Noise pollution “quietly” kills
By Dr. Philip S. Chua
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 08:49:00 04/11/2011
Filed Under: Health
REPRINT THIS ARTICLE
SEND AS AN E-MAIL
POST A COMMENT
Share
RELATED ARTICLES
Nitrogen pollution costing Europe from $100B to $460B--study
Condoms one way PH can stop AIDS, says UN
Pacific nations battle obesity epidemic
Prisoners’ deaths in General Santos alarm families
Japan PM expresses regret over radioactive release
OFWs among new HIV cases, says solon
Meet Robo-Doc
China expands ban on Japan food
Judy Ann’s new commitment
ALSO IN THIS SECTION
Gestalt
Swerte pa si PB Member Teban
Partnership for better infrastructure
Worthy Tanodbayan
Joavan’s comeuppance
Bulls are back
When deeds speak
In need of creativity
Healing the water
Limiting, not eliminating fat
No idling ordinance a must
ADVERTISEMENT
A READER was asking how deleterious noise was to health. She complained that blasting karaoke revelry from a restaurant five houses down from her home, even beyond midnight, was causing her whole family and the neighborhood from getting a good night sleep, night
after night. It?s bad enough to have blaring car engine and tooting horns, inconsiderate people on the street shouting and laughing or even partying past ten, she added.
This is not an isolated incident or complaint. Noise pollution is an epidemic all over the city and in many other cities and towns, in spite of our national environmental laws curtailing such.
As a matter of fact, in the United States, and in many countries, it is socially unacceptable to make telephone calls after 10 at night, and
before 8 a.m., except for emergencies or urgent matters, or when pre-arranged, with mutual consent.
A World Health organization study reported that ?noise, according to the has always been such an important environmental problem, that even in ancient Rome, rules existed to regulate the noise caused by iron wagon wheels turning on stone pavements, which disrupted sleep and annoyed people ?. In Medieval Europe, certain cities banned horse carriages and horseback riding at night to ensure that inhabitants would get a good night?s sleep.?
We must indeed respect other people?s privacy and personal rights to have peace and
domestic tranquility, at the very least, during those ten hours, as stipulated by our laws.
Besides, noise pollution is unhealthy and sleep is very important to health.
During other hours, noise pollution, which means sound level beyond the comfortable
level, is, obviously, bad for our body. This is why construction workers wear ear plugs, noise screen, or headsets. Reasonable noise from
construction or home repairs, and other public noise is allowed only between before 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. to allow people to rest.
While we have been accustomed to street noise in our daily life, like noise from backyard parties, from car (especially those with defective mufflers), motorcycle, or tricycle engines, sirens, loud car music from inconsiderate and insecure people or electronic stores, noisy dogs and
other animals, chronic noise pollution leads to increase secretion of adrenalin in the body causing higher blood pressure, general stress to our body, especially to the immune system. All these lower our body resistance to many forms of illnesses in subtle ways, beyond our awareness, realization, or suspicion. We take all this noise as normal and harmless, but they are
actually unhealthy.
A study released by the World Health Organization on August 2007 ?suggest that thousands of people around the world may be dying prematurely or succumbing to disease due to the insidious effects of chronic noise exposure.? There is no question that constant exposure to noise or any unwanted sound, even loud
human voice, is hazardous to health.
Several studies revealed that noise ?kills in much the same way as chronic stress by causing an accumulation of stress hormones, inflammation, and changes in body chemistry that eventually lead to problems such as impaired blood circulation and heart attacks.? The adverse
effects on the body and its immune system take place even if we are not consciously aware of the noise or even when we are asleep, because our body reacts physiologically even while we are not awake.
Clinical research in Europe also showed that ?chronic and excessive traffic noise, for instance, accounted for three percent of deaths from chronic heart disease, which kills about seven million people in the world each year,? which translates to mean that ?210,000 of these deaths may actually be due to unwanted noise.? Much like air pollution, noise, beyond the comfortable decibels, leads to slow death, whether we realize it or not. It is so subtle and generally accepted by default, most of us do not even recognize that noise is unhealthy and dangerous. It ?quietly? takes a toll on our health and well-being gradually as time goes by. Chronic noise pollution also harms wildlife, not only humans, and disturbs normal ecological activities in general.
The Noise Abatement Act
Noise control in public in the United States dramatically became more effective when it passed the?National Environmental Policy Act?(NEPA) in 1969 and the Noise Pollution and Abatement Act, more commonly known as the Noise Control Act (NCA), in 1972.
The city of Portland, Oregon, has the most strict ordinance, instituted to aggressively protect its citizens, which fines offenders $5,000 per infraction, with provision that allows the authority to cite a responsible noise code violators multiple times in a single day.
Most countries have their own laws to control noise. Japan was pioneer in this regard, a few years ahead of the United States, but its anti-noise pollution laws are not as comprehensive as those in the United States. The Philippine Congress is currently updating and upgrading its laws on noise control to protect its citizens.
No piece of legislation, no matter how
stringent it may be, will be effective unless
seriously and justly implemented with due
prudence, and without delay. If you are a victim of this noise ?epidemic,? report it to the Police or to the appropriate town official, day or night. The law is on your side.
If you think about it, what our society needs more than laws is our individual sense of responsibility, justice, consideration, and our love for our neighbors, our fellowmen. We were all taught these virtues in the kindergarten and they are also glaringly clear in the Decalogue, The Ten Commandments.
What more do we need?