From the statements below it is unequivocally obvious to me that preventable and intentional noise pollution is causing harm to human health; in the unborn (foetus), children and adults:
“Noise can kill” so says a report by the World Health Organization and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. “Noise has been shown to raise blood pressure and blood-borne concentrations of stress hormones and fatty materials even when people are asleep. These can accumulate over time to block blood vessels and trigger a heart attack”. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20326-noise-kills-and-blights-lives-in-europe.html#.VKol6tKUfVD
On the Government of Ghana Official Portal, Mrs Philomena Boakye Appiah, Brong-Ahafo Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has reiterated the need for strict adherence to environmental regulations and guidelines on noise pollution for the well-being of the people. Mrs Appiah said, “research shows that noise pollution was a risky health hazard and a silent killer, which could induce hypertension and cause blindness. She said noise pollution causes irritability and indigestion and adversely affect the foetus of pregnant women”. http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/2012-02-08-08-32-47/regional/3050-noise-pollution-is-dangerous-health-hazard-epa
On another website The Regional Director disclosed “that noise pollution could cause deafness, blood pressure, indigestion, heartburn, ulcers, heart disease, mental illness, fatigue, damages in the nervous system, increased stress/ irritation, decrease in efficiency at work places, sleep interference, decreased academic performance and indirectly weakens the edifice of buildings and bridges”. http://www.ghanadistricts.com/news/?read=40349&sports
“Repeated exposure to noise during critical periods of development may affect a child’s acquisition of speech, language, and language-related skills, such as reading and listening. The inability to concentrate in a noisy environment can affect a child’s capacity to learn”. http://www.epa.gov/air/noise/ochp_noise_fs_rev1.pdf
“Prolonged exposure to loud noise alters how the brain processes speech, potentially increasing the difficulty in distinguishing speech sounds, according to neuroscientists. Exposure to intensely loud sounds leads to permanent damage of the hair cells, which act as sound receivers in the ear. Once damaged, the hair cells do not grow back, leading to noise-induced hearing loss”. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140731102524.htm
“The most dramatic effects are in heart disease, because exposure to noise can kill people”. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20326-noise-kills-and-blights-lives-in-europe.html#.VKol6tKUfVD
“Changes in the immune system and birth defects have been attributed to noise exposure”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_from_noise
“Effects of noise in pre-school and school aged children include cognitive tasks are impaired, like reading, long term memory, attention and motivation”. http://www.who.int/ceh/capacity/noise.pdf
“Noise can pose a serious threat to a child’s physical and psychological health, including learning and behaviour”. http://www.epa.gov/air/noise/ochp_noise_fs_rev1.pdf
“Sleep Deprivation of just 30 minutes of daily sleep debt raises weight and diabetes risk”. http://www.naturalblaze.com/2015/03/just-30-minutes-of-daily-sleep-debt.html
“Solitary confinement and prolonged sleep deprivation are just two examples of the psychological torture methods”. https://www.icrc.org/eng/assets/files/other/irrc-867-reyes.pdf
“Certain interrogation reports highlight the use of loud music reaching upward of 79 decibels for weeks and even months”. http://www.medicaldaily.com/torture-methods-sound-how-pure-noise-can-be-used-break-you-psychologically-318638
“PROLONGED SLEEP DEPRIVATION CONFIRMED AS A METHOD OF TORTURE. The UN Committee Against Torture (UN CAT) has explicitly identified prolonged sleep deprivation as a method of torture. Sleep deprivation can cause impaired memory and cognitive functioning, decreased short term memory, speech impairment, hallucinations, psychosis, lowered immunity, headaches, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stress, anxiety and depression.” http://waubrafoundation.org.au/resources/public-officials-at-risk-criminal-charges-for-torture-public-statement/
“The Physicians for Human Rights also consider sleep deprivation as well as sensory bombardment with noise to be methods of torture, and list the clinical evidence of the harm to physical and mental health, and the legal precedents to support this opinion in their document “Leave No Marks”. http://waubrafoundation.org.au/resources/public-officials-at-risk-criminal-charges-for-torture-public-statement/
From the table below notice that normal conversation is 60db
“The Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana puts permissible ambient noise levels in residential areas at 55 decibels (db) during the day and 48db at night”.
“Those at and around educational and health facilities was put at 55 db during the day and 50 db at night, while the noise level for areas with commercial or light industrial activities was registered at 60 db and 55 db during the day and night respectively”.
“The new guidelines also permit 65 db noise levels during the day and 60 db during the night for light industrial areas and places of entertainment and public assembly such as churches and mosques”.
“Predominant commercial areas, according to the guidelines, are allowed 70 db during the day and 65 db at night, while the noise level for heavy industrial areas was pegged at70 db during the day and night”. http://thechronicle.com.gh/epa%C2%ADsets%C2%ADguidelines%C2%ADfor%C2%ADnoise%C2%ADmaking/
