Posted by Liz Ernst on Tue, Feb 14, 2012 @ 07:12 PM
Always looking for fresh input on noise issues, I came across an excellent article on a website called "Noise-Off."
First, let me remind readers that worldwide, more people are disturbed by noise in their day-to-day lives than by any other pollutant on Earth, and yet we have only scratched the surface when it comes to understanding the effect our noise has on others, the effect others' noise has on us, and what noise pollution is doing to our health and (sometimes) sanity.
I liked the "Noise-off" article specifically because it addresses noise responsibility - what, exactly, do we owe our neighbors when it comes to peace and quiet? Is this an ethical issue, or a legal issue? Maybe both.
Here is an excerpt:
You have the right to the peace and enjoyment of your own home.
Most municipalities view noise complaints as a quality of life issue, but for people exposed to noise on a constant basis, it is a form of assault. They feel they are the only one suffering and often feel helpless and trapped in their own homes and apartments.
People who create or allow noise to intrude on a neighbor are indifferent to the rights of others. It is a form of passive aggressive behavior. Where children and teenagers are involved, parents need to set clear examples of appropriate behavior. Businesses are responsible for their environmental impact on the community.
In any conflict between two parties, there is usually a hidden third party that is behind the turmoil. Noise disputes between neighbors are often caused by boom cars, car alarms, and loud exhaust systems. The prevalence of these technologies has turned neighbor against neighbor, whereby the companies that produce these products quietly profit and assume no liability.
Noise ordinances and enforcement vary greatly from one community to another. Until there is a nationwide warranty of habitability that covers noise, residents will have to rely on what local protections are available. Obtain a written copy of the noise ordinance in your area and learn how the police handles noise complaints.
Attend neighborhood community meetings to learn if other residents are also experiencing noise problems. Identify officials who support your cause. You can create alliances to establish a group to present noise issues.
Social and economic factors influence the quality of protections available to its residents. A legislative body driven by economic interests may prefer to protect local businesses instead of residents.
Political influence typically mandates the initiatives for law enforcement to focus on. Those mandates are usually based on community demand and media interest. Some police departments do not always seek to reduce crime in as much to manage crime. They may release statistical metrics to show enforcement activity with regard to noise related quality of life complaints, but that does not necessarily correlate to any actual reduction in noise.
Some types of noise complaints are handled by different government agencies other than the police. Other agencies may include the Department of Environmental Protection, Animal Control (SPCA), Department of Housing, Department of Transportation and the Board of Health.
One of the biggest sources of neighbor complaints is barking dogs. The real problem is the negligent owner who is indifferent to the welfare of their dog. Some owners will even cast their pet outside all night and assume it can act as an effective guard dog.
Some breeds are more likely to bark more than others, such as Shelties and Collies. However, all dogs can learn to reduce barking when it is properly trained and socialized.
Affected owners and neighbors can install electronic devices that use a specially designed microphone and speaker that picks up a dog's bark and then sends out a corrective tone to keep the dog from barking. As a final resort, dog owners opt for a controversial veterinary procedure called debarking, in which the dog's vocal cords are permanently severed. We do not advocate this procedure.
Neighbors will sometimes adopt farm animals or wild animals in urban or suburban environments, creating tremendous noise for neighbors who live nearby. In most cases, it is in violation of the law and the SPCA or animal control can intervene.
This raises an excellent conversation when it comes to how best to combat the noise that is chiseling away at our quality of life. Do you have any noise issues, with neighbors, or at work? Tell us about them.
Posted by Liz Ernst on Wed, Feb 08, 2012 @ 02:34 PM
Welcome to beautiful Orlando, Florida! Please accept our invitation to stop by the NAHB International Builder’s Show any time between now and Saturday, February 11 for four incredible days of networking, innovation, and an up close look at new products for the building products industry.
Unwanted noise affects us all. Acoustiblok is a company that has been providing engineered soundproofing solutions to customers around the world for more than a decade. Our trained staff is available for free consultations on the hundreds of types of noise pollution that occur indoors and outdoors across industrial, commercial, residential and transportation applications.
The past 12 months have been exciting for Acoustiblok Inc., adding three new products to our line of green, award-winning sound deadening solutions for residential, commercial and industrial applications.
Drop by our booth -
W2820 at the
NAHB International Builders' Show.
