Noise Pollution
Dangers of Noise Pollution and How it Effects Life on Earth
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“Chirk Castle – no noise sign” by muffinn is licensed under CC BY 2.0
As humans are going throughout their day they probably hear hundreds of different noises. Nowadays, we have machinery and devices that produce a large amount of sound. Have you ever wondered what harmful impacts these sounds have on the daily life on Earth? This is what sound pollution is and why people are worried that it might already be causing issues. Noise pollution includes certain noises that humans or animals might encounter that have harmful impacts on them. Noise pollution is created because of human technology causing harmful sounds. All the devices and gadgets you see on a daily basis most likely make noise, and some of these noises are causing harmful effects.
Humans measure sound in decibels. Specifically, they are units we use to measure sound intensity (The number of sound vibrations in a second). The higher the decibel number of the sound is the more intense it seems to get. At above 85 decibels, the sound starts to become dangerous to the human ear. For example, average home noises are about 40 decibels. A train honking its horn is 150 decibels which are dangerous. Sirens from ambulances are 120 decibels. All around us are noises that could possibly damage human ears.
Although hearing loss is one problem of noise pollution, it is not the only problem. One of the other dangers of noise pollution is that it may cause harm to animals and their overall well-being. Most animals are not accustomed to the sounds we make with various things. This can cause a disturbance in how they behave and may also lead to harm towards them. For example, bats you echolocation and sound to hunt for their food. Noise pollution in that area may cause a disturbance and make it harder for them to find or locate prey. Noise pollution can also cause animals to abandon their habitat, and this is very dangerous for them as they are accustomed to where they live. Noise pollution is very detrimental to wildlife.
Noise pollution will continue to be a problem if we don’t start trying to put a stop to it. Right now, there are no clear answers as to if noise pollution will get worse. For people to protect themselves from noise pollution by wearing headphones or earplugs can help. Noise pollution may continue to be a problem in the future. Hopefully, we can find a good solution to this problem before it continues to get worse.
