Lesson Fourty-Seven: Noise Pollution
At any given time, there are 60,000 commercial ships in the ocean. Each of them put 190 decibels of sound energy in the water.
That’s about as loud as a rocket taking off.
This is a major problem for marine animals, which rely on sound, not sight, to survive.
WHAT IS NOISE POLLUTION?
Regular exposure to elevated sound levels that may lead to adverse effects in humans or other living organisms.
AKA: Annoying or harmful levels of noise.
HOW IS IT MEASURED?
Sound is measured in decibels (dB). Zero decibels is the quietest sound a healthy human ear can detect. Each 10 dB difference represents a tenfold increase in intensity.
It is deemed unsafe when you are exposed to 90 dB or higher.
EXAMPLES OF DECIBEL LEVELS:
SOFT (30-40 dB): 🤫Whisper
MODERATE (50-60 dB): 🗣Normal Conversation, 🍽Dishwasher
LOUD (70-80 dB): ⏰Alarm Clocks, 🚗Traffic
VERY LOUD (90-110 dB) DANGEROUS OVER 30 MIN: 🧰Power Tools, 🎸Concert, 🏀 Sporting Event, 💇🏽♀️ Hair Dryer
NOT COMFY (120 dB) DANGEROUS OVER 30 SEC: ✈️ Jet Plane Taking Off
PAINFUL/DANGEROUS (130 dB+): 🎇Fireworks, 🚑 Ambulances, 🔫 Gun Shots
Source: Australian Academy of Science
IMPACTS ON: HUMANS
Apart from being annoying, exposure to long periods of noise, or extremely loud noises can cause:
🤯 stress
🤔 poor concentration
⌛️ productivity loss
🗣 communication difficulties
😴 fatigue
😷 cardiovascular disease
🤕 cognitive impairment
👂 tinnitus
🚫 hearing loss
IMPACTS ON: OCEAN LIFE
Noise works differently underwater. Sound travels much faster in the water than in the air.
With that knowledge, there are thousands of oil drills, sonars, seismic survey devices, coastal recreational watercraft and shipping vessels populating our waters - causing a serious issue for marine life.
A few examples:
🐋 whales are known to beach themselves shortly after exposure to extreme underwater noise, often leading to their deaths.
🐬🐳 cetaceans like whales and dolphins communicate using sound, which is disrupted by machine-made noise.
🦀🐠 fish and crustaceans eggs are negatively effected by noise leading to higher death rates. Not to mention their ears get extensive damage.
IN CONCLUSION
Our planet is getting louder and the more noise we add to it, the higher the toll will be on our population/wild life.
If you're looking for more resources, WWF and NOAA are great organizations to google.
Let me know if you have any follow up questions or thoughts about the lesson!
