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Background noise is an important concept in setting noise levels. Background noises include environmental noises such as water waves , traffic noise , alarms , extraneous speech , bioacoustic noise from animals, and electrical noise from devices such as refrigerators , air conditioning , power supplies , and motors .
Sound masking is the inclusion of generated sound (commonly, though inaccurately, referred to as "white noise" or "pink noise") into an environment to mask unwanted sound. It relies on auditory masking. Sound masking is not a form of active noise control (noise cancellation technique); however, it can reduce or eliminate the perception of sound ...
The L90 is the sound level that exceeds 90% of the time period; this is commonly referred to as background noise. [12] Researchers with the US National Park Service found that human activity doubles the background-noise levels in 63 percent of protected spaces like national parks, and increases them tenfold in 21 percent.
86% of people with hearing problems, about 16% of the population, hate piped background music. [5] Like other noise pollution, constant piped music can be a health hazard. It can depress the immune system while raising blood pressure and levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, increasing the risks of strokes or heart attacks. [6]
Electric and hybrid vehicles could reduce noise pollution, but only if those vehicles make up a high proportion of total vehicles on the road; even if traffic in an urban area reached a makeup of fifty percent electric vehicles, the overall noise reduction achieved would only be a few decibels and would be barely noticeable. [12]
Environmental noise is an accumulation of noise pollution that occurs outside. This noise can be caused by transport, industrial, and recreational activities. [1] Noise is frequently described as 'unwanted sound'. Within this context, environmental noise is generally present in some form in all areas of human, animal, or environmental activity.
A noise barrier (also called a soundwall, noise wall, sound berm, sound barrier, or acoustical barrier) is an exterior structure designed to protect inhabitants of sensitive land use areas from noise pollution. Noise barriers are the most effective method of mitigating roadway, railway, and industrial noise sources – other than cessation of ...
Noise, in the context of industrial noise, is hazardous to a person's hearing because of its loud intensity through repeated long-term exposure. In order for noise to cause hearing impairment for the worker, the noise has to be close enough, loud enough, and sustained long enough to damage the hair cells in the auditory system. These factors ...