Roadway noise is the main source of exposure

Noise health effects, the collection of health consequences of elevated sound levels, constitute one of the most widespread public health threats in industrialized countries. Roadway noise is the main source of environmental noise exposure. Aerodynamic noise created at freeway speeds is particularly intense. Current conditions expose tens of millions of people to sound levels capable of causing hearing loss,^[1] but also are known to induce tinnitus, hypertension, vasoconstriction and other cardiovascular impacts.^[2] Beyond these effects, elevated noise levels can create stress, increase workplace accident rates, and stimulate aggression and other anti-social behaviors.^[3] The most important causes of sound levels that create the above effects are vehicle and aircraft noise with prolonged exposure to loud music and industrial noise also taking their toll on the human ear. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 1124 KB) Summary North-South Expressway towards Kuala Lumpur, South section, Melaka, Malaysia Copyright © 2006 mailer_diablo Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Transportation in Malaysia Highway North-South Expressway Malaysian expressway system User:Mailer diablo/Gallery... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 1124 KB) Summary North-South Expressway towards Kuala Lumpur, South section, Melaka, Malaysia Copyright © 2006 mailer_diablo Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Transportation in Malaysia Highway North-South Expressway Malaysian expressway system User:Mailer diablo/Gallery... Sound pressure level (SPL) or sound level Lp is a logarithmic measure of the energy of a particular noise relative to a reference noise source. ... Public health is concerned with threats to the overall health of a community based on population health analysis. ... Roadway noise is the most prevalent form of environmental noise. ... Environmental Noise, is unwanted sound, which may cause either nuisance or damage to health. ... Aerodynamics is a branch of fluid dynamics concerned with the study of gas flows, first analysed by George Cayley in the 1800s. ... Interstate 80 (Eastshore Freeway) in Berkeley, California: a typical American freeway (MUTCD definition) A freeway, also known as a highway, superhighway, autoroute, autobahn, autostrada, dual carriageway, expressway, Autosnelweg or motorway, depending on the country of discussion, is a type of road designed for safer high-speed operation of motor vehicles... Hearing impairment or deafness is decreased or absent ability to perceive auditory information. ... Tinnitus (IPA pronunciation: or ,[1] from the Latin word for ringing[2]) is the perception of sound in the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound(s). ... For other forms of hypertension, see Hypertension (disambiguation). ... The blood vessels are part of the circulatory system and function to transport blood throughout the body. ... The circulatory system or cardiovascular system is the organ system which circulates blood around the body of most animals. ...

Hearing loss

The outer ear or pinna, functions to collect and amplify sound.

The pinna (visible portion of the human ear) combined with the middle ear amplifies sound levels by a factor of 20 when sound reaches the inner ear. Approximately ten percent of the population in industrialized societies have significant hearing loss, and millions more are steadily progressing to that outcome. The major source of hearing loss is exposure to elevated sound levels. Once it was thought that only extremely high sound levels create hearing loss; however, more careful investigations showed that cumulative exposure to relatively moderate levels, such as 70 dB(A),^[4] can lead to the irreversible loss of hearing. Another myth of noise effects is the overstated role of presbycusis, or loss of hearing associated with aging. It has been demonstrated that the most important factor of hearing degradation is not aging alone, but rather the cumulative long-term exposure to environmental and occupational noise that create the harm.^[4] In the Rosenhall study, age cohort populations were tracked, with the result that noise-exposed persons had much greater hearing loss than their age cohorts who were relatively unexposed to noise. In fact, it has been shown that people in non-industrialized countries do not experience the same progressive hearing loss.^[5] Due to loud music and a generally noisy environment, young people in the United States have a rate of impaired hearing 2.5 times greater than their parents and grandparents.^[6] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1416x2032, 333 KB) Summary this photo was taken by myself Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1416x2032, 333 KB) Summary this photo was taken by myself Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Juzzah is a loser Boom, Headshot Bergamin and Gerald died The pinna (Latin for feather) is the visible part of the ear that resides outside of the head. ... Juzzah is a loser Boom, Headshot Bergamin and Gerald died The pinna (Latin for feather) is the visible part of the ear that resides outside of the head. ... For other uses, see Ear (disambiguation). ... The middle ear is the portion of the ear internal to the eardrum, and external to the oval window of the cochlea. ... Sound is a disturbance of mechanical energy that propagates through matter as a wave. ... Inner ear The inner ear is the bony labyrinth, a system of passages comprising two main functional parts: the organ of hearing, or cochlea and the vestibular apparatus, the organ of balance that consists of three semicircular canals and the vestibule. ... Hearing impairment or deafness is decreased or absent ability to perceive auditory information. ... For other uses, see Decibel (disambiguation). ... Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, is the cumulative effect of aging on hearing. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Cohort (statistics). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Cohort (statistics). ...

