of health, environmental conditions. Some people lose their hearing even after brief exposure to noise of comparatively reduced intensity. Constant exposure to strong noise can not only adversely affect hearing, but also cause other harmful effects - ringing in the ears, dizziness, headache, increased fatigue. Very noisy modern music also dulls the hearing, causes nervous diseases. Interestingly, the American otolaryngologist S. Rosen found that in an African tribe in Sudan, not exposed to civilized noise, the hearing acuity of sixteen-year-old representatives is on average the same as that of thirty-year-old people living in noisy New York. In 20% of young men and women who often listen to fashionable modern pop music, hearing turned out to be dulled in the same way as in 85-year-old old people. Noise has an accumulative effect, that is, acoustic irritation, accumulating in the body, increasingly depresses the nervous system. Therefore, before hearing loss from exposure to noise, a functional disorder of the central nervous system occurs. Noise has a particularly harmful effect on the neuropsychic activity of the body. The process of neuropsychiatric diseases is higher among persons working in noisy conditions than among persons working in normal sound conditions. Noises cause functional disorders of cardio-vascular system. The well-known therapist academician A. Myasnikov pointed out that noise can be a source of hypertension.
Noise has a harmful effect on the visual and vestibular analyzers, reduces reflex activity, which often causes accidents and injuries. The higher the intensity of the noise, the worse we see and react to what is happening. This list can be continued. But it must be emphasized that noise is insidious, its harmful effect on the body is completely invisible, imperceptible and has an accumulative character, moreover, the human body is practically not protected against noise. In harsh light, we close our eyes, the instinct of self-preservation saves us from burns, forcing us to withdraw our hand from hot, etc., and a person does not have a defensive reaction from exposure to noise. Therefore, there is an underestimation of the fight against noise.
Studies have shown that inaudible sounds can also have a harmful effect on human health. So, infrasounds have a special effect on the mental sphere of a person: all types of intellectual activity are affected, mood worsens, sometimes there is a feeling of confusion, anxiety, fright, fear, and at high intensity - a feeling of weakness, as after a strong nervous shock. Even weak sounds - infrasounds can have a significant impact on a person, especially if they are of a long duration. According to scientists, it is infrasounds, inaudibly penetrating through the thickest walls, that cause many nervous diseases in residents of large cities. Ultrasounds, which occupy a prominent place in the range of industrial noise, are also dangerous. The mechanisms of their action on living organisms are extremely diverse. The cells of the nervous system are especially susceptible to their negative effects. Noise is insidious, its harmful effect on the body is invisibly, imperceptibly. Violations in the human body against noise is practically defenseless. Doctors are now talking about a noise disease that develops as a result of exposure to noise with a primary lesion of hearing and the nervous system. Thus, noise must be dealt with, and not tried to get used to. Acoustic ecology is devoted to the fight against noise, the purpose and meaning of which is the desire to establish such an acoustic environment that would correspond or be in tune with the voices of nature, because the noise of technology is unnatural to all living things that have evolved on the planet. It should be remembered that the fight against noise was carried out in antiquity. For example, 2.5 thousand years ago in the famous ancient Greek colony, the city of Sybaris, there were rules protecting the sleep and peace of citizens: loud noises were prohibited at night, and artisans of such noisy professions as blacksmiths and tinsmiths were expelled from the city.
The fight against noise pollution
In 1959 was created international organization noise control.
Noise control is a complex complex problem that requires a lot of effort and money. Silence costs money and a lot of it. Noise sources are very diverse and there is no single way, method of dealing with them. However, acoustic science can offer effective means noise control. Common ways to combat noise are reduced by the legislative, construction and planning, organizational, technical and technological, design and preventive world. Preference should be given to measures at the design stage rather than when the noise is already being produced.