Posted by Liz Ernst on Thu, Jan 19, 2012 @ 12:24 AM
Blocking noise from neighbors above or below – whether it’s heavy footsteps, a loud television or stereo, or active children that keep reminding you that you’re not alone when you’re home, the best approach is to slow down or block sound waves emanating from the ceiling or floor.
Let’s start with noise penetrating the ceiling. If you already have a drop ceiling, use sound blocking material that fits easily under the ceiling tiles, within the grid pattern. If you do not have a drop ceiling and the noise is particularly bothersome, consider installing one. Since it is situated below the original drywall ceiling, the plenum space can accommodate noise abatement material to take care of residual sound before it penetrates your living space.
If you don't want to install a drop ceiling, there are other options for installing sound deadening material, depending on the type of ceiling. You can discuss your options with an acoustical expert to determine the best application and cost consideration for soundproofing your ceiling.
If noise from your downstairs neighbor is leaking through your flooring, or if they’re complaining that they can hear you walking around or playing with your children, there are a number of options to deaden noise penetrating floors.
Carpeting and padding are rarely enough to prevent sound from emanating through the floor to the apartment downstairs or room below. Noise blocking material placed under the carpeting, hardwood flooring, or tile is your best bet for soundproofing floors.
Living with noise is unhealthy. It increases stress level, disturbs sleep, and can erode one’s health over time. There are excellent options for dealing with ceiling noise, floor noise, and wall noise that can be tailored to your particular unwelcome sound problem and source, with installation options that will suit your budget and the limitations of your living space.
Do you have any nightmare memories of neighborly noise from above or below? Tell us about them, and what you did (if anything) to resolve the problem.
Posted by Liz Ernst on Tue, Dec 27, 2011 @ 03:19 PM
The interactive map below rates 100 cities surveyed from noisiest (100) to quietest (1). Each city was checked out to determine whether it has laws limiting excessive noise, such as from construction, honking horns, or barking dogs. Next, the Texas Transportation Institute presented study officials with a list of the most traffic-congested towns, and Boeing (of airplane fame) produced a list of cities that impose a curfew on airports' overnight flights. Finally, the percentage of people who report sleeping seven hours or less per night was contributed by Experian Consumer Research. .
(Graphic courtesy of Men's Health Metrograde, May 2009)
If you love peace and quiet, then Hartford, Connecticut might be a great place to live. Hartford logged the quietest zip code in a survey of 100 U.S.cities, but it’s the loudest cities we’re interested in.
Rated on a scale of one to 100 (one being the quietest – hello, Hartford!) and 100 being the loudest (Detroit – anyone surprised?), some of the results are a bit unexpected; Bangor Maine, the hometown of Author Stephen King ranks much louder (74) than Los Angeles (50).
When it comes to noisy, all the usual suspects are here – New York (86), Chicago (95), Miami (96), Philadelphia (97). In California, Oakland scores the second highest ranking for noise (99) and San Francisco is not far behind at 93; Houston and Dallas, Texas are in the top 10 at 92 and 90 respectively.
Urban life is noisy, everyone knows this; but many Americans can’t imagine living any other way. However, those people who love their lives in the city may not be considering the repercussions of daily exposure to high noise levels, which affects everything from our blood pressure and heart rate, to our sleep patterns. Noise can make us sick. Even if we think we’ve grown accustomed to the din of our surroundings, our bodies are affected by noise in a way that can rob us of our hearing, ability to concentrate, and even ability to heal after illness or injury. Children raised in noisy environments have a harder time than their peers with school work. Elderly people exposed to high noise levels experienced exaggerated symptoms of illness, anxiety, depression, and sleep deprivation.
Noise is a part of the modern world, but the more aware we are of how it affects us and how we can protect ourselves and our loved ones at home, at work, in our schools, hospitals and public buildings, the sooner we can address the seriousness of noise pollution in a meaningful way.
Do you live in one of the country's noisiest cities, or did you in the past? Tell us what you think of living with noise. Has it affected your health, your hearing, or your ability to sleep? What measures have you taken, or considered taking, to reduce noise in your worrld?
###
Posted by Liz Ernst on Wed, Nov 30, 2011 @ 01:30 AM
Mumbai resident and writer Anuradha Sengupta is on a mission to save her sanity from rickshaw honking, apartment parties and construction noise drilling into her eardrums at all hours. The following is her account of the serious noise problems Mumbai residents face.
