Tranquility

The Problem with Noise Pollution

One pollution, which we hardly ever think of is noise pollution. “The WHO (World Health Organization) has defined noise pollution as noise above 65 decibels. Sound becomes harmful when it reaches 75 decibels and painful at 125 decibels” (Iberdrola). Noise pollution can cause many problems including deafness, loss of sleep, and speech interference. Constant noise can trigger the bodies stress response system and potentially impact mental health. Loud noises can damage the inner ear and can cause permanent deafness.

How Can I make an impact?

Tranquillity aims to combat noise pollution by giving induviduals tools to detect and reduce their impact on the environment. Take a quick quiz to find your personal noise polution, or explore the impacts it has on wildlife!

Noise pollution also has negative effects on animals. Animals that that use echolocation are heavily impacted. Noise Pollution can drive them from their feeding or breeding grounds and alter migration routes. Major causes of noise pollution are airplanes, vehicles, industrial machines, crackers etc. Appliances can also (To a much lesser degree,) contribute to noise pollution such as televisions and radios.

To reduce noise pollution, one might: turn off various unnecessary appliances. Closing doors before using loud machinery, and using earplugs around machinery is useful. In the outside world it is good for the environment to keep the noise level down in sound sensitive areas, especially since so many animals can hear higher frequencies then humans. If a firework sounds loud to us imagine how loud it must sound for cats and dogs. While in noise sensitive areas, one could slow down a car, that would reduce the sound made by the tires and wind rushing by, thus reducing noise pollution. Acoustic materials and enclosures can help prevent noise pollution especially if we take noisy business within such areas. “Silence is the melody of nature.”