Sanitary norms and rules establish:
maximum permissible noise levels at workplaces in the premises and on the territory manufacturing enterprises that create noise, and on the border of their territory;
the main measures to reduce noise levels and prevent human exposure to noise. Appropriate standards are in place and created. Failure to comply with them is punishable by law. And although at present it is not always possible to achieve effective results in the fight against noise, nevertheless, steps in this direction are being made. Special noise absorbers are installed dropped ceilings, assembled from perforated plates, silencers on pneumatic devices and fixtures. Musicologists offered their own means of noise mitigation: skillfully and correctly selected music began to influence the efficiency of work. An active fight against traffic noise began. Unfortunately, there is no ban on transport sound signals in cities. Noise maps are created. They give a detailed description of the noise situation in the city. Undoubtedly, it is possible to develop optimal measures to ensure proper noise protection of the environment. The noise map according to V. Chudnov (1980) is a kind of plan for attacking noise. There are many ways to combat traffic noise: the construction of tunnel interchanges, underpasses, highways in tunnels, on overpasses and excavations. It is also possible to reduce the noise of an internal combustion engine. On the railway jointless rails are laid - velvet path. Actual construction of screening structures, planting forest belts. Noise standards should be reviewed every 2-3 years in the direction of their tightening. Great hopes for solving this problem are placed on electric vehicles.
Noise scale
Noise impact level Characteristic noise generators Noise intensity, dB
Hearing threshold Total silence 0
Permissible level Noise of normal breathing 10
Home comfort 20
The sound of the clock, the norm of the sound volume is 30
The rustle of leaves in a light breeze 33
Volume norm during the day 40
Quiet whisper at a distance of 1-2 meters 47
Quiet street 50
Work washing machine 60
Street noise 70
Normal speech or noise in a busy store 73
Vacuum cleaner, highway noise with very heavy traffic, glass noise 80
Danger level Sports car, maximum sound level in industrial premises 90
Loud music player in big room 95
Motorcycle, metro train 100
The noise of urban traffic, the roar of a diesel truck at a distance of 8 meters 105
The roar of a Boeing 747 taking off directly overhead 107
Loud music, powerful mower 110
Pain threshold The sound of a running lawn mower or air compressor 112
The roar of a Boeing 707 landing at airport 118
The roar of the Concorde taking off directly overhead, a powerful roll of thunder 120
Air raid siren, ultra-noise fashionable electric music 130
Pneumatic riveting 140
Death Level Explosion atomic bomb 200
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"Atmospheric Noise Pollution"
Introduction The ecological problem is the problem of the relationship between society and nature, the preservation of the environment. For thousands of years, man has constantly increased his technical capabilities, intensified intervention in nature, forgetting about the need to maintain biological balance in it. The pressure on the environment increased especially sharply in the second half of the 20th century. A qualitative leap took place in the relationship between society and nature, when, as a result of a sharp increase in the population, intensive industrialization and urbanization of our planet, economic loads everywhere began to exceed the ability of ecological systems to self-purify and regenerate. As a result, the natural circulation of substances in the biosphere was disturbed, and the health of the present and future generations of people was threatened. Ecological problem modern world not only sharp, but also multifaceted. It appears in almost all branches of material production, is relevant to all regions of the planet. Stop and listen: multi-ton MAZs and ZILs are noisily rushing along the street. Front doors slam on powerful steel springs, screams of children rush from the yard, guitars strum until late at night. Tape recorders and televisions are deafening, factory shops greet us with the roar of machine tools and other machines ... The picture seems to be ordinary. But is it okay? Our century has become the noisiest. It is difficult now to name an area of technology, production and everyday life where noise would not be present in the sound spectrum, that is, a mixture of sounds that interferes with us and irritates us. For a certain comfort, ease of communication and movement, improvement of life and improvement of production, modern man no longer has to listen to the creak of carts and scolding drivers, but the howl of cars, the pulp of trams, the rumble of motorcycles and helicopters, the roar of jet aircraft. Over the past decade, the problem of noise control in many countries has become one of the most important. Man has always lived in a