Solutions for sound pollution

We define the Sound or acoustic pollution such as noise or vibrations that are generated in the environment, regardless of their issuer, which may be a danger or produce some negative effect on people’s health, in the development of their activities or directly in the environment.

According to a list published by WHO (World Health Organization) cities with more noise From the planet are: Bombay (India), Calcutta (India), Cairo (Egypt), New York (United States) or Buenos Aires (Argentina). Madrid occupies one of the first positions on this list, being Spain the European country with greater noise pollution.

The Noise scale It is done according to its intensity and power. They are generally calculated in decibels or Decibels (DB). The noise scale begins in 0, which is the lowest level that is capable of perceiving a person’s ear, and can reach up to 140 dB. The instrument used to measure noise is called soundometerwhich measures the level of sound pressure in a certain place and given moment. From the human point of view, noise levels are:

• 0: minimum sound that is to capture the human ear
• 10-30: noise produced by a low volume conversation
• 30-50: noise produced by a medium volume talk
• 55: Comfortable noise for human ear
• 65: Maximum determined by WHO
• 65-75: noise produced by traffic, high volume television, etc.
• 75-100: Noise produced by the first damage to the ear
• 100-120: there begins to be deafness
• 120: Noise that can cause pain in the ear
• 140: maximum captured by the human ear

Main noise sources

Currently, noise in cities comes from four main sources:

• Vehicles and transport: 80%
• Works and industries: 10%
• Railroad: 6%
• Music and leisure places: 4%

Therefore, within a city the areas of higher noise will be those located near transport roads of any type of vehicle and industrial areas. Therefore, these places should be avoided to homes.

According to WHO, the continuous statement to noise can have negative physical and psychological effectsthat develop slowly and progressively.

Thus, a noise level above 80 dB can cause stress, headaches, nervousness, depression, difficulty resting or communicating, fatigue, digestive problems, sexual dysfunction or damage to auditory capacity, among other negative effects for our health and the rest of the animals that inhabit these areas.

There are several measures that we could take individually to reduce sound pollutiona problem that affects us all:

• Avoid making excessive or unnecessary noises both in our daily and home activities.
• Avoid using motor vehicles as long as it is not essential and prioritizing public transport or means of transport that do not contaminate or make noise, such as bicycle.
• Do not make excessive noise during other people’s rest schedules inside the house or block of floors and not perform activities that can be very noisy late at night.
• Do not hear music or watch television at very high volumes, since they can progressively damage our own ear and that of others.
• Do not make excessive use of fireworks.
• Use caps for the ears.
• Turn off electronic equipment.
• Avoid living in areas close to large sources of noise such as industrial areas, large works or central areas with excessive vehicle passage.

Another way of Avoid noise pollutionis to effectively isolate our noise home such as the use of insulating materials or constructions, for example, double -layer windows or have small roofs at home, which create an insulating barrier to the passage of sound vibrations, in addition to providing fresh air to the home.

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