The ill effects of sound pollution
Saturday, 24 November 2007
Mahfuza Moslehi
Ovi, a 5-year old child, panics if someone screams in front of him or the TV runs in high volume. He sometimes behaves in a way that many think he is a mental patient.
Ovi's mother Sajeda does not understand why her son should suffer this way. She is a working woman and takes her young child to her office everyday. The child has been exposed to noise pollution since his childhood. Ignoring the problems of Ovi, she continues to take him with her to the office. She has to do so, as she has none to take care of Ovi at home.
Now doctors say Ovi is mentally ill. He is affected by sound pollution, which has hampered his mental growth.
"I have been taking my son to the office in public busses for three years," says Sajeda who is also affected by sound pollution. She suffers from hearing problem.
Like this child and her mother thousands of people in the country are affected by sound pollution every year. Children, pregnant women and patients are the worst sufferers.
High sounds of hydraulic horns of busses and trucks, cassette players in the busses and loud speakers and roadsides mill-factories badly affect passengers and passersby. Besides, generator, tempo, brick-breaking machine, whistles of trains, planes, jetfighters, lightning, sirens of ambulances and high sound of welding factories create sound pollution.
According to physicians, people hear sounds through two organisms -- conduction and perception. People hear sounds instantly through conduction. Continuous sound pollution badly affects the conduction. As a result, people lose instantly hearing ability and later become deaf. Drivers of various vehicles are the worst affected, they said.
A survey was conducted among a number of drivers and it was found that 25 per cent of them lost their instant hearing ability - conduction. Truck driver Araz Ali says, "Now I don't hear wel. Doctors have advised me to give up driving to avert permanent deafness. But I have no option to driving."
In fact, sounds have some permissible limits at places. Sounds beyond the permissible limits create pollution and affect the people. Some 35-45 decibels of sound are acceptable in residential areas in towns while 45-50 decibels in commercial areas, and areas around offices, courts and markets, and 35 decibels in educational institutions and hospitals.
But a survey, conducted by Work for Better Bangladesh (WBB), reveals that noises of a busy street creates 90 decibels of sound, a band-show 110 decibels, a plane 130 decibels around 100-metre areas when it takes off, a motorcycle 118 decibels and bus-truck 100 decibels. Hydraulic horns and loud speakers create sounds more than the above sources.
On average 110-decibel sounds are created in Dhaka city everyday. Another WBB survey says that 86 per cent people of Dhaka think sound pollution is a great problem for them.
Sound pollution creates various health problems like breathing complications, headache, nausea and other physical difficulties. People also suffer from disappointments because of sound pollution. Sound pollution may also create some permanent health problems.
According to psychiatrists, people suffer from nine types of mental diseases for sound pollution. They said sound pollution also affects hearts, blood circulation, food canal and stomach. They said loud sounds increase emission of adrenal hormone of blood that increases mental impatience and excitement. As a result, various mental diseases, including anger, anxiety, frustration, tension and depression are created. Even people may suffer from indigestion, peptic ulcer, high blood pressure and backbone curving due to high sound pollution.
Sound pollution badly affects any type of patients. The worst affected are expectant mothers and newborns. Sometimes premature delivery takes place and the newborns may become handicapped due to high sounds of hydraulic horns of vehicles.
Health experts say 110 decibels of sound creates reaction on skin while 120 decibels pain in head, 130 decibels vomiting, 140 decibels severe pain in ears, 150 decibels increases heartbeat and 190 decibels make people deaf.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), the safe limit of sound is 45 decibels. Sound of over 65 decibels creates heart diseases while that of over 90 decibels creates ulcer, hearing problems and changes of nerve system and that of over 120 decibels creates pain in the hearing organism and destroys hearing ability.
Dr M Nazrul Islam, a cardiologist at Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, says, "Children suffer from lifelong mental and physical problems due to sound pollution. People of different ages also suffer from various diseases because of sound pollution. Sometimes, high level of sound pollution may cause death to heart patients."
