7421ENV-

Environmental
Pollution
Essay Assignment
N3: Enumerate, and discuss, the effects of environmental noise on
humans

Name: Courtney Penny

Student Number: s2841419
Status: Undergraduate
Word Count: 2726
Course Convener: Professor Lex Brown

Due Date: 19th of October
2014, 11pm

Noise- Just a Nuisance or a Dangerous Health Hazard?

Stop. Listen. What do you hear? Do you hear the traffic from the street? Can you
hear the jackhammer from the construction of a new development down the road?
Do you hear that dog barking? Is someone yelling? Are you using loud equipment at
work?

These are such normal, everyday sounds that we often forget that noise can have
detrimental effects on numerous aspects of our lives. Noise can be defined most
simply as unwanted sound and has been found to impact upon more people in
their day-to-day lives than any other modern pollutant (Basner et. al. 2013; Brisbane
City Council 2001; Stansfeld & Matheson 2003).

This essay will list and discuss the diverse effects of environmental noise; in order to
do so efficiently, these effects have been divided into two categories, auditory and
non-auditory noise pollution effects. Additionally, this essay will, where possible,
discuss the treatment options and prevention techniques to avoid such detrimental
effects on well-being.

The first category that will be examined within this essay is the auditory effects of
noise pollution on humans. For the purposes of this report, auditory effects have
been defined as the effects of noise pollution on the hearing organ.

Noise is the perception of sound waves which reach the ear, causing the ear drums
to vibrate (Department of Industrial Relations 2003). These vibrations in turn result
in the movement of tiny hair molecules which are located within the cochlea
(Department of Industrial Relations 2003). Figure One below shows the different
compartments of the ear, including the cochlea, more commonly known as the inner
ear, where these hairs are found.

Figure One: Compartments of the Ear

Source: Hearing Haven n.d.

Depending on the frequency and loudness of the sound, these hair cells flatten,
stimulating nerves that pass messages on to the brain (Department of Industrial
Relations 2003). Loud sounds cause the hair cells to collapse and flatten temporarily,
resulting in temporary deafness or hearing difficulty; loud noises are considered to
be an average of eighty-five decibels and above over a period of eight hours or a
one-off sound of a hundred and forty decibels (Department of Industrial Relations
2003). If exposed to sounds higher than that of seventy-five to eighty-five decibels
for an extended period of time then permanent damage to these hair cells can
occur, resulting in deafness (Basner et. al. 2013; Department of Industrial Relations
2003). This is known as noise induced hearing loss.

Noise Induced Hearing Loss is one of the most prevalent causes of hearing loss.
Additionally, it is also the most preventable (Basner et. al. 2013). Depending on the
severity and duration of harmful noise exposure, noise induced hearing loss can be
either partial or total loss of hearing (Azizi 2010). Figure Two below shows the
different severities of noise damage to the inner ear hair cells.

Figure Two: Different Stages of Noise Damage to Inner Ear Hair Cells
Source: Oishi, N. & Schacht, J. 2011

Traditionally, most noise induced hearing loss was the result of harmful noise
exposure in the occupational setting, however in recent years, environmental and
recreational noise has become a growing contributing factor to the loss of hearing.
Excessive noise is now just widely accepted as part of recreational activities;
unfortunately the general public, especially the younger generations, have just
accepted the likelihood of hearing loss as part of a trade off between their popular
personal musical devices and other activities (Basner et. al. 2013; Ivory et. al. 2014).
It is hoped that with public health campaigns and the introduction of safer products,
like that of noise cancelling headphones, will reduce the dangers from recreational
noise induced hearing loss (Basner et. al. 2013).

Noise induced hearing loss from occupational noise exposure still remains prevalent
though; it remains the leading cause of noise induced hearing loss in adults (Azizi
2010; Basner et. al. 2013). This appears to be especially true in developing countries
(Azizi 2010). However, it is still a major issue in the developed world as well; in the
United States, occupational noise induced hearing loss is the most common
occupation disease with approximately twenty-two million workers exposed to
dangerous noise levels at work (Basner et. al. 2013).