world of sounds and noise. Sound is called such mechanical vibrations of the external environment, which are perceived by the human hearing aid (from 16 to 20,000 vibrations per second). Vibrations of a higher frequency are called ultrasound, a smaller one is called infrasound. Noise - loud sounds that have merged into a discordant sound. For all living organisms, including humans, sound is one of the environmental influences. In nature, loud sounds are rare, the noise is relatively weak and short. The combination of sound stimuli gives animals and humans time to assess their nature and form a response. Sounds and noises of high power affect the hearing aid, nerve centers, can cause pain and shock. This is how noise pollution works. Noise pollution of the environment is the sound scourge of our time, apparently the most intolerable of all types of environmental pollution. Along with the problems of air, soil and water pollution, mankind is faced with the problem of noise control. Such concepts as “acoustic ecology”, “noise pollution of the environment”, etc. have appeared and are becoming widespread. All this is due to the fact that the harmful effects of noise on the human body, on the human body, on the animal and plant world are undeniably established by science. Man and nature are increasingly suffering from its harmful effects. According to I. I. Dedyu (1990), noise pollution is a form of physical pollution, which manifests itself in an increase in the noise level in excess of natural noise and causes anxiety in the short term, and damage to the organs that perceive it or the death of organisms in the long term. The normal noise of the human environment varies between 35-60 dB. But more and more decibels are added to this background, as a result of which the noise level often exceeds 100 dB. A decibel (dB) is a logarithmic unit of noise that expresses the degree of sound pressure. 1dB is the lowest level of noise that a person can barely pick up. Nature has never been silent, it is not silent, but silent. Sound is one of its most ancient manifestations, as ancient as the Earth itself. Sounds have always been and even monstrous strength and power. But still, the sounds of the rustling of leaves, the murmur of a stream, bird voices, a light splash of water and the sound of the surf, which are always pleasant to man, prevailed in the natural environment. They calm him, relieve stress. Man created, and more and more new sounds appeared. After the invention of the wheel, according to the just remark of the famous English acoustician R. Tylor, without realizing it, sowed the first link in the modern noise problem. With the birth of the wheel, it began to tire and annoy a person more and more often. The natural sounds of the voices of Nature have become more and more rare, they disappear completely or are drowned out by industrial transport and other noises. Aircraft and noise. All planes make noise, and jets make more noise than most. As a result, noise levels, especially around airports, are constantly rising as more jet aircraft enter the airlines and their power increases. At the same time, public discontent is growing, so that aircraft designers have to work hard on how to make jets less noisy. The roar of a jet engine is caused mainly by the rapid mixing of the exhaust gases with the outside air. Its volume directly depends on the speed of collision of gases with air. It is greatest when the engines are brought to full power before the aircraft takes off. One way to reduce noise levels is to use turbofan engines, in which most of the intake air bypasses the combustion chamber, resulting in a reduced exhaust gas emission rate. Turbofan engines are now used in most modern passenger airliners. Typically, the noise level of jet engines is measured in decibels (dB) of the actual perceived noise, which takes into account, in addition to the volume of the sound, also its height and duration. Inside the ear. When a jet plane flies over you, it spreads sound waves around it in the form of fluctuations in the level of air pressure. These waves create vibrations in your eardrum, which transmits them through three small bones—the hammer, anvil, and stirrup—to the air-filled middle ear. From there, the vibrations travel to the fluid-filled inner ear, passing through the semicircular canals that control your balance and the cochlea. The auditory nerve responds to fluctuations in the fluid in the cochlea by converting them into encoded impulses. The impulses go to the brain, where they are decoded, and as a result, we hear a sound. Impact of noise on organisms Researchers have found that noise can destroy plant cells. For example, experiments have shown that plants that are bombarded with sounds dry out and die. The cause of death is excessive release of moisture through the leaves: when the noise level exceeds a certain limit, the flowers literally come out with tears. If you put a carnation next to a radio that is playing at full volume, the flower will wither. Trees in the city