Considerations upon Transposition of Noise Policy into National Legislation

Abstract

Noise pollution is the exposure of humans or animals to sounds of disturbing, stressful or harmful levels. Although scary and loud sounds are a part of nature, only in recent years, due to urbanization, has the world become chronically noisy. Much of the noise pollution comes from cars, automobiles, trucks and airplanes. Construction equipment, agricultural machinery and the amalgam of machinery inside factories can be dangerously noisy. Other objects such as grass cutters, firearms and some toys can also be noisy. Even music, if listened to at a very big volume, especially in headphones, can be as harmful as the noise produced by a chainsaw.The most important health problems, caused by noise pollution, are hearing loss. Most of the rules on noise pollution were established two decades ago and critics are calling for new and stricter measures as well as improving old ones. What is true for other modes of pollution is also true for noise pollution: the best anti-pollution efforts tend only to keep pollution under relative control so that it does not exceed normal limits.