This figure is shocking considering that occupational noise induced hearing loss
currently has no cure (Azizi 2010). Because of this, prevention of the disease is
fundamental is reducing the number of sufferers; numerous countries in the
developed world have standards for the protection from and reduction of hazardous
noise (Basner et. al. 2013). Unfortunately, Verbeek et. al. found that currently, focus
is on hearing protection rather than noise control (2012).

Both Azizi (2010) and the Queensland Governments Department of Industrial
Relations (2003) provide suggestions on how to reduce the occurrence of
occupational noise induced hearing loss through hearing conservation programs
which involve protection and noise control. A successful hearing conservation
program would involve introducing engineering controls to reduce the number of
noise pollutants by adopting a buy quiet policy (Azizi 2010; Department of
Industrial Relations 2003). Unfortunately, It is not possible for this policy to be
introduced to every workplace, and in the case that hazardous noise cannot be
reduced, free protective hearing devices and training on how to correctly use them

should be issued as a last resort (Azizi 2010; Department of Industrial Relations

2003).

Despite there currently being no cure for noise induced hearing loss, there is hope
that antioxidant compounds may hold the key to improving and preventing noise
induced hearing loss (Basner et. al. 2013). Additionally, it is expected within the next
decade or so, for oral drug supplements with the purpose of preventing hearing loss
to become available (Basner et. al. 2013).

Another auditory health effect of noise exposure is tinnitus (Basner et. al. 2013;
Audiological Consultants of Atlanta n.d.; Australian Tinnitus Association (NSW)
Limited n.d.). Tinnitus is most commonly described by sufferers as a ringing in the
ears, however it has been known to sound like roaring, clicking, hissing or buzzing
(Audiological Consultants of Atlanta n.d.; Australian Tinnitus Association (NSW)
Limited n.d.; Basner et. al. 2003; National Institute on Deafness and Other
Communication Disorders 2014). These sounds cannot be attributed to an external
noise source (Basner et. al. 2003; Australian Tinnitus Association (NSW) Limited n.d.).
Tinnitus can be intermittent or constant, and can be experienced in either one or
both ears (Audiological Consultants of Atlanta n.d.; National Institute on Deafness
and Other Communication Disorders 2014).

Tinnitus can be the result of numerous causes including noise exposure, and occur in
association with hearing loss or not (Audiological Consultants of Atlanta n.d.;
Australian Tinnitus Association (NSW) Limited n.d.; Basner et. al. 2003; National
Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 2014). Noise induced
tinnitus is most commonly gradual and sporadic during the early stages; after the
first noise exposure a mild form is experienced for a short period of time before
disappearing until the next exposure occurs (Audiological Consultants of Atlanta
n.d.). Eventually, with each subsequent exposure, the tinnitus will occur for
increasing periods of time until it remains constant (Audiological Consultants of
Atlanta n.d.). However, tinnitus can also occur suddenly, and in most cases where
this occurs the volume is quite loud and may not dissipate (Audiological Consultants
of Atlanta n.d.).

Tinnitus has the potential to affect quality of life through stress, depression, inability
to concentrate and sleep disturbance (Audiological Consultants of Atlanta n.d.;
Basner et. al. 2013). It should be noted that tinnitus is a symptom of a problem
within the auditory system, not a disease in and of itself (Australian Tinnitus
Association (NSW) Limited n.d.; National Institute on Deafness and Other
Communication Disorders 2014). Hence, it has links to noise induced hearing loss.