die much earlier than in the natural environment. The bee loses the ability to navigate and stops working with the noise of a jet plane. A specific example of the impact of noise on living organisms can be considered the following event two years ago. Thousands of unhatched chicks perished on the Ptichya spit near Bystroe (Danube delta) as a result of dredging carried out by the German company Mobius by order of the Ministry of Transport of Ukraine. The noise from the working equipment was carried for 5-7 km, having a negative impact on the adjacent territories of the Danube Biosphere Reserve. Representatives of the Danube Biosphere Reserve and 3 other organizations were forced to state with pain the death of the entire colony of the variegated tern and common tern, which were located on the Ptichya Spit. From the Survey Report of the Ptichya Spit dated July 16, 2004: “As a result of the actual survey of the Ptichya Spit (near the Bystroe branch) at the location of large colonies of the variegated (950 nests and 430 nests - according to the results of the survey on June 28, 2004) and the common tern (120 nests - according to the same records) on an area of approximately 120x130 meters and an area of approximately 30x20 meters, the remains of many hundreds of eggs of these species were found. The nature of their damage clearly indicates that the chicks did not hatch from them. The estimated start of hatching of the chicks of this colony was expected from 20 July. The most likely reason for the disappearance of the colony (not even adult birds are present in its place) is an excessive disturbance factor caused by nearby dredging equipment, as well as the boats serving it.” After that, the representative of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has the audacity to say that "The construction of the Danube-Black Sea canal does not violate the ecological balance of the Danube Delta." This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Konstantin Gryshchenko, in response to calls from EU representatives and a number of international environmental organizations to stop the construction of the canal until an environmental review is carried out (according to the newspaper "Voice of Ukraine"). Using this position of the Government of Ukraine, "Ministry of Transport", "Delta-Lotsman" and "Mobius" companies are not going to make any efforts to minimize the damage from the construction of the canal. On the contrary, on July 17, a representative of Delta-Lotsman announced soon start demolition of trees and the berth of the reserve in the area of the cordon Bystroe - that is, in the territory that is not deprived of the status of a reserve. Thus, while the President of Ukraine speaks without a shadow of embarrassment in negotiations with the European Union about the harmlessness of the canal for the unique nature of the Danube Delta, the Ministry of Transport, Mobius and Delta-Lotsman are doing everything to protect there was nothing in the Ukrainian part of the delta. To date, about 8,000 letters from all over the world have come to various authorities in defense of the Danube Reserve. Noise pollution One of the types of air pollution in cities is noise pollution. Noise is one of the air pollution harmful to humans. The irritating effect of sound (noise) on a person depends on its intensity, spectral composition and duration of exposure. Noises with continuous spectra are less irritating than noises with a narrow frequency interval. The greatest irritation is caused by noise in the frequency range of 3000-5000 Hz. Working in conditions of increased noise at first causes rapid fatigue, sharpens hearing at high frequencies. Then the person seems to get used to the noise, the sensitivity to high frequencies drops sharply, hearing loss begins, which gradually develops into hearing loss and deafness. At a noise intensity of 145-140 dB, vibrations occur in the soft tissues of the nose and throat, as well as in the bones of the skull and teeth; if the intensity exceeds 140 dB, then the chest, muscles of the arms and legs begin to vibrate, pain in the ears and head appears, extreme fatigue and irritability; at noise levels above 160 dB, eardrum rupture may occur. However, noise has a detrimental effect not only on the hearing aid, but also on the central nervous system of a person, the work of the heart, and causes many other diseases. One of the most powerful sources of noise are helicopters and especially supersonic aircraft. With those high requirements to the accuracy and reliability of modern aircraft control, which are presented to the crew of the aircraft, increased noise levels have a negative impact on the efficiency and speed of information acceptance by the crew. Noises generated by aircraft cause hearing impairment and other painful phenomena in airport ground services workers, as well as in residents of settlements over which aircraft fly. The negative impact on people depends not only on the level of maximum noise generated by an aircraft during flight, but also