You are stuck in traffic in Mumbai. A sea of vehicles surrounds you. You try to shut out noise from revved-up engines and impatient horns. The increasingly frantic crescendo, much like the grand finale from a work by Rachmaninov, makes you want to shoot little darts tinged with South American poisons at the drivers of the cars around you or pull an Ambani and hail a passing helicopter.
Interrupting your desperate escape to your happy place is your autorickshaw guy, honking. He presses his thumb on the button, holds it there and doesn't let go.
Mumbai's three-wheeled menace.
After years of traveling by public transport, I have realized it is the autorickshaw driver above all who really loves to blow his own horn at miles of insurmountable traffic spread out in front. There is no possible escape from the crushing noise in sight. Yet the indefatigable driver insists on repeated blasts of his horn, thinking this will solve the problem. What's the point? I often ask them. Is the traffic ahead going to magically part like the Red Sea before Moses and let you through? You think the people ahead are all stuck in one spot on purpose, just to bug you? A non-committal or puzzled look or a lecture all the way to your destination are the only two responses.
I sit in the midst of all the cacophony, slowly grinding my teeth, considering banging my head against the side of the seat to ease the pain. Or getting those embarrassingly large noise canceling headphones. Or writing a letter to car manufacturers. "Dear Sirs, Can we just do away with horns altogether? Are they really needed?" Apparently they are, as one autorickshaw driver I asked said, as in the absence of horns, drivers would end up running down most pedestrians.
Noise-induced hearing damage is related to duration and volume of exposure -- safe exposure being not more than 85dB for about eight hours. At 100 dB or more, damage can take place in 15 minutes. The level from which humans can begin to identify sounds is 10 to 15dB. At the other end is the threshold of pain -- 140 dB. Prolonged exposure to this level can cause pain, nausea and loss of muscle control. Noise as a form of torture has been used by governments against perceived enemies, detainees and prisoners for a long time. The Nazis employed it. In 2003, the BBC reported that the U.S. Army had used Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and Barney the Purple Dinosaur's "I Love You" to torture Iraqi detainees, playing the songs at high volume over and over.
Now compare that statistic to the ear-blasting 145dB we are exposed to during festivals like Ganpati, where the level is equivalent to being close to a jet engine on take-off. Or the 127dB football players were exposed to from the thousands of vuvuzelas at the World Cup this year. No wonder that players have asked for a ban on the instrument with the drone-attack sound. Argentinean football player Lionel Messi complained about the vuvuzelas after Argentina's 1-0 victory over Nigeria. It is impossible to communicate, he said, it's like being deaf.
Maybe Messi should try visiting Mumbai sometime to get used to that feeling of being stuck inside a vuvuzela zone, night and day, and that's your life.
The growing racket against noise is not surprising since its pollution, like any other environmental issue, is increasingly being viewed as a human rights issue. In October 2009, the International Euronoise Conference was held in Edinburgh, with 800 delegates discussing noise pollution as an environmental concern. Here's why:
Silent zones of zero tolerance
Unfortunately, at this point, the only solution is zero tolerance. Whatever the event -- whether it's a festival, a neighborhood party or construction near his building, if the noise generated is breaking rules, call the police station and file a complaint. The Environment Protection Act makes noise pollution a non-bailable offense and stipulates a jail term of five years and a hefty fine of Rs 100,000.
Rercently, I had to look up the rules on noise when, late in the night, my windows started shaking due to the noise from a party next door. Under the Environmental Preotection Act of 1986, and the Rules on Noise 1989, and Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules 2000, noise is classified as a pollutant. And just so you know, the maximum decibel levels permitted are as follows: Industrial areas 70 db (10 p.m. - 6 a.m.) to 75 dB (6 a.m. to 10 p.m.); similarly, commercial areas must stay between 55 dB abd 65 dB. In residential zones it's 45 dB to 55 dB.
Now we just need to get the messafe to the 22 lakh vehicles in Mumbai, the 8,000 buses, 55,000 taxis and the swarm of autorickshaws -- god bless them.
Excerpted from an article written by Anuradha Sengupta, July 23, 2010
Posted by Liz Ernst on Tue, Nov 22, 2011 @ 10:13 AM
Ten percent of the world's population has some degree of hearing loss, making it the most widespread and chronc disability in the world. Hearing loss caused by noise pollution has been rising steadily since the advent of the industrial revolution in 1750, with no relief in sight. In the upcoming decades, noise-related health problems and hearing damage are expected to rise exponentially unless serious changes are made in the way noise is addressed.
