Effects of acoustic pollution on health

Abstract

The physical parameters of sound amplitude, frequency and phase are received by the human senses as loudness, pitch, timbre and duration. The interest focuses on determining the threshold between the use of sound as a communication tool and enjoy and its conversion into an element of aggression. Noise pollutant pressure acoustic waves impact in the ear when its intensity exceeds its defensive mechanisms and cause hearing loss (typically affecting the 4,000 Hz). But still there are some extra-auditory pathways to the hippocampus and reticuloendothelial system, responsible for the other noise effects such as physical-somatic (cardiovascular, hormonal, respiratory, sleep, gastrointestinal), emotional, psychological (discomfort, alterations in the learning and performance) and psychiatric problems. The component of the low-frequency vibration noise causes discomfort and disorders too.