on the duration of the action, the total number of flights per day and the background noise level. The intensity of noise and the area of distribution are significantly affected by meteorological conditions: wind speed, its distribution and air temperature in height, clouds and precipitation. The noise problem has become especially acute in connection with the operation of supersonic aircraft. Associated with these are the noise, sonic boom and vibration of dwellings near airports. Modern supersonic aircraft generate noise, the intensity of which significantly exceeds the maximum allowable standards. The introduction of new technological processes into industry, the growth in power and speed of technological equipment, the mechanization of production processes have led to the fact that a person in production and at home is constantly exposed to high levels of noise. Noise control is a complex problem. In article 12 - the law "on the protection of atmospheric air" adopted in 1980. it is noted that "in order to combat industrial and other noise, in particular, the following should be carried out: the introduction of low-noise technological processes, the improvement of the planning and development of cities and other settlements, organizational measures to prevent and reduce domestic noise." Noise is any sound that is undesirable for a person. Under normal atmospheric conditions, the speed of sound in air is 344 m/s. The sound field is the region of space in which sound waves propagate. When a sound wave propagates, energy is transferred. The noise level is measured in units expressing the degree of sound pressure - decibels (dB). This pressure is not perceived indefinitely. Noise of 20 - 30 dB is practically harmless to humans and constitutes a natural sound background, without which life is impossible. As for "loud sounds", here the permissible limit rises to about 80 dB. Noise at 130 dB already causes a painful sensation in a person, and reaching 150 dB becomes unbearable for him. Not without reason in the Middle Ages there was an execution - "under the bell"; the ringing of bells killed a man. If in the 60-70s of the last century the noise in the streets did not exceed 80 dB, then at present it reaches 100 dB or more. On many busy highways, even at night, noise does not fall below 70 dB, while according to sanitary standards it should not exceed 40 dB. According to experts, the noise in big cities increases by about 1 decibel every year. Bearing in mind the level already reached, it is easy to imagine the very sad consequences of this noise "invasion". More and more super-powerful sound sources appear, for example: the noise of a jet aircraft, a space rocket. The level of industrial noise is very high. In many industries, it reaches 80-100 dB or more, contributing to an increase in the number of errors in work, reducing labor productivity by about 10-15% and at the same time significantly deteriorating its quality. Depending on the level and nature of noise, its duration, as well as on the individual characteristics of a person, noise can have various effects on him. Noise, even when it is small, creates a significant load on the human nervous system, exerting a psychological impact on him. This is especially often observed in people engaged in mental activity. Weak noise affects people differently. The reason for this may be: age, health status, type of work. The impact of noise also depends on the individual attitude to it. So, the noise produced by the person himself does not bother him, while a small extraneous noise can cause a strong irritating effect. The lack of necessary silence, especially at night, leads to premature fatigue. Noises at high levels can be a good breeding ground for the development of persistent insomnia, neurosis and atherosclerosis. Under the influence of noise from 85 - 90 dB, hearing sensitivity at high frequencies decreases. For a long time, a person complains of malaise. Symptoms - headache, dizziness, nausea, excessive irritability. All this is the result of working in noisy conditions. The influence of noise on a person has not been the object of special studies until some time. Now the impact of sound, noise on body functions is studied by a whole branch of science - audeology. It was found that the noises of natural origin (the sound of the surf, foliage, rain, the murmur of a stream, and others) have a beneficial effect on the human body, calm it down, and induce a healing sleep. Among the sense organs, hearing is one of the most important. Thanks to him, we are able to accept and analyze the whole variety of sounds of the external environment around us. Hearing is always awake, to a certain extent even at night, in sleep. He is constantly exposed to irritation because he does not have any protective devices, similar, for example, to the eyelids that protect the eyes from light. The ear is one of the most complex and subtle organs; it perceives both very weak and very strong sounds. Under the influence of strong noise, especially