The acoustical environment of most residential, commercial and industrial space is typically given little or no attention during project planning and design. Instead, functionality and aesthetics are the primary focus of the architect, builder, and interior designer. This unwillingness or inability to design and construct buildings with sound absorbing, sound blocking and sound deadening qualities to address different types of noise pollution in today's clamorous world has led to a global population living unnecessarily with permanent hearing damage.
Hearing loss has enormous social, economic and emotional impacts, affecting individuals, families and all members of the community. The impacts are far-reaching in terms of healthcare costs, loss of economic stability, and reduction in quality of life. The ability to remain self-sufficienct is undermined when one's hearing is damaged, as is the basic well-being of everyone exposed to the levels of noise that fill the airwaves of everyday life.
Society loses out when a significant portion of its members are unable to communicate and participate effectively; this affects not only the quality of life, it also affects the economic viability of the community.
Applying the principals of universal design - also called “accessible” or “healthy” design – as a preventative measure by incorporating soundproofing and noise reduction materials into the design of all new construction and renovation projects - from a single room in a residence, to the largest industrial manufacturing plant - may be the ticket to averting noise-related health problems, including hearing loss.
Interior designers are educated in the princiipals of Universal Design, which arms them with the the knowledge necessary to create spaces that incorporate a level of accessibility for people with disabilities. Today, demand is growing for interior design that adopts these same principles to living and working spaces as a preventative measure.
Below are some tips that anyone can incorporate when creating a quiet environment within a space:
-
Background noise from heating and air conditioning units should be addressed with the right noise blocking / noise absorbing materials.
-
Hard surfaces (wood, tile, stone) and high ceilings are notorious for causing problematic reverberation and echo. Designers should be familiar with standards of reverberation and available materials to buffer this type of noise. Every room design should include some sound-absorbent materials.
-
Room adjacency is always an important consideration in good design. No designer should abut a room meant for quiet, such as a bedroom or study, with a bathroom, kitchen, or other noisy room without an intermediary closet or soundproofing material in between, unless the “cheap motel room effect” appeals. A poorly sound-proofed dishwasher or washing machine on a wall adjacent to a living room, or a noisy HVAC unit in a room or closet adjacent to a conference room or office can seriously undermine the usefulness of a space.
-
When it comes to noise HVAC and plumbing, if you can’t change the layout of an acoustically inferior building or room, make sure that the noise source is treated properly with the right noise abatement material.
-
Rule of thumb for hearing safety in any environment: If you have to shout to be heard three feet away, then the noise is too loud and is damaging your hearing. (Sound systems with headphones can produce sound levels as loud as 105 – 110 decibels. Children who listen to this much noise for several hours a day face an inevitable hearing loss.)
While these pointers apply to all kinds of interiors, some places and functions require special consideration. A doctor’s office or law office may require a special noise barrier treatment to protect the privacy of patients and clients. Classrooms need special attention to prevent reverberation and background noise. Even ordinary workplaces can benefit from noise reduction measures.
Posted by Liz Ernst on Thu, Nov 03, 2011 @ 11:07 AM
Gunfire is noisy business, and the men and women who own and manage shooting ranges – both indoor and outdoor – are beginning to take soundproofing measures to protect the hearing of their employees and customers, and avoid complaints from neighbors.
Shooting ranges are constructed with safety in mind; solid surface walls, ceilings and floors create hard, reflective surfaces that exasperate noise in the form of echo and reverberation – exactly the types of noise that results when gunshots are bouncing around a hard surface space.
Gunshots register high in decibel levels, meaning high noise levels. When the firing range is indoors, the noise levels go up exponentially. For this reason, gun club members are required to wear hearing protection, since gunshot noise is directly related to hearing loss. The risk increases for those members who practice frequently, and for employees, as does the risk for other noise related health problems, including elevated blood pressure, depression, and other problems.
Gun ranges are isolated, to varying degrees, from neighbors. However, that is not to say that neighboring homes and businesses are immune to the sounds emanating from the local firing range. A common problem for gun range owners and managers occurs when the isolation factor is inadequate, and shooting noise leaks out of buildings, or is carried from an outdoor range. Not only are the decibel levels problematic, the repetitiveness of the fired guns over a long period of time can drive neighbors to distraction. More often than not, neighbors in close enough proximity to the gun range will file complaints and begin a course of action to drive the gun range out of the community.
