Noise in the City
A leisure walk through the busy streets of Port of
Spain or Chaguanas can leave your ear bell ringing from the high decibels
produced by sound vibrations-honking of horns, traffic, music and street
vendors. The high frequency sounds can be hazardous and annoying to your
hearing, since it is a threshold for pain, irreversible damage to your ear and
loss of hearing. This is noise pollution in the city.
Noise pollution cannot be seen but is heard! Noise
produces unpleasant, distracting effects causing discomfort on the ears. In
densely populated urban areas, noise pollution can be annoying and intrusive,
interfering with daily activities such as sleeping or having a conversation. The
major impact of disturbing noise on human health includes:
- The feeling of fatigue, irritability and nervousness causing decreasing work productivity
- Sleep loss, stress illness, high -blood pressure and diminishes one’s mental an social state
- The inability to concentrate causing aggression
- Speech interference in toddlers
- Damage to the sensitive auditory system in newborns and infants since their perception abilities is not fully developed
(EMA
Guide to Noise Pollution Control and Rules 2001)
The frequent exposure to high levels of noise
disrupts our quality of life causing headaches, ringing of ears and temporary deafness.
Prolonged exposure to loud noise will damage a person’s eardrum resulting in
permanent hearing loss (Omunbo-Pepple 2010).
In this age of development there is rapid escalation
of noise levels in the environment. We are continuously exposed to excessive
noise from increased vehicular transportation in and around the city causing
uncontrolled honking and loud engine sounds. The hundreds of people shouting,
vending, buying and commuting in and out urban areas have intensified the need
to talk loudly in order to compete with traffic and motor vehicles. The loud
music and the regular use of industrial machinery and equipment have all
contributed to raising the noise levels. In the city schools, work place,
businesses and industries all face some level of noise pollution. So what can
we do to curb this noise?
Music
on Wheels in Chaguanas
The Environmental Management Authority (E.M.A.) has
set rules to control the noise level and the emission of sounds in the
environment. In The E.M.A. Act Chapter 35:05 are laws that clearly outlines the
accepted decibels of sounds and the duration of time and places for prescribed sound
levels. In an attempt to get quietness or keep noise moderately loud it is the
responsibility of each citizen to control their noise levels. Prolonged
exposure about more than thirty minutes to noise level over eighty-five
decibels can cause permanent hearing impairment. Adults and children need to
practice safety and caution when exposed to loud sounds and music. We can all
do our part in elevating awareness of noise pollution and its silent harmful
effects on our health.
According to Mumford
1938, 3, “Cities are products of time”. “In the city time, becomes visible:
buildings and monuments and public ways….” “Layer upon layer, past time
preserves themselves in the city until life itself is finally threaten with
suffocation, then in sheer defense, modern man invents the museum”.
The city arise out of an agricultural system into a place that is densely populated, adorned with infrastructural development, and economic systems that now constitutes a city. Generally, the increase in population growth over the year’s rapid urbanization, development and industrialization has resulted in an influx of people settling and commuting daily to the city. The city, once based on hunting and agriculture is now transformed into Central Business Districts (CBD) with industries, commercial shopping centers and public transportation hubs. This have led to the growth of vehicles, trunks, buses and people which increases the noise levels in the city. The city have become a hobs of activities or what Munford refers to as a “social emergent”. Geddes and Branford, 3 stated that the city “functions as a specialized organ of social transmission”. Cities has experienced growth and development due to globalization and the establishment of many transnational corporation which gravitates crowds of people into the city. These establishments provides employment opportunities, career paths and stimulates economic growth for a country. But with such transformation and development cities are now seen as environmental threats with many forms of pollution especially noise pollution. The crowds of people on the streets, vehicles and other modes of transport, honking of horns results in excessive noise levels with the city area.
The city arise out of an agricultural system into a place that is densely populated, adorned with infrastructural development, and economic systems that now constitutes a city. Generally, the increase in population growth over the year’s rapid urbanization, development and industrialization has resulted in an influx of people settling and commuting daily to the city. The city, once based on hunting and agriculture is now transformed into Central Business Districts (CBD) with industries, commercial shopping centers and public transportation hubs. This have led to the growth of vehicles, trunks, buses and people which increases the noise levels in the city. The city have become a hobs of activities or what Munford refers to as a “social emergent”. Geddes and Branford, 3 stated that the city “functions as a specialized organ of social transmission”. Cities has experienced growth and development due to globalization and the establishment of many transnational corporation which gravitates crowds of people into the city. These establishments provides employment opportunities, career paths and stimulates economic growth for a country. But with such transformation and development cities are now seen as environmental threats with many forms of pollution especially noise pollution. The crowds of people on the streets, vehicles and other modes of transport, honking of horns results in excessive noise levels with the city area.
For more information further reading can be done:
- In the article entitle “Analyzing Street Traffic and Noise Pollution in the City of Yazd” the author conducted studies in this city to demonstrate the noise levels of different vehicles types during rush hours. The study yield that cars contributes 62% of the traffic and noise decibels of 80.7dBA followed by trucks and buses.
- Exposure to noise can have harmful effects on the human body. The Environmental Protection Agency of the US has stated that 100 million people are exposed to noise pollution. Noise can have various effects on the body such as sleep disorders, stress and hearts. The United States and Health associations have established policies for reducing noise pollution. http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1307272/
References
Environmental Management Authority. 2001. “EMA’s
Guide to Noise Pollution and Control Rules”. Accessed April 4, 2014. http://www.ema.co.tt/new/images/pdf/noisefaq_booklet.pdf
Omnbo- Pepple, Valentine B., Margaret A.
Briggs-Kamara, and I. Tamunobereton-ari. 2010. “Noise Pollution in Port
Harcourt Metropolis: Sources, Effects and Control”. Accessed April 4, 2014. http://facta.junis.ni.ac.rs/walep/walep2010/walep2010-04.pdf
Mumford, Lewis. 1938. “The Culture of Cities”. Harcourt,
Brace and Company New Yoke.
Geddes and Branford cited in Mumford,
Lewis. 1938. “The Culture of Cities”. Harcourt, Brace and Company New Yoke.
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