NOISE MONITORING
Noise refers to any unwanted or disruptive sound that can negatively affect human activities, health, and well-being.
Noise pollution refers to the excessive or harmful levels of noise in the environment, often resulting from human activities.
Noise pollution refers to the excessive or harmful levels of noise in the environment, often resulting from human activities.
The UAE Federal Law and other specifications have set allowable limits for Noise Level in different areas and the common parameters tested are as follows:
- dBA - used for determining the sound exposure to humans
- LAeq – equivalent continuous sound pressure level
- L5 – is the level exceeded for 5% of the time
- L10 – is the level exceeded for 10% of the time
- L50 – is the level exceeded for 50% of the time
- L90 – is the level exceeded for 90% of the time
- L95 – is the level exceeded for 95% of the time
- Minimum – minimum value measured over a certain period of time
- Maximum – maximum value measured over a certain period of time
- Daytime and nighttime
CORE Laboratory maintains a number of instruments and devices to monitor noise that consists of the following constituents:
- LAeq – equivalent continuous sound pressure level
- L5 – is the level exceeded for 5% of the time
- L10 – is the level exceeded for 10% of the time
- L50 – is the level exceeded for 50% of the time
- L90 – is the level exceeded for 90% of the time
- L95 – is the level exceeded for 95% of the time
- Minimum – minimum value measured over a certain period of time
- Maximum – maximum value measured over a certain period of time
- Daytime and nighttime
Common Sources of Noise Pollution
- Road, rail, and air transport
- Industrial noise
- Recreational and neighborhood noise
Effect of Noise Pollution
- Noise induced hearing loss
- Worker illness and injury reports
- Lead to a sense of isolation, annoyance, difficulty concentrating, lowered morale, reduced efficiency, absenteeism and accidents
Reducing Noise Pollution
All the sources of noise including road traffic, heavy vehicles, airplanes, factory machines etc. contribute towards noise pollution in one way or another. Some of these sources may have tolerable noise levels but when combined together, these can cause serious risks. According to the World Health Organization, noise pollution control is easiest among all kinds of pollution the world is facing today. Several steps are needed
to be implemented so as to improve environmental conditions and to attain healthy “noise free” environment. Some of these steps are the following:
- Public awareness measures are required to make people understand about noise pollution and to guide them about permissible noise levels by using print media and electronic media properly.
- Noise exposure may be reduced on a personal level by usage of protective ear plugs and steps are required to reduce exposure time to noise.
- Engineering techniques such as altering and modifying the designs to reduce noise, construction of sound barriers and sound absorbers might be helpful.
- Academic institutions and hospitals can be shifted away from the noisy roads, railway stations and airports. Similarly, the heavy industries and factories ought to be formed away from residential areas.
- The usage of pressure horns and record players among all means of transportation must be banned by the government in order to reduce the noise intensity.
- Monitoring of sound levels should be carried out by the traffic police. Legal action should be taken against violators by the government.
- Law formation and implementation is required to lessen the hearing problems among factory workers.
- Vegetation programmes along the roads should be initiated as plants absorb and dissipate high energy sound waves.