Whether or not they’re successful at ridding their community of a gun range, they can certainly make operating a gun range difficult and expensive. Legal costs, court appearances, and time spent trying to iron out a compromise that both sides can live with can take a toll. But as noise barrier and noise absorption materials improve, there are options for creating a quieter environment both inside and out, one that will appease the neighbors without interfering with operations.
Noise barrier and sound absorption materials have become highly sophisticated in recent years, and more and more gun ranges now have noise abatement material — whether it is noise blocking fencing or indoor noise deadening material — in place that has dramatically decreased the noise problem, both on site and within the community.
Another problem firing ranges have is the lead particles and dust that accumulates on walls and fixtures. Gun range owners and managers need to choose sound abatement material that does not absorb the lead residue, such as open or closed cell foam rubber. Sound panels manufactured by Acoustiblok, Inc. can be purchased with a micro-fine stainless steel dust filter that prevents the lead from accumulating on the soundproofing material, making it easier to remove the accumulated lead residue and comply with Occupational health laws.
By installing noise deadening materials strategically, gun ranges can improve safety for staff and guests by:
-
Decreasing the impact of the sounds of gunshots.
-
Protecting members and staff from gunshot noise.
-
Reducing reverberation and echo for improved sound quality.
-
Creating a sound barrier between the firing range and neighboring community.
Posted by Liz Ernst on Wed, Oct 26, 2011 @ 11:23 AM
As noise pollution becomes a global epidemic, India — home to three of the world’s noisiest cities: Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata — has taken dramatic measures to establish quiet and privacy in a society inundated with the noise problems that accompany modern life. Indians are increasingly installing noise barriers and soundproofing materials in their homes, yards and businesses as noise pollution awareness grows.
India’s Supreme Court has put strict noise ordinances in place in an attempt to curtail unwanted and unnecessary sounds that are creating health problems in its citizens, and contributing to an unhealthy environment. Some Indians are embracing their new responsibility to tone down the ambient noise, particularly in the biggest cities, and adopting an environmentally friendly approach to some long held traditions.
One example is the upcoming celebration of Diwali, an annual Hindu festival of lights marked by large family gatherings, bursting firecrackers, raucous air horns, and lighting clay lanterns to signify the triumph of good over evil. Diwali takes place over five days in October and November.
Much like fourth of July celebrations in America, Diwali is not complete without its noisy elements – fireworks and air horns, most specifically. This year, however, Hindus living in India’s capital city of Delhi and other major metro areas plan to tone down their celebration of Diwali by opting for eco-friendly firecrackers and abstaining from using air horns, in order to lower noise levels.
India’s lowered noise standard is a growing trend but still catching on across the country. To make sure that firecrackers and air horns do not become a public nuisance this year, law enforcement will be working throughout the festival to remind celebrants to keep the noise down.
District administrations and the police plan to impose a total ban on the loudest firecrackers (exceeding decibels of 125, comparable to the sound of a tire blowout), in keeping with the new guidelines governing noise pollution levels across India.
Offenders can be arrested and even jailed under India’s Noise Pollution (Regulation & Control) Rules and the Environment Protection Act, and the guilty could be fined up to Rs 1 lakh (2,250.00 U.S. dollars) or face imprisonment for up to five years.
All the major cities are demanding eco-friendly fireworks, made of recycled paper and contain fewer chemicals than traditional versions, which makes them quieter and emit less smoke and harmful toxins.
Delhi and Kolkata lead in the purchases of eco-friendly fireworks, which actually cost less than traditional fireworks.
Residents in rural areas and small towns still prefer traditional firecrackers, but city residents insist they can celebrate with the green alternatives to noisy firecrackers without sacrificing festival fun.
Indian authorities and the pollution control board are also making it mandatory for firecracker manufacturers to mark each product with its corresponding level of noise pollution.
Last week, Kolkata police raided several parts of the city to identify shops selling prohibited air horns. Shop owners caught selling banned air horns were summoned to the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) office for a hearing
The use of air horns and the rampant use of banned firecrackers, particularly during the weeks before and after Diwali, are a major source of noise pollution across India. WBPCB authorities and the police plan to conduct raids during Diwali. However, with the exception of a few arrests, little is done to prevent banned fire crackers from entering city markets.
Although noise ordinances established in India may seem harsh to some, they represent a growing awareness of the dangers of noise pollution in communities across the globe, and a growing trend toward managing noise, just as other forms of pollution have been addressed in the latter half of the 20th century and early 21st century. India is already proving itself to be a leader when it comes to quieting the world.