Unfortunately, similar to noise induced hearing loss, there is no cure for tinnitus
(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 2014).
However, there are several options available for the easement of tinnitus. These
include:
Hearing aids- hearing aids are considered to be helpful if the tinnitus is
associated with the loss of hearing. With carefully adjusted controls over the

aid, it is possible to improve hearing and thus lessen the notice of tinnitus
(Australian Tinnitus Association (NSW) Limited n.d.; National Institute on
Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 2014);
Counseling- counseling programs offer an education on tinnitus and exercises
on how to reduce the effect, relax and fall asleep (National Institute on
Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 2014);
Wearable sound generators- these generators fit into the ear and produce a
soft sound to reduce the notice of tinnitus (National Institute on Deafness
and Other Communication Disorders 2014);
Acoustic neural stimulation- regarded as a new technique by the United
States National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders,
the stimulation is produced by a small device and headphones which delivers
a signal embedded in music to the brain, desensitizing the tinnitus (2014).
Often this technique is the last resort for those suffering from chronic
tinnitus (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
2014).
Additionally, the limitation of exposure to loud noises will reduce the chances of
tinnitus occurring or prevent the degradation of existing hearing (Audiological
Consultants of Atlanta n.d.; Australian Tinnitus Association (NSW) Limited n.d.;
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 2014).

The last auditory effect this essay will discuss is communication issues. Noise that
interrupts communication can be the result of numerous sources, including noise
induced hearing loss and tinnitus, along with external noise just being simply to loud
to be heard over. This effect is quite self-explanatory and thus, bares no need for
further explanation.
The second category of environmental noise pollution effects is non-auditory effects.
Stansfeld and Matheson (2003, p. 243) defined non-auditory noise effects as all
those effects on health and well-being which are caused by exposure to noise, with
the exclusion of effects on the hearing organ and the effects which are due to the
masking of auditory information.

The most widely studied and explored non-auditory effect of environmental noise is
annoyance (Stansfeld & Matheson 2003). Annoyance can be caused by any noise
which interrupts thoughts, moods and activities (Nicolopoulou-Stamati, Hens &
Howard 2005; Stansfeld & Matheson 2003). Stansfeld and Matheson (2003)
surmised that aircraft noise causes more annoyance if an individual is involved in a
conversation, is watching television or is listening to the radio, while other traffic
noise is more disturbing for sleep.

Annoyance can be influenced by several factors. Perhaps the most dominant factor
is that of the perceived intensity, more commonly known as loudness (Stansfeld &
Matheson 2003). Another influencing annoyance factor is the frequency of the noise
(Stansfeld & Matheson 2003). It was found through numerous annoyance
questionnaires that the higher the frequency of the noise the higher the degree of
annoyance than that of low frequency noise. Other influencing factors on annoyance
of environmental noise include its duration, the occurrence of events, the perceived

danger from the noise source and the perceived ability of the relevant authority to
reduce the noise (Stansfeld & Matheson 2003).

A negative about annoyance is that it is based on the perception of how noise
interrupts the day-to-day life of an individual, meaning that even though they may
be exposed to the small noise level, degree of annoyance within the population may
be different. This can be seen below in Figure Three, which illustrates the percentage
of people exposed to environmental noise and their degree of annoyance.


















Figure Three: Percentage of People Annoyed by Noise
Source: Nicolopoulou-Stamati, Hens & Howard 2005

The second non-auditory effect of noise pollution examined within this essay is that
of sleep disturbance. Sleep is an important physiological process that provides the
body with a restorative function that is unable to be fulfilled by any other process
(Nicolopoulou-Stamati, Hens & Howard 2005; Sanford 2010; Stansfeld & Matheson
2003). In addition to sleepings role in the restorative function of the body, it is also
required for alertness, performance, mood and other quality of life indicators
(Basner et. al. 2013; Stansfeld & Matheson 2003). Even more important than the
short term effects of sleep disturbance, are the long term effects which include
increased risk for cardiovascular diseases and stroke, decreased autoimmunity,
obesity, psychiatric problems and increased mortality (Breus n.d.; Stansfeld &
Matheson 2003). For these reasons, uninterrupted sleep is essential for general well-
being and health, along with the quality of life experienced.

