Noise pollution is excessive, unwanted, or harmful environmental sound that interferes with normal activities or may adversely affect health and well-being.
Noise is a normal part of everyday life, but it becomes a health concern when its intensity, duration, timing, frequency, or intrusiveness interferes with sleep, communication, concentration, hearing, or quality of life.
Noise pollution does not have to be painfully loud. Persistent traffic, construction, machinery, amplified music, or nighttime neighborhood noise can be important environmental exposures even when people gradually become accustomed to them.
QUICK FACT
Getting used to a noise does not necessarily mean that the body is no longer being exposed to it.
COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH
- Occupational noise exposure: noise exposure specifically associated with work or the workplace.
- Sound: a physical phenomenon; noise generally refers to sound considered unwanted, disruptive, or harmful.
- Noise-induced hearing loss: a specific hearing condition that can result from excessive noise exposure, rather than the environmental exposure itself.
SEE ALSO
