Sound pollution is becoming quite a big issue in most built-up areas these days and of late I’ve begun to think that an noise consultant could do something to reduce noise levels.
As it happens, incessant noise pollution is not as much of a problem as sudden peaks & troughs although in the work place, continuous noise that isn’t hugely loud is often a problem and give rise to partial deafness.
Perhaps one of the most significant human aspects of noise is that it has an adverse impact on sleep and continuous low level sleep deprivation is very detrimental to psychological and thus physical well-being.
To an Acoustic engineer this will be familiar territory. They exploit the latest acoustic technology to log decibel levels and pin-point sources of noise. By designing buildings to absorb noise energy they can significantly improve the quality of life for people and thus improve their health as well.
One common problem is due to aeroplane noise levels, especially in proximity to busy international airports like London Heathrow where aircraft come in low over densely populated areas. Even though there usually are some controls on take off and landing times, busy international and national airports effectively operate virtually twenty-four hours a day. Noise consultants are sometimes being used by airport protestors now to monitor volume levels and then to act as experts in environmental impact reports.