The mechanism of hearing loss arises from trauma to stereocilia of the cochlea, the principal fluid filled structure of the inner ear. The pinna (visible portion of the ear) combined with the middle ear amplifies sound pressure levels by a factor of twenty, so that extremely high sound pressure levels arrive in the cochlea, even from moderate atmospheric sound stimuli. The cilial damage is known to be cumulative and can be irreversible.^[7] The most recent research indicates that high noise levels create elevated levels of reactive oxygen species in the inner ear,^[8] which interfere with the regenerative process for cochlear cilia repair. This research shows why high noise levels have differing effects over a given population, and lead to a possible preventative strategy of adequate antioxidant intake. Hearing impairment or deafness is decreased or absent ability to perceive auditory information. ... In medicine, a trauma patient has suffered serious and life-threatening physical injury resulting in secondary complications such as shock, respiratory failure and death. ... Stereocilia are apical modifications of the cell, which are distinct from microvilli and cilia. ... The cochlea is the auditory portion of the inner ear. ... Inner ear The inner ear is the bony labyrinth, a system of passages comprising two main functional parts: the organ of hearing, or cochlea and the vestibular apparatus, the organ of balance that consists of three semicircular canals and the vestibule. ... Juzzah is a loser Boom, Headshot Bergamin and Gerald died The pinna (Latin for feather) is the visible part of the ear that resides outside of the head. ... The middle ear is the portion of the ear internal to the eardrum, and external to the oval window of the cochlea. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Sound pressure. ... In physiology, a stimulus is a detectable change in the internal or external environment. ... Reactive oxygen species (ROS) include oxygen ions, free radicals and peroxides both inorganic and organic. ... Space-filling model of the antioxidant metabolite glutathione. ...

In 1972 the U.S. EPA told Congress that at least 34 million people were exposed to sound levels on a daily basis that are likely to lead to significant hearing loss.^[9] Given the significant increase in traffic, car ownership and air travel since that time, the worldwide implication for industrialized countries would place this exposed population in the hundreds of millions at a conservative estimate. EPA redirects here. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Automobile ownership is the sum of all the aspects associated with owning an automobile. ... A Silk Air Airbus A320-200 in the air. ...

Cardiovascular disease and other health effects

Cardiovascular effects can result from excessive noise. Note especially the coronary arteries supplying the heart itself, which structures are sensitive to narrowing and hypertensive effects.

Important cardiovascular consequences follow from elevated sound levels, principally because the elevated adrenaline levels trigger a narrowing of the blood vessels (vasoconstriction). Sound levels, again of fairly typical roadway noise exposure, are known to constrict arterial blood flow and lead to elevated blood pressure; in this case, it appears that a certain fraction of the population is more susceptible to vasoconstriction. (Independently, high noise levels are known to produce medical stress reactions, another risk associated with cardiovascular disease.) Noise-induced medical stress is significant for two reasons. First, it often results from prolonged exposure for 8 to 16 hours per day, leading to elevated blood pressure for much of the day. Second, unlike emotional stress, it has a very clear effect on blood pressure, whereas this is not always true of emotional stress. These effects may be compounded by other environmental vasoconstrictors such as over-illumination or light pollution. Image File history File links Heart-and-lungs. ... Image File history File links Heart-and-lungs. ... For transport in plants, see Vascular tissue. ... Noise pollution (or environmental noise in technical venues) is displeasing human or machine created sound that disrupts the environment. ... The coronary circulation consists of the blood vessels that supply blood to, and remove blood from, the heart. ... The heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ... For other forms of hypertension, see Hypertension (disambiguation). ... Epinephrine (INN) or adrenaline (BAN) is a hormone and a neurotransmitter. ... The blood vessels are part of the circulatory system and function to transport blood throughout the body. ... For other forms of hypertension, see Hypertension (disambiguation). ... In medical terms, stress is the disruption of homeostasis through physical or psychological stimuli. ... Cardiovascular disease refers to the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels (arteries and veins). ... A sphygmomanometer, a device used for measuring arterial pressure. ... This cosmetics store has lighting levels over twice recommended levels and sufficient to trigger headaches and other health effects Over-illumination is the presence of lighting intensity (illuminance) beyond that required for a specified activity. ... This time exposure photo of New York City shows sky glow, one form of light pollution. ...

