Noise pollution

Noise pollution, is the propagation of noise or sound with potential harmful effects on humans and animals. The main sources of outdoor noise worldwide are machines, transportation, and propagation systems. Poor urban planning may give rise to noise pollution. Side-by-side industrial and residential zones can result 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 other human activity.

Documented problems associated with noise in urban environments go back as far as ancient Rome. Research suggests that noise pollution in the United States is the highest in low-income and racial minority neighborhoods, and noise pollution associated with household electricity generators is an emerging environmental degradation in many developing nations. A national study of modeled transportation noise in the contiguous United States found that census tracts with higher proportions of Black, Hispanic, and Asian population and higher poverty had higher average noise levels than wealthier and mostly White areas. The study found that residential segregation and urban land use practices correlate with the high levels of traffic and aviation noise in many communities of color and low-income neighborhoods.

High noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects in humans and an increased incidence of coronary artery disease. In animals, noise can increase the risk of death by altering predator or prey detection and avoidance, interfere with reproduction and navigation, and contribute to permanent hearing loss.

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