Question

Reena read a newspaper headline “The bigger the city, the bigger the function, the greater the noise!!” and was shocked to hear the effects of the noise pollution on humans.

Which of the following statements related to effects of noise pollution must have been mentioned in the newspaper article?

I. Noise can cause cardiovascular issues like high blood pressure, heart failure, etc.
II. Noise pollution can cause irreversible hearing loss.
III. Children and adults living in noisy environments may face increased psychological stress and anxiety.
IV. It can cause behavioural problems.

• A. I, III and IV only
• B. I, II and III only
• C. I, II, III and IV
• D. I, II and IV only

Answer 1

The correct option is C I, II, III and IV

Noise pollution is defined as exposure to elevated levels of sound and that may have adverse effects on living organisms.

According to the WHO, sound levels < 70 dB does not have an adverse effect on living organisms or cause damage irrespective of the exposure hours.

Sounds that reach 85 decibels or higher can harm a person’s ears, therefore sound range around and beyond 85 decibels are referred as high levels for humans

Noise pollution can leads to the following ill effects :

• Hypertension is the direct result of noise pollution, caused due to elevated blood pressure levels. This may result in various cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction (heart attack), heart failure, stroke, etc. Hence statement I is correct.
• Listening to loud music in headphones, being exposed to loud drilling at nearby sites or heavy traffic can cause irreparable damage to eardrums and can cause permanent hearing loss. Children regularly listening or playing music players at high volume are at risk of developing hearing dysfunction. Hence statement II is correct.
• Loud sounds (noise) can cause sleep disturbances at night and even can turn into behavioural problems and less efficiency at work.
• Children and adults living in noisy environments may face increased psychological stress and anxiety. Noise pollution can cause severe damage from hearing impairment to psychological and physical effects. It can cause behavioural problems like frustration, lack of concentration due to sleep disturbances, etc. Hence statements III and IV are correct.