Figure Four: Percentage of People Disturbed by Road Traffic at Night

Source: Nicolopoulou-Stamati, Hens & Howard 2005

Figure Four above shows the percentage of people disturbed by traffic noises at
night time. Figure Four also demonstrates that even in an unconscious state like that
of sleep, humans perceive, evaluate and react to noise (Basner et. al. 2013). This
results in decreased sleep quality through delayed sleep onset, early awakenings
reduced deep and rapid eye movement sleep and an increase in time spent in the
earlier sleep stages (Basner et. al. 2013; Stansfeld & Matheson 2003). Stansfeld and
Matheson found in their review of case studies on the effect of aircraft noise and
sleep disturbance that adaptation to sleep disturbance may occur, however
complete habitation of the disturbance does not (2003).

In addition to the effect of noise upon annoyance and sleep disturbance, there are
also links between noise and an increased risk and incidence of cardiovascular
diseases (Babish 2011; Basner et. al. 2013; Munzel et. al. 2014;Stansfeld & Matheson
2003). For many years this link has been in question, and still remains so, however
the evidence of noise and the increase of factors which lead to cardiovascular
diseases is growing (Babish 2011; Basner et. al. 2013; Munzel et. al. 2014; Tominsek
& Bilban 2011). One study that was instrumental in the acceptance of the link
between noise and cardiovascular health was that of Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.
Here it was found that communities affected by the noise from the aircraft departing
and arriving from the airport were receiving medical treatment for heart trouble,
hypertension and increased blood pressure (Stansfeld & Matheson 2003).

Numerous studies, including that of Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, have found that
noise affects the autonomic nervous and endocrine systems, both of which play a
vital role in cardiovascular health (Babish 2011; Stansfeld & Matheson 2003).

Furthermore, noise also affects several other cardiovascular diseases risk factors,
including:
Blood pressure;
Heart rate;
Cholesterol;
Viscosity;
Platelet count; and,
Glucose levels (Babish 2011; Stansfeld & Matheson 2003; Munzel et. al.
2014).
Figure Five shows how noise can lead to cardiovascular diseases.

Figure Five: The Effect of Noise Exposure on Cardiovascular Health

Source: Munzel et. al. 2014


The final non-auditory effect of noise exposure this essay will discuss is that of its
affect upon cognitive performance. There is numerous evidence of the effect of
environmental noise on adult and, particularly on, children cognitive performance
(Basner et. al. 2013; Stansfeld & Matheson 2003). This essay will focus mostly on the
effect of noise upon childrens cognitive performance. The effect of noise exposure
on a childs cognitive performance is arguably more important than that of the effect
on adults; while adult cognitive performance is impaired by noise exposure, adults
have better coping strategies than that of children (Basner et. al. 2013).


Chronic noise exposure to that of children affects several important cognitive
functions, fundamental to the development of children (Basner et. al. 2013;
Stansfeld & Matheson 2003). Cognitive functions affected by noise exposure include
central processing and language comprehension. Deficits to these functions can
result in:
Difficulty sustaining attention;
Poorer auditory discrimination;
Lower speech perception;
Poorer memory;
Lower reading ability;
Decreases in motivation; and,
A poorer performance on national standardized tests (Basner et. al. 2013;
Stansfeld & Matheson 2003).

A study into the effect of aircraft noise on school in Europe found that an increase of
five decibels during school hours lead to a two month delay in reading age in the
United Kingdom and a month delay in the Netherlands (Basner et. al. 2013). The
World Health Organisation suggest that the background noise experienced during
learning activities should not rise above that of thirty-five decibels (Basner et. al.
2013). In order to improve cognition in school children, any reduction in noise levels
while at school would be vital (Basner et. al. 2013). However, in a world where
mobility and globalization are occurring, is this really possible?

In addition to the effect noise has upon cognitive performance, there are also links
to the reduction of helping behaviour, increased aggression and the reduction of
processing ability of social cues (Stansfeld & Matheson 2003).

In conclusion, environmental noise has become such a huge part of our day-to-day
lives and weve just come to accept it. Unfortunately, it is obvious that
environmental noise has numerous severe auditory and non-auditory effects upon
humans. The only real way to reduce the incurrence of these effects is to reduce
environmental noise; however, in a world where mobility, globalization and
industrialization are at an all time peak, is this really a realistic goal?

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