NOISE POLLUTION: Fact Sheet

WHAT IS NOISE POLLUTION:

Sounds are everywhere. They are in the sky, on land, and even underwater.

They tell us when to wake up, when to open the door, and even when our food

is cooked! Some sounds, such as music or laughter, can make us feel good.

Others, such as a big crash or a loud bang, can make us feel scared.

Sounds are very important but when they get too loud, they can harm us. Loud

or unwanted noises that harm people are called NOISE POLLUTION.

(REFERENCE: Noise Pollution, Zachary Inseth, 1998)

HOW DO VEHICULAR NOISE LEVELS COMPARE?

Noise is measured in decibels. The decibel scale is a logarithmic scale. The intensity or

"power" of a sound doubles roughly every 10 decibel. The noise level on a typical city

street with automobile traffic averages 60-65 db; larger vehicles like heavy trucks and diesel

buses cause noise peaks ranging up to about 90 db. The following chart gives the values on

the decibel scale associated with various types of vehicles; the measurements were made

with the vehicles traveling in urban conditions between 45 and 60 km/h.

Type of Vehicle Noise produced in decibel

Gasoline passenger car 62-67 decibels

Electric trolley bus 60-70 decibels

LRT car 72-75 decibels

Medium-sized truck 73-78 decibels

Urban diesel bus 80-85 decibels

Heavy Truck 80-85 decibels

INFO. from CCR’S APPLICATION

• “...approximately 34 incoming waste loads, can be handled by the combined

Phase I & Phase II facilities at one time.”

• “Actual peak hour incoming waste trucks are estimated to about 22.5 trucks

(45 trips)” in and out of Brockton EACH HOUR!

REF: Page 1-17 CCR Site Suitability Application

RÉFÉRENCE:

http://www.geoci-ties.

com/trolley_co

alition/noise.html

The Truth about Buses, Trucks and Noise

Pollution

"Calling noise a nuisance is like calling smog an inconvenience. Noise must be

considered a hazard to the health of people everywhere."

(William H. Stewart, former U.S. Surgeon General)

Because noise is invisible, its impact on the surrounding environment is often more difficult

to recognize than is the case with chemical pollutants found in the air or water. However,

the effects of noise on our lives are very real. Noise is not a "non-quantifiable" emission and

its effects can no longer be regarded as "indeterminate". It is a misconception that people

can adjust to noise by ignoring it or "getting used to it". The ear never closes and even

responds to sound during sleep!

What does noise do to our health?

- Exposure to noise has been demonstrated to cause a rise in blood pressure (hyper-tension).

There is a correlation between noise exposure and adverse cardiovascular

effects.

- Noise has been linked to gastrointestinal changes and an increase in the use of

antacids, hypnotics, sedatives.

- Noise has been shown to affect mental health. Intermittent noise, even at low levels,

has been shown to make people tense and angry. Noise exposure has been

linked to increased aggression and even violence and suicide.

- Intermittent and impulsive noise is responsible for sleep disturbances. Chronic

sleep disturbance is associated with additional adverse health effects. Persons

whose sleep is continually disturbed by noise are more likely to perceive themselves

as being in poorer health.

_____________________

Typically, city traffic engineers and planners measure the noise generated by

vehicular traffic in a given corridor as an average over a specific time period.

However, this type of measurement is actually misleading in determining the effects

of traffic noise on the community. Noise experts agree that intermittent and impulsive

noise is far more disturbing than continuous noise. Diesel buses and trucks passing

at intervals may exert little influence on average noise levels over a time period, but

the effects on community health produced by the peaks that they create in the noise

level are significant.

(REFERENCE: http://www.geocities.com/trolley_coalition/noise.html)