Health experts say sound pollution wipes out the furs inside the ears, which are very much necessary for uninterrupted hearing because they create sound waves and preserve the sound for a moment. Wiping out of these furs inside the ears creates deafness and even makes the tissues of the ears inactive.
A WBB survey says some 71 per cent people suffer from headache while 78 per cent from irritation, 49 per cent from short temper, 60 per cent from reluctance, 42 per cent from respiratory problems and 43 per cent from sleeping trouble due to adverse effects of sound pollution. The pollution also hampers mental growth of some 35 per cent children.
Another survey conducted by Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reveals that some 97 per cent students in Dhaka city suffer from high level of sound pollution caused by hydraulic horns of vehicles. The students also become affected with headache and gradually inattentive, it said.
According to another survey on sound pollution near Dhaka city's various schools, 79 decibels of sound are created at daytime and 85 decibels at nighttime near Motijheel Government High School while 75 decibels at daytime and 80 decibels at nighttime in front of Dhanmondi Government Boys' High School, 74 decibels at daytime and 83 decibels at nighttime in front of BF Shaheen College and 75 decibels at daytime and 83 decibels at nighttime near Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (PG Hospital). The survey says that the acceptable limit of sound is only 35 decibels.
Considering the harmful effects of sound pollution, Bangladesh Environment Lawyers' Association (BELA) filed a case with the High Court in 1995, prompting Environment and Forest Ministry to enact Sound Pollution (Control) Act 2004.
As per the act, it is prohibited to break bricks and stones by machines around 500 metres of any residential area and to use mixture machines and others high sound creating construction machines within the residential area from 7am to 7pm. The act also keeps a provision to take permission from the authorities of hospitals, schools, courts and other institutions for doing these construction works. But in most cases the act is being violated.
The act says those who will violate the rule or use hydraulic horns in vehicles will be fined Tk 10,000 maximum or be sentenced to not above six months or be punished by both. But the lawbreakers are hardly brought to book.
An Environment Department official says, "Formulation of a law is not enough to check sound pollution. There is also a necessity to enforce the law."
— NewsNetwork
Ovi, a 5-year old child, panics if someone screams in front of him or the TV runs in high volume. He sometimes behaves in a way that many think he is a mental patient.
Ovi's mother Sajeda does not understand why her son should suffer this way. She is a working woman and takes her young child to her office everyday. The child has been exposed to noise pollution since his childhood. Ignoring the problems of Ovi, she continues to take him with her to the office. She has to do so, as she has none to take care of Ovi at home.
Now doctors say Ovi is mentally ill. He is affected by sound pollution, which has hampered his mental growth.
"I have been taking my son to the office in public busses for three years," says Sajeda who is also affected by sound pollution. She suffers from hearing problem.
Like this child and her mother thousands of people in the country are affected by sound pollution every year. Children, pregnant women and patients are the worst sufferers.
High sounds of hydraulic horns of busses and trucks, cassette players in the busses and loud speakers and roadsides mill-factories badly affect passengers and passersby. Besides, generator, tempo, brick-breaking machine, whistles of trains, planes, jetfighters, lightning, sirens of ambulances and high sound of welding factories create sound pollution.
According to physicians, people hear sounds through two organisms -- conduction and perception. People hear sounds instantly through conduction. Continuous sound pollution badly affects the conduction. As a result, people lose instantly hearing ability and later become deaf. Drivers of various vehicles are the worst affected, they said.
A survey was conducted among a number of drivers and it was found that 25 per cent of them lost their instant hearing ability - conduction. Truck driver Araz Ali says, "Now I don't hear wel. Doctors have advised me to give up driving to avert permanent deafness. But I have no option to driving."
In fact, sounds have some permissible limits at places. Sounds beyond the permissible limits create pollution and affect the people. Some 35-45 decibels of sound are acceptable in residential areas in towns while 45-50 decibels in commercial areas, and areas around offices, courts and markets, and 35 decibels in educational institutions and hospitals.