high-frequency noise, irreversible changes occur in the hearing organ. At high noise levels, hearing sensitivity drops after 1-2 years, at medium noise levels it is detected much later, after 5-10 years, that is, hearing loss occurs slowly, the disease develops gradually. Therefore, it is especially important to take appropriate noise protection measures in advance. Nowadays, almost everyone exposed to noise at work is at risk of becoming deaf. Acoustic stimuli gradually, like poison, accumulate in the body, more and more depressing the nervous system. The strength, balance and mobility of nervous processes change - all the more, the more intense the noise. The reaction to noise is often expressed in increased excitability and irritability, covering the entire sphere of sensory perceptions. People who are constantly exposed to noise often become difficult to communicate with. So, noise has its destructive effect on the entire human body. The fact that we are practically defenseless against noise also contributes to its disastrous work. A blindingly bright light makes us instinctively close our eyes. The same instinct of self-preservation saves us from being burned by moving our hand away from the fire or from a hot surface. But a person does not have a protective reaction to the impact of noise. The problem of noise "invasion" in many countries has been seriously thought about, and some have taken certain measures. Due to the increase in noise, one can imagine the state of people in 10 years. Therefore, this problem must be considered, otherwise the consequences may be catastrophic. Conclusion The protection of nature is the task of our century, a problem that has become a social one. Again and again we hear about the danger threatening the environment, but still many of us consider them an unpleasant, but inevitable product of civilization and believe that we will still have time to cope with all the difficulties that have come to light. However, human impact on the environment has taken on alarming proportions. To fundamentally improve the situation, purposeful and thoughtful actions will be needed. A responsible and efficient policy towards the environment will be possible only if we accumulate reliable data on the current state of the environment, substantiated knowledge about the interaction of important environmental factors, if we develop new methods to reduce and prevent the harm caused to Nature by Man. The time is already coming when the world can suffocate if Man does not come to the aid of Nature. Only Man has an ecological talent - to keep the world around us clean.
Noise pollution can be defined as intrusive noise that disturbs, distracts, or interferes with normal human activities. And while many people think that noise pollution is a problem in big cities, we should not forget that we also face it in suburban areas, as well as in offices and at home.
Causes of Noise Pollution
There are many sources of noise pollution today. Here are the main ones:
1. Planes. Research proves that noise pollution from aircraft has a strong negative impact on the health and well-being of people who live near airports. They suffer from heart disease, high blood pressure and chronic stress.
2. Cars. Many who live in big cities or near busy streets complain about traffic noise. Interestingly, even low levels of traffic noise can harm people.
3. Noise in the workplace. Most of us can think of high-profile assembly lines or construction sites when we talk about noise pollution at work. But this also applies to ordinary offices. Employees who are talking knock on the table, thereby distracting their colleagues and reducing their productivity without realizing it.
4. House noise. Many people think that their homes are not "noisy". But at home we move a lot, the TV and other household appliances are constantly on, and all this together creates a noise level that can cause stress. In fact, children who live in more noisy homes have increased anxiety, speech development problems, and other illnesses.
Negative effects of noise pollution
Many studies have been carried out to study the effects of noise pollution on human health. And here's how it affects us:
1. Performance. We all know that noise can be distracting. Recently, a study was conducted on children who were exposed to airport noise. The scientists found that their reading ability and long-term memory were impaired. It has also been found that people who work in noisy offices are less cognitively motivated. They are more stressed.
2. Health. Noise pollution is very bad for our health. It can cause a stress response in our body, as a result of which we get heart disease, high pressure and stroke. Research by Cornell University shows that noise pollution also causes musculoskeletal problems. Noise adversely affects the quality of sleep. And perhaps most importantly: chronic stress reduces our immunity, so noise pollution is a serious threat to our health and well-being.
Elizabeth Scott, stress.about.com
Translation: Tatyana Gorban