Sources of Noise Pollution

Sources of Noise Pollution

Introduction: The sources of Noise Pollution may be broadly classified under the following categories.

1. Transport noise,
2. Machinery noise,
3. Domestic and neighborhood noise.

1. Sources of Transport noise:

The sources of Transport noises are mainly of the following types.

1. Surface traffic or transport noise.
2. Rail transport noise.
3. Air transport or aircraft noise.

Surface transport or road traffic noise: In recent years, there has been steady increase of vehicles on road surface. Road Transport  is the main source of noise pollution.

Ever growing vehicular population, heavy traffic and urban crowd are responsible for noise nuisance in the environment.

The factors on which surface transport noise depends are (a) traffic speed, (b) traffic density (c) condition of the road, (d) weight of the vehicles (e) condition of the engines of the vehicles.

Rail transport noise: The effect of noise pollution of rail is not very much severe am the rail transports generally occur outside the residential locality.

Air transport noise: The intensity or frequency of noise is much higher than that of noise generated from surface transport.

2. Industrial machinery  noise

The noise is mainly produced by industrial machines and processes that affect millions of people.

3. Domestic and neighborhood noise

The term neighborhood noise, used by the noise advisory council of many developed countries to cover great variety of sources of noise which may and frequently do cause disturbance and annoyance to the general public in their homes and in their lawful occasions.

Domestic noise sources: Loud TV, radio sets, room coolers, washing machines, vacuum cleaner, sounds speaker transistors etc.

Neighborhood noise sources:

• Noise generated from ventilation and air conditioning plants in buildings of all kinds.
• Noise from demolition, construction and road works.
• Noise generated from activities such as sports, entertainment and advertising. It includes the social gatherings on different occasions, public functions, political meetings, shouting for advertising and selling of goods. Disco-music and dance in late evenings cause noise nuisance to nearby residents.