But a survey, conducted by Work for Better Bangladesh (WBB), reveals that noises of a busy street creates 90 decibels of sound, a band-show 110 decibels, a plane 130 decibels around 100-metre areas when it takes off, a motorcycle 118 decibels and bus-truck 100 decibels. Hydraulic horns and loud speakers create sounds more than the above sources.
On average 110-decibel sounds are created in Dhaka city everyday. Another WBB survey says that 86 per cent people of Dhaka think sound pollution is a great problem for them.
Sound pollution creates various health problems like breathing complications, headache, nausea and other physical difficulties. People also suffer from disappointments because of sound pollution. Sound pollution may also create some permanent health problems.
According to psychiatrists, people suffer from nine types of mental diseases for sound pollution. They said sound pollution also affects hearts, blood circulation, food canal and stomach. They said loud sounds increase emission of adrenal hormone of blood that increases mental impatience and excitement. As a result, various mental diseases, including anger, anxiety, frustration, tension and depression are created. Even people may suffer from indigestion, peptic ulcer, high blood pressure and backbone curving due to high sound pollution.
Sound pollution badly affects any type of patients. The worst affected are expectant mothers and newborns. Sometimes premature delivery takes place and the newborns may become handicapped due to high sounds of hydraulic horns of vehicles.
Health experts say 110 decibels of sound creates reaction on skin while 120 decibels pain in head, 130 decibels vomiting, 140 decibels severe pain in ears, 150 decibels increases heartbeat and 190 decibels make people deaf.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), the safe limit of sound is 45 decibels. Sound of over 65 decibels creates heart diseases while that of over 90 decibels creates ulcer, hearing problems and changes of nerve system and that of over 120 decibels creates pain in the hearing organism and destroys hearing ability.
Dr M Nazrul Islam, a cardiologist at Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, says, "Children suffer from lifelong mental and physical problems due to sound pollution. People of different ages also suffer from various diseases because of sound pollution. Sometimes, high level of sound pollution may cause death to heart patients."
Health experts say sound pollution wipes out the furs inside the ears, which are very much necessary for uninterrupted hearing because they create sound waves and preserve the sound for a moment. Wiping out of these furs inside the ears creates deafness and even makes the tissues of the ears inactive.
A WBB survey says some 71 per cent people suffer from headache while 78 per cent from irritation, 49 per cent from short temper, 60 per cent from reluctance, 42 per cent from respiratory problems and 43 per cent from sleeping trouble due to adverse effects of sound pollution. The pollution also hampers mental growth of some 35 per cent children.
Another survey conducted by Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reveals that some 97 per cent students in Dhaka city suffer from high level of sound pollution caused by hydraulic horns of vehicles. The students also become affected with headache and gradually inattentive, it said.
According to another survey on sound pollution near Dhaka city's various schools, 79 decibels of sound are created at daytime and 85 decibels at nighttime near Motijheel Government High School while 75 decibels at daytime and 80 decibels at nighttime in front of Dhanmondi Government Boys' High School, 74 decibels at daytime and 83 decibels at nighttime in front of BF Shaheen College and 75 decibels at daytime and 83 decibels at nighttime near Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (PG Hospital). The survey says that the acceptable limit of sound is only 35 decibels.
Considering the harmful effects of sound pollution, Bangladesh Environment Lawyers' Association (BELA) filed a case with the High Court in 1995, prompting Environment and Forest Ministry to enact Sound Pollution (Control) Act 2004.
As per the act, it is prohibited to break bricks and stones by machines around 500 metres of any residential area and to use mixture machines and others high sound creating construction machines within the residential area from 7am to 7pm. The act also keeps a provision to take permission from the authorities of hospitals, schools, courts and other institutions for doing these construction works. But in most cases the act is being violated.
The act says those who will violate the rule or use hydraulic horns in vehicles will be fined Tk 10,000 maximum or be sentenced to not above six months or be punished by both. But the lawbreakers are hardly brought to book.
An Environment Department official says, "Formulation of a law is not enough to check sound pollution. There is also a necessity to enforce the law."
— NewsNetwork