Drives Me Crazy : Tackling Noise Pollution

There’s no escaping it in the city: cars and lorries rumbling by in the streets, pneumatic drills and construction equipment hammering away, grasscutters buzzing over the sidewalk. Even indoors you might not be safe, with a hubbub of human voices chattering away, and the drone of air conditioners and photocopy machines in the office. Just how much noise is too much?

- Rachel Soon

Ask any child under 8 years of age to give an example of what “pollution” is, and you’ll likely hear about smoke in the air; about teh tarik coloured rivers; about piles of garbage spilling out from torn plastic bags onto sidewalks, roads, and the depths of every drain. There’s no denying their existence, or their impact on the well-being of human beings and the environment. But one form of pollution – noise – while far less visible, has some tangible impacts on our health as well.

What does noise actually do to the body?

“That sound drives me nuts!” “It’s too noisy to sleep!” “I can’t concentrate with that racket outside!” Rest assured that it’s not just you and your inability to tune things out: scientific studies have verified that prolonged exposure to noise can have a multitude of measurable physiological effects, including increasing blood pressure, disrupting sleep, reducing the capacity of your brain to process things, and causing hormonal fluctuations.

“Ah, I’m fine with noise. I just tune it out.” But take note that just because you can deal with it mentally, doesn’t mean it’s not affecting your body. Studies of office workers who somehow manage to maintain their usual level of productivity under increased noise have also shown that even though they seem to be tuning it out, their bodies still have to churn out extra effort (and are under extra stress) in order to keep it up.