Posted by Liz Ernst on Mon, Oct 17, 2011 @ 07:00 AM
The constant sounds of machines, alarms, voices, beepers and telephones are nothing out of the ordinary to people who work in hospitals. Like people in almost any working environment, medical staff members adapt to the constant clamor; over time, the ambient noise becomes a normal part of their work life.
However, these sounds are not normal to patients. In fact, they’re far from normal, and studies show that noise in U.S. hospitals adversely affects patient care directly and indirectly. Noise is not only causing additional stress on the infirm, it is causing serious mistakes to be made by medical staff.
Depending on age, the sharpness of their hearing, medication levels, even their culture and fears, the same sounds that hospital staff take for granted are increasing the stress levels and sleep disturbances in patients. Noise in hospitals has been found to cause confusion among patients, contribute to patient falls, and increased administration of medication and restraint use. Prolonged exposure to the ambient noise that is common to hospitals can increase a patient's anxiety and ultimately affect the patient’s well-being and safety.
Noise actually decreases patient confidence in the clinical competence of the staff, according to studies on the effects of noise in hospitals.
Compounding the problem, noise-induced stress impacts other patients and visiting family members exponentially.
Sudden noises like a slammed door or dropped tray may trigger the "startle reflex" in patients, resulting in physical responses such as increased heart and respiratory rate, facial grimacing, elevated blood pressure, muscular flexion and vaso-constriction. Patients exposed to noise continuously can experience increased agitation, altered memory, lowered pain tolerance and feelings of isolation. Such environmentally-triggered symptoms are often medicated or otherwise treated in ways unrelated to their cause.
Even more alarming, distracting sounds have been shown to contribute to medical and nursing errors. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has pinpointed noise as a potential risk factor related to medical and nursing errors, and recommends ambient sound environments never exceed a level that could prohibit clinicians from clearly understanding each other. In one specific surgical incident, music being played in the operating room was so loud, the surgeon's directions to the anesthesiologist regarding levels of heparin – a drug used to prevent clots - were misunderstood by 8,000 units. This type of incident takes noise past a mere annoyance level and makes it a significant potential safety risk.
EPA recommended guidelines for continuous background noise in hospitals place acceptable daytime levels at 35 decibels, and 40 decibels at night in patient rooms – the equivalent of a very quiet or whispered conversation. But studies show that noise levels in most hospitals are much higher. Noise sources are numerous and loud, and hard surfaces — floors, walls, and ceilings — reflect sound rather than absorb it, causing reverberant sound problems like echo to overlap, linger, and repeat frequently.
While many hospitals are committed to creating a healing environment, the auditory environment, laced with noxious noise, is usually ignored. A healing environment requires both a physical setting conducive to recovery, and an organizational culture that supports patients and families already struggling with stress. The sound environment must be managed in such detail that neither patients nor staff are at risk.
When we talk about managing noise, it is understood that hospitals and other medical facilities cannot be expected to operate in silence.
The EPA defines noise as "any sound that may produce an undesired physiological or psychological effect in an individual or group." This definition accompanies the decibel scale. Therefore, it is necessary to determine whether noise in a particular hospital is an issue, and if so, to what degree.
To minimize the potential for noise to impact patients negatively, standards must be set to establish appropriate sound levels, including recommendations for modifying, maintaining, and purchasing equipment. In addition, repair and maintenance policies should be reviewed to incorporate language to address a quieter environment. An auditory impact query should be part of every new construction project as well as every remodel, equipment addition, and staff event.
A recent study by Blomkvist et al. (in press, 2004) examined the effects of poor versus good sound levels and acoustics on coronary intensive-care patients in a large university hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, by periodically changing the ceiling tiles from sound-reflecting to sound-absorbing tiles. When the sound-absorbing ceiling tiles were in place, patients slept better, registered lower sympathetic arousal (which indicates lower stress levels), and reported that nurses gave them better care.
The Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, Michigan, experienced a 30 percent reduction in medical errors in one unit after it installed acoustical panels and went to decentralized nurse stations. Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, attributed its improved medication error index on noise abatement measures in its coronary critical care unit.
Noisy hospitals can compromise patient care and recovery. Hospitals must take measures to address sound quality and make noise abatement a priority in health care policy.
