LightandSoundpollutionBy﹕JonhyNEWYorkCityTh
istimeexposurephotoofNewYorkCityatnightshowsskglow,on
eformoflightpollution.NightskyAcomparisonoftheviewof
thenightskyfromasmallruraltown(top)andametropolitanar
ea(bottom).Lightpollutiondramaticallyreducesthevisibility
ofstars.LightpollutionLightpollutionobscuresthestarsin
thenightskyforcitydwellers,interfereswithastronomicalob
servatories,and,likeanyotherformofpollution,disruptsecos
ystemsandhasadversehealtheffects.Lightpollutioncanbediv
idedintotwomaintypes:(1)annoyinglightthatintrudesonan
otherwisenaturalorlow-lightsettingand(2)excessivelight(g
enerallyindoors)thatleadstodiscomfortandadversehealtheff
ects.Sincetheearly1980s,aglobaldark-skymovementhasemerg
ed,withconcernedpeoplecampaigningtoreducetheamountoflig
htpollution.LightpollutionLightpollutionisasideeffectof
industrialcivilization.Itssourcesincludebuildingexteriora
ndinteriorlighting,advertising,commercialproperties,offices
,factories,streetlights,andilluminatedsportingvenues.Itis
mostsevereinhighlyindustrialized,denselypopulatedareasof
NorthAmerica,Europe,andJapanandinmajorcitiesintheMidd
leEastandNorthAfricalikeTehranandCairo,butevenrelative
lysmallamountsoflightcanbenoticedandcreate.SoundPollu
tionSomeofthenegativeconsequencesorurbandevelopmentist
hesoundpollution.Thesoundisavibrationofparticlesinane
nvironmentcapableofproducinganauditorysensation.Evenifso
undpropagatesrapidlylikeelasticwavesinallenvironmentslik
eair,liquidsorsolidmatter,itisnotpropagatedinvacuum.I
nair,itsspeedreaches340m/s.Noiseisacomplexcombinationo
fsoundsthatrepeatnon-periodicallyandaffectthepsychologica
lstateofhumansandanimals.Suchacoustictoxinsaffectallhu
mancommunities.Oneshouldbearinmindtheterrestrialandair
meansoftransportandthebuildingsitesthatreleaseintoatmo
sphereunbearablenoisesofmanydecibels.Thisishardtocopew
ithandfewcantemporarilygetusedtoit.Onemaywonderagain
whicharetheeffectsinthelongrunuponourhealth.Theanswer
isthattheinfrasoundsmadebyhelicopters,fastcarsorsuper
sonicaircraftsmayseriouslyaffectourpowerofconcentrationa
swellasourhearing.Theinfrasoundsdestroythehemoglobinsan
dcausemigraines,nauseaandlossofbalance.Eventuallythener
voussystemistheonethatprocesstheauditorysensationandaf
fectsotherspartsofthebody.Thescientistsareworkingonfi
ndingviablesolutionstoavoidthegenerationandtransmissiono
fnoises.Thecarsandenginesthatwillbebuiltinthefuturem
ustrunonsilentengines.Theblocksofflatsthatwillbeerect
edwillbeequippedwithasound-absorbinglayer.Anotherideapr
omotedbytheonesinterestedinreducingthiskindofpollution,
wouldbesurroundingthelivingareaswithplantationsoftress
thatwouldabsorbnoiseanddust.Unfortunately,Romaniadoesnot
haveatpresentanyregulationsregardingthepreventionofsoun
dpollution.SoundpollutionNoisePollutionorSoundPollution
iswhentheexposureofpeopleoranimalstolevelsofsoundstha
tareannoying,stressful,ordamagingtotheears.Althoughloud
andfrighteningsoundsarepartofnature,onlyinrecentcentur
ieshasmuchoftheworldbecomeurban,industrial,andchronical
lynoisy.Themachinesusedinfactoriesmakenoisethroughoutth
eday,andthisdisturbsthepeacefulatmosphereinthevicinity,
asmachinesusedwithoutpropercoveringleadtosoundpollution
.NoiseisoneofthemostpervasivepollutioninAmerica.Mostn
oisepollutioncomesfrommachines,especiallyautomobiles,truck
s,andaircraft.Constructionequipment,farmmachines,andthed
inofmachineryinsidefactoriescanbedangerouslyloud.Someho
meappliances,shoptools,lawnmowers,andleafblowerscanalso
benoisy,asareguns,firecrackers,andsometoys.Evenmusic,w
henplayedatveryhighvolume,particularlythroughpersonalhea
dphones,isasdamagingtotheearsasaroaringchainsaw.What
isSoundPollution?NoisePollutionorSoundPollutioniswhen
theexposureofpeopleoranimalstolevelsofsoundthatareann
oying,stressful,ordamagingtotheears.Althoughloudandfrig
hteningsoundsarepartofnature,onlyinrecentcenturieshasm
uchoftheworldbecomeurban,industrial,andchronicallynoisy.
Themachinesusedinfactoriesmakenoisethroughouttheday,an
dthisdisturbsthepeacefulatmosphereinthevicinity,asmachi
nesusedwithoutpropercoveringleadtosoundpollution.Noisei
soneofthemostpervasivepollutioninAmerica.HowisSoundP
ollutionMeasured?Noiseintensityismeasuredindecibelunits.
Thedecibelscaleislogarithmic;each10-decibelincreaserepr
esentsatenfoldincreaseinnoiseintensity.WhatCausesSound
Pollution?Mostnoisepollutioncomesfrommachines,especially
automobiles,trucks,andaircraft.Constructionequipment,farmm
achines,andthedinofmachineryinsidefactoriescanbedangerouslyloud.Somehomeappliances,shoptools,lawnmowers,andleafblowerscanalsobenoisy,asareguns,firecrackers,andsometoys.Evenmusic,whenplayedatveryhighvolume,particularlythroughpersonalheadphones,isasdamagingtotheearsasaroaringchainsaw. |
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