Unit 3.2 Noise Pollution: A Hazard to Physical and Mental Well-Being

Practice flashcards covering definitions, physiological concepts, and empirical findings regarding noise pollution and its effects on physical and mental well-being.

Noise

Sound defined by the listener and researchers as unwanted, uncontrollable, unpredictable, and disturbing.

Frequency

The physical speed at which sound waves vibrate, which accounts for the human psychological interpretation of pitch.

Intensity

The physical property of sound waves represented by the crests of the vibrations, which accounts primarily for the human perception of loudness.

A scale (dBA)

A modified decibel scale ranging from $0\text{ to }200\,\text{dBA}$ that compensates for higher-pitched sounds to accurately reflect human loudness perception, where an increase of $10\,\text{decibels}$ represents a doubling of volume heard.

Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers (HEAR)

An organization founded by Kathy Peck of San Francisco dedicated to the prevention of hearing impairment in musicians and listeners of amplified music.

OSHA allowable exposure level

The occupational standard established by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration permitting sound exposure up to $90\,\text{dBA}$ for an $8\text{-hour}$ workday.

Stress response (to noise)

A complex set of physiological reactions triggered by unwanted sound, including elevated blood pressure, excessive hormone secretion, altered heart rhythm, and slowed digestion.

Learned helplessness

A psychological reaction occurring when individuals believe nothing can be done to eliminate intrusive noise and passively submit to it, which exacerbates physiological stress responses.

Non-auditory health effects

Physical health consequences of noise exposure beyond hearing loss, with the strongest scientific evidence established for hypertension and ischemic heart disease.

Resilient rubber pads

Track abatement technology installed by the New York City Transit Authority that reduced classroom noise by $6\text{ to }8\,\text{dBA}$ and eliminated reading deficits between quiet-side and noisy-side students.

Federal Interagency Committee on Aviation Noise (FICAN)

A U.S. interagency group that held a February $2000$ symposium in San Diego and issued a report confirming that aircraft noise impedes children's reading and math learning.

Disamenity

A quantitative economic model metric used by Komanoff and Shaw to translate noise into monetary losses, estimating over $\\$900\,\text{million}$$ in annual losses to beachgoers caused by jet skis.