International Noise Awareness Day

Residents of megacities are forced to put up with not only high levels of air pollution, but also the roar of the city, which does not sleep even at night Sound from passing vehicles or an industrial facility, loud music coming from cafes, restaurants and neighbors' apartments, road works, vehicle signals - all this creates an unfavorable background noise that is harmful to human health In the short term, it leads to a decrease in the productivity of the body, in the long term it causes physiological and mental illnesses In 2011, WHO published a report on the environmental impacts of noise It follows from this that high background noise has a negative effect on life expectancy Representatives of a number of professions are exposed to anthropogenic sounds Aircraft maintenance technicians and employees who work on runways suffer from the effects of aerodynamic noise, just as industrial workers suffer from the noise of operating equipment International Noise Awareness Day was established to attract public attention to acoustic air pollution On the last Wednesday of April, Germany, the USA, Brazil, Italy, Spain and other countries celebrate International Noise Awareness Day Events dedicated to it were first held in 1996 Every year at the end of April, experts give lectures in health departments, schools and universities, open days are held in public institutions for hard of hearing and deaf people, and noise levels are measured in indoor and outdoor spaces Experts in acoustics and otolaryngology conduct free hearing diagnostics and talk about sanitary standards that apply to sound vibrations in the environment At night, the noise level should not exceed 45 decibels, during daylight - 55 dBA The initiator of the International Day is the Center for Hearing and Communication Sound as a physical phenomenon is mechanical vibrations of an elastic medium in the range of frequencies audible to humans The first organ that they encounter on their way is the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for the production of neurons and other processes occurring in the human body Therefore, it is so important to attract public attention to the problem of environmental noise pollution Nature and man are inextricably linked The natural acoustic background for people is gusts of wind, birdsong, and rustling leaves Noise as a result of anthropogenic activity leads to sleep disturbances, cardiovascular diseases, hearing and central nervous system pathologies International Day events not only raise people's awareness of the impact of loud sounds, which interfere with the perception of useful signals, on the human body At seminars and lectures they talk about means of reducing noise levels: sound and vibration insulation of premises and equipment, acoustic screens, personal protective equipment (helmets, headphones and earplugs) and other protective devices