Glossary
CDC
The Centers for Disease Control is a U.S. federal agency focused on public health, including research and guidelines related to environmental health impacts like noise.
Example:
The CDC provides guidelines on safe noise exposure levels to protect public health from hearing loss.
Decibel (dB)
The decibel is the logarithmic unit used to measure the intensity or loudness of sound.
Example:
A rock concert can easily exceed 100 dB, which is loud enough to cause immediate hearing damage.
Echolocation
Echolocation is a biological sonar used by animals like bats and dolphins to navigate and hunt by emitting sounds and interpreting the echoes.
Example:
Increased underwater noise pollution can disrupt a dolphin's echolocation, making it difficult for them to find food or communicate.
Green Spaces (Noise Mitigation)
Green spaces, such as parks and areas with dense vegetation, can help mitigate noise pollution by absorbing sound waves and providing a buffer against urban sounds.
Example:
Planting a thick belt of trees around a school can act as a natural green space for noise mitigation, muffling sounds from a busy road.
Hearing Damage
Hearing damage refers to the impairment or loss of hearing ability, often caused by prolonged exposure to loud noises or sudden intense sounds.
Example:
Repeated exposure to loud music without ear protection can lead to permanent hearing damage.
Logarithmic Scale
A logarithmic scale is a nonlinear scale used for measuring quantities that vary over a very wide range, where each step represents a multiplication by a fixed number rather than an addition.
Example:
The decibel scale is a logarithmic scale, meaning a 10 dB increase represents a tenfold increase in sound intensity.
Marine Life Noise Pollution
Marine life noise pollution refers to the adverse impacts of human-generated underwater sounds, such as from shipping or sonar, on aquatic animals.
Example:
Sonar testing by naval vessels can cause marine life noise pollution, disorienting whales and disrupting their migration patterns.
NIOSH
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is a U.S. federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness, including noise-induced hearing loss.
Example:
Construction workers often wear hearing protection recommended by NIOSH to prevent damage from loud machinery.
Noise Barriers
Noise barriers are physical structures, such as walls or fences, designed to block or absorb sound waves and reduce noise transmission from a source to a receiver.
Example:
Building tall noise barriers along highways helps to reduce traffic noise for nearby residential areas.
Noise Pollution
Noise pollution is unwanted or excessive sound that can have adverse effects on human or wildlife health, activity, and well-being.
Example:
The constant hum of traffic outside a city apartment is a common form of noise pollution.
Public Transportation (Noise Mitigation)
Promoting and utilizing public transportation helps mitigate noise pollution by reducing the number of individual vehicles on the road, which collectively produce significant noise.
Example:
Encouraging more people to use trains and buses instead of private cars contributes to public transportation as a noise mitigation strategy.
Quieter Technology
Quieter technology refers to the development and use of machinery, vehicles, and equipment designed to produce less noise during operation.
Example:
The adoption of electric vehicles is an example of promoting quieter technology to reduce urban noise pollution.
Regulations and Standards (Noise Mitigation)
Regulations and standards are governmental rules and guidelines that set limits on acceptable noise levels from various sources, aiming to control and reduce noise pollution.
Example:
City ordinances setting limits on construction hours and equipment noise levels are examples of regulations and standards for noise mitigation.