Posted by Liz Ernst on Fri, Oct 07, 2011 @ 01:36 PM
Many organizations and publications that promote green living, green construction, green manufacturing, and green energy focus on unhealthy pollutants that take the form of toxic or non-biodegradable waste.
Isn’t it time to include noise in the roll call of un-green, unhealthy pollutants?
Green living has taught us that every time a SUV is driven solo (no passengers), it’s adding more than 1.5 pounds per mile of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases to the environment. In the spirit of living green, many of us have changed our driving habits for the sake of the environment. We drive smaller cars, we carpool, and we take short trips on foot or by bike instead.
We buy reusable containers for carrying around water, and when we do buy bottled, we recycle the empties. We feed our families more organically-grown foods these days, and clean our homes with non-toxic cleansers because living green is healthier.
So when you consider the toll that noise pollution is taking on our health every day, you would think that addressing noisy matters would be number one on the list of “green living” priorities, or at least in the top five.
Noise pollution is a modern plague; it affects our hearing, our sleep patterns, our performance levels, and even the way food tastes. It has been documented to increase risks of heart disease and stroke. Noise pollution – from the neighbor’s constantly barking dog, to the unwelcome sounds of air and ground traffic, construction, manufacturing plants, lawn equipment and the hundreds of sources of ambient sounds that infiltrate our space daily – is not a component of green living.
Exposure to sound levels in excess of 85 decibels for more than eight hours is potentially unhealthy. Eighty-five decibels is roughly equivalent to the noise of heavy truck traffic on a busy road.
Above 85 decibels, hearing damage is related to sound pressure (measured in decibels) and to time of exposure. The major cause of hearing loss is occupational exposure to noise, although other sources (particularly recreational noise) are also culprits. Studies suggest that children seem to be more vulnerable than adults to noise induced hearing impairment. Children in noisy environments are also found to have more difficulty reading and learning, and experience a diminished quality of life.
Children, the elderly, and those with underlying depression may be particularly vulnerable to noise pollution because they may lack adequate coping mechanisms.
Noise pollution impairs task performance at work and in school, increases errors, and decreases motivation. Focusing, problem solving, and memory are most strongly affected by noise.
Although noise pollution is not believed to be a cause of mental illness, it is assumed to accelerate and intensify the development of latent mental disorders, anxiety, stress, nervousness, nausea, headache, emotional instability, argumentativeness, sexual impotence, changes in mood, increase in social conflicts, neurosis and psychosis. Population studies have suggested associations between noise and well-being, the use of psychoactive drugs and sleeping pills, and increased mental-hospital admission rates.
Noise levels above 80 decibels are associated with both an increase in aggressive behavior and a decrease in behavior helpful to others. News agencies regularly report violent behavior arising out of disputes over noise, often ending in injury or death. The effects of noise may help explain some of the dehumanization seen in the modern, congested, and noisy urban environment.
Noise pollution effects the environment very differently than regular fossil fuel pollution, but it can still have very negative effects. For this reason, many states and counties have developed noise control laws that designate exactly how much noise a vehicle can legally emit, or how loud a band can play in an outdoor restaurant. The problem with noise control laws, however, is they can be very difficult to enforce.
Green living is the healthy result of decades spent educating people on the ill effects of pollutants and ways to undo their damage. It’s time to include noise in the green education process that has produced citizens who recycle, compost, preserve water and energy, and look at the items bought and used every day differently than their parents and grandparents did.
It’s time to up the bar; involve citizens in managing noise wherever possible, and demand that businesses and other noise offenders do the same.
Noisy generators and HVAC units, pool pumps, car stereos played at heart-pounding volume and noise generated from a cranked home stereo all contribute to noise pollution. Even the drive to work and the eight-or-more hours spent there expose us to onslaughts of noise – construction, traffic, sirens and horns blaring, manufacturing plants, machinery and more – that take a toll on our health and wellbeing.
Even after years of living with noise in our daily lives, when we think we have become accustomed to it, our bodies are singing a different tune in the form of gradual hearing loss, cardiovascular disease, stress, sleep deprivation and other symptoms.
For one week, everyone shoud take note of the various noise sources that have become a part of their everyday lives. This might be a good start to recognizing those sounds that are harmful, and finding solutions to managing or eliminating the most damaging culprits.
We can even adapt some existing green slogans to eradicating noise:
Green revolution, the best solution to noise pollution.
I hear the Eco.
Be Quiet! Go Green!