noise pollution noise pollution noise pollution, or sound pollution, is the propagation of noise or sound with ranging impacts on the activity of human or animal life, most of which are harmful to a degree. the source of outdoor noise worldwide is mainly caused by machines, transport and propagation systems. poor urban planning may give rise to noise disintegration or pollution, side-by-side industrial and residential buildings can result in noise pollution in the residential areas. some of the main sources of noise in residential areas include loud music, transportation (traffic, rail, airplanes, etc.), lawn care maintenance, construction, electrical generators, wind turbines, explosions and people. a qantas boeing 747-400 passes close to houses shortly before landing at london heathrow airport traffic is the main source of noise pollution in cities like são paulo, shown here. part of a series onpollutionair pollution from a factory air acid rain air quality index atmospheric 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pharmaceuticals freshwater salinization septic tanks sewage septic tanks pit latrine shipping stagnation sulfur water surface runoff turbidity urban runoff water quality misc point source area source legacy pollution lists diseases law by country most polluted cities least polluted cities by pm2.5 treaties categories by country environment portal ecology portal documented problems associated with noise in urban environments go back as far as ancient rome. research suggests that noise pollution in the united states is the highest in low-income and racial minority neighborhoods, and noise pollution associated with household electricity generators is an emerging environmental degradation in many developing nations. high noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects in humans and an increased incidence of coronary artery disease. in animals, noise can increase the risk of death by altering predator or prey detection and avoidance, interfere with reproduction and navigation, and contribute to permanent hearing loss. a substantial amount of the noise that humans produce occurs in the ocean. up until recently, most research on noise impacts has been focused on marine mammals, and to a lesser degree, fish. in the past few years, scientists have shifted to conducting studies on invertebrates and their responses to anthropogenic sounds in the marine environment. this research is essential, especially considering that invertebrates make up 75% of marine species, and thus compose a large percentage of ocean food webs. of the studies that have been conducted, a sizable variety in families of invertebrates have been represented in the research. a variation in the complexity of their sensory systems exists, which allows scientists to study a range of characteristics and develop a better understanding of anthropogenic noise impacts on living organisms. because the local civic noise environment can impact the perceived value of real estate, often the largest equity held by a home owner, personal stakes in the noise environment and the civic politics surrounding the noise environment can run extremely high. impacts human health main article: health effects from noise noise pollution affects both health and behavior. unwanted sound (noise) can damage physiological health. noise pollution is associated with several health conditions, including cardiovascular disorders, hypertension, high stress levels, tinnitus, hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and other harmful and disturbing effects. according to a 2019 review of the existing literature, noise pollution was associated with faster cognitive decline. across europe, according to the european environment agency, it estimated 113 million people are affected by road traffic noise levels above 55 decibels, the threshold at which noise becomes harmful to human health by the who's definition. sound becomes unwanted when it either interferes with normal activities such as sleep or conversation, or disrupts or diminishes one's quality of life. noise-induced hearing loss can be caused by prolonged exposure to noise levels above 85 a-weighted decibels. a comparison of maaban tribesmen, who were insignificantly exposed to transportation or industrial noise, to a typical u.s. population showed that chronic exposure to moderately high levels of environmental noise contributes to hearing loss. noise exposure in the workplace can also contribute to noise-induced hearing loss and other health issues. occupational hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illnesses in the u.s. and worldwide. it is less clear how humans adapt to noise subjectively. tolerance for noise is frequently independent of decibel levels. murray schafer's soundscape research was groundbreaking in this regard. in his work, he makes compelling arguments about how humans relate to noise on a subjective level, and how such subjectivity is conditioned by culture. schafer notes that sound is an expression of power, and as such, material culture (e.g., fast cars or harley davidson motorcycles with aftermarket pipes) tend to have louder engines not only for safety reasons, but for expressions of power by dominating the soundscape with a particular sound. other key research in this area can be seen in fong's comparative analysis of soundscape differences between bangkok, thailand and los angeles, california, us. based on schafer's research, fong's study showed how soundscapes differ based on the level of urban development in the area. he found that cities in the periphery have different soundscapes than inner city areas. fong's findings tie not only soundscape appreciation to subjective views of sound, but also demonstrates how different sounds of the soundscape are indicative of class differences in urban environments. noise pollution can have negative affects on adults and children on the autistic spectrum. those with autism spectrum disorder (asd) can have hyperacusis, which is an abnormal sensitivity to sound. people with asd who experience hyperacusis may