Urban noise pollution By Saad Farooqi

1. Urban Noise pollution
Presented by:
Saad Farooqi, C# 01
Department of Environmental &
Conservation Sciences
University of Swat

2. Noise Pollution
•Noise is generally used
as an unwanted sound, or
sound which produces
unpleasant effects and
discomfort on the ears.

3. Cont…
•Sound becomes unwanted when it either interferes with
normal activities such as sleeping, conversation, or
disrupts or diminishes one’s quality of life.
•Not all noise can be called noise pollution. If it does not
happen regularly, it may be termed as 'Nuisance‘.

4. Cont…
•Scientists also believe that its not only humans who
are affected. For example, water animals are
subjected to noise by submarines and big ships on
the ocean, and chain-saw operations by timber
companies also create extreme noise to animals in
the forests.

5. Cont…
•Noise (or sound) is measured in the units of
decibels and is denoted by the dB. Noise which is
more than 115 dB is tolerant. The industrial limit of
sound in the industries must be 75 dB according to
the World Health Organization.

6. Noise Pollution in Urban Areas
•Urban areas are generally noisier than rural areas, and
because larger numbers of people live in urban areas.
•Urban noise levels are a complex mixture of noise from
transportation, factories, industries, machines, and
people.

7. Sources
•Basically, noise sources can be grouped into three
types:
Transportation,
Industrial, and
Residential.

8. Transportation Sources
•Transportation sources of noise are comprised
principally of automotive and aircraft noises;
motorcycles,
scooters, and
snowmobiles should also be considered..

9. Cont…
A main contributor to transportation noise is
automotive traffic i.e.,
oMotor vehicles,
oMotor cycle,
oBuses, etc…

10. Industrial Sources
•Some industrial operations and equipment are significant
noise sources. Principal examples are:
machinery or machine tools,
high-speed rotating or stamping operations, and
fan, and blower systems.

11. Residential sources
oAir conditioners,
oLawn mowers,
odishwashers,
okitchen and laundry appliances,
otelevision,
ostereos,

12. Cont…
opets, and
ochildren,
othe overall severity of these sources cannot
be ignored.
•Furthermore, the simple increase in the
numbers of tools, cars, and appliances used
by modern industrial societies can create a
substantial noise burden.

13. Effects
• Noise pollution affects both health and behavior.
• Unwanted sound (noise) can damage psychological health.
• Noise pollution can cause
hypertension,
Speech interference,

14. Cont…
•high stress levels,
•hearing loss,
•sleep disturbances, and other harmful effects.

15. Prevention and control tips
•Below are a few things people and governments
can do to make our communities and living places
quieter:
Construction of soundproof rooms for noisy
machines in industrial and manufacturing
installations must be encouraged.

16. Cont…
This is also important for residential building—noisy
machines should be installed far from sleeping and
living rooms, like in a basement or garage.
Use of horns with jarring sounds, motorbikes with
damaged exhaust pipes, noisy trucks to be banned.

17. Cont…
Noise producing industries, airports, bus and
transport terminals and railway stations to sighted
far from where living places.
Community law enforcers should check the
misuse of loudspeakers, worshipers, outdoor parties
and discos, as well as public announcements
systems

18. Cont…
Community laws must silence zones near schools
/ colleges, hospitals etc.
Vegetation (trees) along roads and in residential
areas is a good way to reduce noise pollution as
they absorb sound.

19. Thank You
?