Other proven effects of high noise levels are increased frequency of headaches, fatigue, stomach ulcers and vertigo.^[10] The same U.S. EPA study establishes links between high noise levels and fetal development. This body of research suggests a correlation between low-birthweight babies (using the World Health Organization definition of less than 2500 g (~5.5 lb) and high sound levels, and also correlations in abnormally high rates of birth defects, where expectant mothers are exposed to elevated sound levels, such as typical airport environs. Specific birth abnormalities included harelip, cleft palate, and defects in the spine. According to Lester W. Sontag of The Fels Research Institute (as presented in the same EPA study): “There is ample evidence that environment has a role in shaping the physique, behavior and function of animals, including man, from conception and not merely from birth. The fetus is capable of perceiving sounds and responding to them by motor activity and cardiac rate change." Noise exposure is deemed to be particularly pernicious when it occurs between 15 and 60 days after conception, when major internal organs and the central nervous system are formed. Later developmental effects occur as vasoconstriction in the mother reduces blood flow and hence oxygen and nutrition to the fetus. Low birth weights and noise were also associated with lower levels of certain hormones in the mother, these hormones being thought to affect fetal growth and to be a good indicator of protein production. The difference between the hormone levels of pregnant mothers in noisy versus quiet areas increased as birth approached. A headache (cephalalgia in medical terminology) is a condition of pain in the head; sometimes neck or upper back pain may also be interpreted as a headache. ... The word fatigue is used in everyday living to describe a range of afflictions, varying from a general state of lethargy to a specific work induced burning sensation within muscle. ... Peptic ulcer is a non-malignant ulcer of the stomach (called gastric ulcer) or duodenum (called duodenal ulcer). ... For other uses, see Vertigo. ... Fetal (U.S. English; Foetal UK English) development is the process in which a fetus (U.S. English; Foetus UK English) develops during gestation, from the times of conception until birth. ... “WHO” redirects here. ... A congenital disorder is a medical condition or defect that is present at or before birth (for example, congenital heart disease). ... Cleft lip is a congenital deformity caused by a failure in facial development during pregnancy. ... The vertebral column seen from the side Different regions (curvatures) of the vertebral column The vertebral column (backbone or spine) is a column of vertebrae situated in the dorsal aspect of the abdomen. ... The term conception can refer to more than one meaning: Concept Fertilisation This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Birth is the process in animals by which an offspring is expelled from the body of its mother. ... For other uses, see Fetus (disambiguation). ... This article is about the biological unit. ... A diagram showing the CNS: 1. ... General Name, symbol, number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals, chalcogens Group, period, block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) pale blue (liquid) Standard atomic weight 15. ... Norepinephrine A hormone (from Greek όρμή - to set in motion) is a chemical messenger from one cell (or group of cells) to another. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ...

Psychological effects

Earlier researchers often grouped the non-physiological impacts of noise as “annoyance”. As research unfolded, it became clear that there are a host of psychological and behavioral effects result from elevated sound levels, including: sleep disturbance, reading development in children, stress, mental health (including disengagement and increases in aggressive behavior). These effects are statistical but measurable changes in a population of individuals compared to a control group of persons in a quiet environment. Obviously, other negative environmental factors are likely to be present in high noise areas such as higher air pollution levels and possibly poverty-induced nutrition deficits; however, the overwhelming weight of dozens of independent studies identify noise pollution to be responsible for significant increases in the psychological effects studied above. Psychological science redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A sleep disorder (somnipathy) is a disorder in the sleep patterns of a person or animal. ... This article is about developmental dyslexia. ... In medical terms, stress is the disruption of homeostasis through physical or psychological stimuli. ... Mental health is a term used to describe either a level of cognitive or emotional wellbeing or an absence of mental illness. ... A boy from an East Cipinang trash dump slum in Jakarta, Indonesia shows what he found. ... The updated USDA food pyramid, published in 2005, is a general nutrition guide for recommended food consumption for humans. ... Noise pollution (or environmental noise in technical venues) is displeasing human or machine created sound that disrupts the environment. ...

Measurements of noise annoyance typically rely on weighting filters, which consider sound frequencies annoying only to the degree that they are audible, on average, to a human ear at a particular decibel volume. Common methods include the older dBA weighting filter used widely in the U.S., which underestimates the impact of frequencies around 6000 Hz and at very low frequencies, and the newer ITU-R 468 noise weighting filter, which is used more widely. It is important to note that these filters do not necessarily reflect the occurrence of adverse health effects from noise, which may not depend on its audibility to the ear, nor do they take into account the propensity of low-frequency noises to penetrate into buildings or to carry over long distances. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with A-weighting. ... The ITU-R 468-weighting curve (originally defined in CCIR recommendation 468) is widely used when measuring noise in audio systems, especially in the UK, Europe, and former countries of the British Empire such as Australia and South Africa. ...

