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 buses and trucks,
cassette players in the buses 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.
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.
110-decibel sounds are created in Dhaka city everyday. 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.
People suffer from nine types of mental diseases for sound pollution.
Sound pollution also affects hearts, blood circulation, food canal and
stomach. 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.
So much awareness is being created about the different types of
pollution, and sound pollution remains to be unnoticed and yet
everyone is affected by it. I strongly believe something must be done
immediately about sound pollution!