![]() ![]() The more consistently a classroom is exposed to noise from aircraft, road traffic, or trains, the poorer the children’s reading ability, memory, and standardized-testing performance compared to children not exposed to noise at school. It is well established that environmental noise pollution reduces learning outcomes and cognitive performance in children. At 85 dB, hearing damage occurs after about 8 hours of exposure, but at 91 dB - only a 6-dB increase - damage occurs after about 2 hours. Everyday life is full of noise above 85 dB: a gas lawn mower (91 dB), hair dryer (94 dB), headphones turned too loud (100 dB), and a plane takeoff (120 dB) are just a few commonplace noise sources that can damage your hearing. Any noise above 85 decibels (dB a measurement of sound intensity) can damage hearing. The most obvious effect is noise-induced hearing loss. How Does Noise Pollution Affect My Health? Hearing loss ![]() That simple definition, however, has more packed into it than you might suspect. So what is noise pollution? It’s any sound that reduces your quality of life. Use of headphones for video games and music as well as the din of socializing in public spaces contribute, too so much so, in fact, that researchers consider them a separate category: social noise. Appliances, computers, traffic, the constant hum of the furnace or air conditioner - that’s just the environmental component. You’re exposed daily to even more noise than you realize. ![]() Odds are, the silence is almost overwhelming. Water? Bugs? Maybe your dog sniffing something “interesting”? Keep your headphones packed away (or better yet, leave them at home). ![]() To truly understand noise pollution, let’s try a little experiment, either in real life or in your imagination: Noise pollution isn’t just rush-hour traffic, living near an airport, or working near a long-standing construction site. Environmental Protection Agency passed the Noise Control Act to establish “a national policy to promote an environment for all Americans free from noise that jeopardizes their health and welfare.” This naturally leads to the question, “How bad can noise pollution really be?” You definitely wouldn’t worry about its effects on your heart - would you?Īs far back as 1972, awareness of the adverse health effects of noise pollution was so strong that the U.S. Noise is just noise, right? You learn to tune it out and, unless it’s really loud, you don’t worry about it. ![]()
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