Noise pollution and its impact on human health and the environment

Abstract

This chapter deals with (1) the basic theory of sound propagation; (2) an overview of noise pollution problem in view of policy and standards by the World Health Organization, the United States, and the European Union; (3) noise exposure sources from aircraft, road traffic and railways, in-vehicle, work, and construction sites, and occupations, and households; (4) the noise pollution impact on human health and the biological environment; (5) modeling of regional noise-affected habitats in protected and unprotected land areas and the marine environment; (6) noise control measures and sustainability in view of sustainable building design, noise mapping, and control measures such as barriers and berms along roadsides, acoustic building materials, roadway vehicle noise source control, road surface, and pavement materials; and (7) environmental noise pollution management measures and their impact on human health.

keywords: A-weighting scale; Aircraft; Decibels; Energy equivalent sound; Equivalent exposure time factor; Intervention methods; Marine; Noise exposure level; Noise mapping and assessment; Physical; Physiological; Policies; Protected areas; Psychological and work performance effects; Risk; Sound pressure; Standards; Traffic