Noise Pollution

Lecture # 6

NOISE CONTROL
Environment technologies

INTRODUCTION
Noise is unwanted sound. The word has been derived
from Latin word nausea meaning noise. The sound is a
wave of energy, consists of special kind of waves, which
are usually transmitted through air in the form of pressure
waves. These waves are received by hearing apparatus
of animals including man transformed into electrical
impulses in the ear and carried to brain which enable us
to hear. The intensity of sound is measured in decibels
(d=10 and Bell is the name of scientist Alfred Graham
Bell). Technically, a decibel (dB) is the amount of sound
pressure.

MEASUREMENT OF NOISE

The intensity of loudness is measured on a scale called decibel

scale. Or B-scale. The scale starts from 0- dB which is considered as the
threshold of hearing the faintest sound which human can hear.
A sound of 10dB is ten times louder than 0dB.
A sound of 20dB is 10 x 10 or 100 hundred times louder, of 30dB 10 x 10
x10 or 1000 times, 40dB is 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 or 10,000 times while a
sound of 50dB is 10 x 10 x10 x 10 x 10 or 100,000 times louder the
threshold of human hearing.
Examples:
Alarm clock---70 80dB.
Public library 30 40 dB
Jet planes taking off 140- 150 dB
Ambient air quality standards noise level should lie between 50 75dB in
day time and 40 70 at night time.

SOURCE OF NOISE POLLUTION

o Industrial noise
o Traffic noise
o Domestic noise
It may be natural, such as wind, thunder, movement of water or man made. The
symbols man made civilization are Jet plane, vehicles, railway engines,
factories generators, construction machinery, television, radio, public address
systems have something common - it is the noise.
The most offending noise source are compressors, generator furnaces, grinding
mills, releasing valves etc. that are used in many industrial processes and are
installed in partially or closed or open sheds. 80 120 dB noise level is
common to most units which is hazardous.

NOISE CONTROL
Environment technologies

Noise pollution is traditionally not placed among the top

environmental problems facing the society; however, it is one of the
more frequently encountered sources
Sources of noise pollution are extremely diverse and are constantly
increasing as more and more noise-generating products become
available to consumers.
An estimated 6% citizens are exposed to noise that poses a threat
to their hearing.
In today's mechanized world it is virtually impossible for an active
person to avoid exposure to potentially harmful sound levels.

EFFECT OF NOISE POLLUTION ON WILD LIFE

Wild life too have been affected by noise. Health status of

several zoo animals deers, lions, rhinos, are known to be
affected by noise. They appear dull and inactive. Several
migratory birds have stopped resting in a habitat close to noisy
cities. Grizzly bears and kangaroo rats in Malaysia have been
affected by noise. They leave that habitat and move to calm
places. This change of habitats alters their food habits and
health.

NOISE CONTROL
Environment technologies

NOISE CONTROL
General control measures include alteration of
machines and equipment to gather up-dated machinery
regarding noise prevention.
Noise can be tackled through:
Reduction
at source

Change to quieter
methods

Prevention or
reduction of propagation

NOISE CONTROL
Environment technologies

NOISE CONTROL

Reduction
at source

It is often possible to reduce noise radiation from production

equipment, material handling, and work in progress; for
example by damping sound radiating panels, quietening
power sources and transmissions, and reducing noise from
compressed air exhausts.
Sometimes machine alterations do not give sufficiently good
results.
In such cases effort might be better aimed at changing the
working methods and processes themselves.

NOISE CONTROL
Environment technologies

Change to quieter
methods

NOISE CONTROL
Changing the method of work is the only way to get to grips
with noise generation; it requires that production equipment
or part of it must be replaced and one must be aware of the
availability of less noisy equipment for both production and
material handling.

NOISE CONTROL
Environment technologies

Prevention or
reduction of propagation

NOISE CONTROL
Prevent propagation to avoid noise pollution can result
economically more efficient than corrective measures.
The noise in a workshop is often dominated by a relatively
small number of intense noise sources. Try to enclose all
noise sources points or keep them away from workers in the
same room.
By setting up sound absorbing ceiling and wall panels, noise
levels within the room far from the noise sources can be
reduced.

NOISE CONTROL
Environment technologies

NOISE GUIDELINES
For all noise control efforts a target noise level must be set.
A highest level must
Type of room
Highes sound level
be defined for each
guideline (dB)
place of equipment or room
Conference room
35
Office

40

Workshop office, rest

room

45

Laboratory,
measurement room

50

Canteen

50

Repair shop

60

Production areas

75

Fan room, compressor

room

90

NOISE CONTROL
Environment technologies

NOISE CONTROL TIPS

Machinery have to be updated to control noise pollution.
Handling material can be done by choosing conveyor belts
and controlling the speed of conveyor belt transports.
Attenuation by using absorbent materials is one of the key
techniques to ensure that rooms and workshops do not
communicate noise pollution to each other. To ensure so,
best practices are providing sound isolated rooms.

NOISE CONTROL
Environment technologies

RESULTS for NOISE CONTROL

Mounting an absorbent roof or ceiling in a room will in

general give a noise reduction of between 3 and 5 dB.
Exceptionally, up to 10 dB can be obtained.
Damping of vibration of small production machines by
applying damping material can give between 3 and 10 dB
attenuation.
Factory-made screens can reduce noise from between 5
and 15 dB.
Noise control of new projects can be difficult to manage and
implement, but very cost-effective at the long term.