have unpleasant emotions, such as fear and anxiety, and uncomfortable physical sensations in noisy environments with loud sounds. this can cause individuals with asd to avoid environments with noise pollution, which in turn can result in isolation and negatively affect their quality of life. sudden explosive noises typical of high-performance car exhausts and car alarms are types of noise pollution that can affect people with asd. while the elderly may have cardiac problems due to noise, according to the world health organization, children are especially vulnerable to noise, and the effects that noise has on children may be permanent. noise poses a serious threat to a child's physical and psychological health, and may negatively interfere with a child's learning and behavior. exposure to persistent noise pollution shows how important maintaining environmental health is in keeping children and elderly healthy. wildlife noise generated by traffic, ships, vehicles, and aircraft can affect the survivability of wildlife species and can reach undisturbed habitats. although sounds are commonly present in the environment, anthropogenic noises are distinguishable due to differences in frequency and amplitude. many animals use sounds to communicate with others of their species, whether that is for reproduction purposes, navigation, or to notify others of prey or predators. however, anthropogenic noises inhibit species from detecting these sounds, affecting overall communication within the population. species such as birds, amphibians, reptiles, fishes, mammals, and invertebrates are examples of biological groups that are impacted by noise pollution. if animals cannot communicate with one another, this would result in reproduction to decline (not able to find mates), and higher mortality (lack of communication for predator detection). european robins living in urban environments are more likely to sing at night in places with high levels of noise pollution during the day, suggesting that they sing at night because it is quieter, and their message can propagate through the environment more clearly. the same study showed that daytime noise was a stronger predictor of nocturnal singing than night-time light pollution, to which the phenomenon often is attributed. anthropogenic noise reduced the species richness of birds found in neotropical urban parks. zebra finches become less faithful to their partners when exposed to traffic noise. this could alter a population's evolutionary trajectory by selecting traits, sapping resources normally devoted to other activities and thus leading to profound genetic and evolutionary consequences. why invertebrates are affected several reasons have been identified relating to hypersensitivity in invertebrates when exposed to anthropogenic noise. invertebrates have evolved to pick up sound, and a large portion of their physiology is adapted for the purpose of detecting environmental vibrations. antennae or hairs on the organism pick up particle motion. anthropogenic noise created in the marine environment, such as pile driving and shipping, are picked up through particle motion; these activities exemplify near-field stimuli. the ability to detect vibration through mechanosensory structures is most important in invertebrates and fish. mammals, also, depend on pressure detector ears to perceive the noise around them. therefore, it is suggested that marine invertebrates are likely perceiving the effects of noise differently than marine mammals. it is reported that invertebrates can detect a large range of sounds, but noise sensitivity varies substantially between each species. generally, however, invertebrates depend on frequencies under 10 khz. this is the frequency at which a great deal of ocean noise occurs. therefore, not only does anthropogenic noise often mask invertebrate communication, but it also negatively impacts other biological system functions through noise-induced stress. another one of the leading causes of noise effects in invertebrates is because sound is used in multiple behavioral contexts by many groups. this includes regularly sound produced or perceived in the context of aggression or predator avoidance. invertebrates also utilize sound to attract or locate mates, and often employ sound in the courtship process. stress recorded in physiological and behavioral responses many of the studies that were conducted on invertebrate exposure to noise found that a physiological or behavioral response was triggered. most of the time, this related to stress, and provided concrete evidence that marine invertebrates detect and respond to noise. some of the most informative studies in this category focus on hermit crabs. in one study, it was found that the behavior of the hermit crab pagurus bernhardus, when attempting to choose a shell, was modified when subjected to noise. proper selection of hermit crab shells strongly contributes to their ability to survive. shells offer protection against predators, high salinity and desiccation. however, researchers determined that approach to shell, investigation of shell, and habitation of shell, occurred over a shorter time duration with anthropogenic noise as a factor. this indicated that assessment and decision-making processes of the hermit crab were both altered, even though hermit crabs are not known to evaluate shells using any auditory or mechanoreception mechanisms. in another study that focused on pagurus bernhardus and the blue mussel, (mytilus edulis) physical behaviors exhibited a stress response to noise. when the hermit crab and mussel were exposed to different types of noise, significant variation in the valve gape occurred in the blue mussel. the hermit crab responded to the noise by lifting the shell off of the ground multiple times, then vacating the shell to examine it before returning inside. the results from the hermit crab trials were ambiguous with respect to causation; more studies must be conducted in order to determine whether the behavior of the hermit crab can be attributed to the noise produced. another study that