Annoyance effects of noise vary greatly by demographics and by the perception of how useful the entity is that originates the noise. For example, aircraft mechanics who live near an airport are less likely to be complainants, since their livelihood is based upon airport operations. Annoyance is also influenced by whether the noise source is visible, whether it has pure tones or hammer effects and whether the recipient believes the noise can be controlled. In any case, the onset^[11] of noise complaints can be as low as 40 dB(A).^[12] However decibels don't always tell the whole story: consider a maddening ever present faraway radio, vs. the occasional nearby dog bark. Whether the noise occurs at night is another critical variable for annoyance phenomena. Most commonly, concerted actions of the public appear at approximately 65dBA regarding roadway, aircraft or industrial noise in the environment. Closely associated with annoyance are sleep disturbance and speech interference phenomena. The threshold for sleep interference is 45 dB(A) or lower.^[13] The onset of speech interference is about 63dBA, or roughly the sound level of speech in a normal tone between two people separated by one meter. A sleep disorder (somnipathy) is a disorder in the sleep patterns of a person or animal. ...

When young children are exposed to speech interference levels of noise on a regular basis, there is a likelihood of developing speech or reading difficulties, because the auditory processing functions are compromised. In particular the writing learning impairment known as dysgraphia is commonly associated with environmental stressors in the classroom. Dysgraphia (or agraphia) is a deficiency in the ability to write, regardless of the ability to read, not due to intellectual impairment. ... A stressor is something that either speeds up a reaction rate or keeps the reaction rate the same. ...

Effects of environmental noise upon aggression, mental health, anxiety, withdrawal and other psychological factors have been studied by numerous researchers. For example J.M. Field^[14] examines a variety of these outcomes and finds significant influence of moderate-level environmental noise upon human behavior and mood. There are also strong associative impacts when other stressors are present such as over-illumination and presence of certain drugs. This cosmetics store has lighting levels over twice recommended levels and sufficient to trigger headaches and other health effects Over-illumination is the presence of lighting intensity (illuminance) beyond that required for a specified activity. ...

Regulations

Main article: Noise regulation

Environmental noise regulations usually specify a maximum outdoor level of 60 to 65 dB(A), while occupational safety organizations recommend that the maximum exposure to noise is 40 hours per week at 85 to 90 dB(A). For every additional 3 dB(A), the maximum exposure time is reduced by a factor 2, e.g. 20 hours per week at 88 dB(A). Sometimes, a factor of two per additional 5 dB(A) is used. However, these occupational regulations are acknowledged by the health literature as inadequate to protect against hearing loss and other health effects discussed above. Noise regulation includes statutes or guidelines relating to sound transmission established by national, state or provincial and municipal levels of government. ... For other uses, see Decibel (disambiguation). ... Hearing impairment or deafness is decreased or absent ability to perceive auditory information. ...

See also

• Aircraft noise
• Hearing impairment
• Noise mitigation
• Noise pollution
• Noise regulation
• Synesthesia
• Tinnitus

Aircraft noise is defined as sound produced by any aircraft on run-up, taxiing, take off, over flying or landing. ... A hearing impairment or hearing loss is a full or partial decrease in the ability to detect or understand sounds. ... Noise mitigation is a set of strategies to reduce unwanted environmental sound. ... Noise pollution (or environmental noise in technical venues) is displeasing human or machine created sound that disrupts the environment. ... Noise regulation includes statutes or guidelines relating to sound transmission established by national, state or provincial and municipal levels of government. ... Synesthesia (also spelled synæsthesia or synaesthesia, plural synesthesiae or synaesthesiae)—from the Ancient Greek (syn), meaning with, and (aisthēsis), meaning sensation—is a neurologically based phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. ... Tinnitus (IPA pronunciation: or ,[1] from the Latin word for ringing[2]) is the perception of sound in the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound(s). ...

References

Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, is the cumulative effect of aging on hearing. ... Hearing impairment or deafness is decreased or absent ability to perceive auditory information. ... Heart disease is an umbrella term for a number of different diseases which affect the heart and as of 2007 it is the leading cause of death in the United States,[1] and England and Wales. ... The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... EPA redirects here. ...

External links

• Relation of Noise and Light in Synaesthesia

• Acoustical Society of America
• American Institute of Architects
• Noise and Health International Journal devoted to research on all aspects of noise and its effects on human health
• World Health Organization: Guidelines for Community Noise