What is environmental noise?

Broadly speaking, environmental noise refers to the noise pollution that is produced outside, through numerous sources, including industrial, transport and other recreational activities. Whilst low levels of noise such as the birds chirping, pedestrians on the street and the wind rustling in the trees is not harmful to our hearing or emotional and psychological condition and can create a sense of liveliness, high levels of environmental noise, aka noise pollution, can produce a number of problems, including damage to hearing, disturbance to sleep, anxiety and other stress-related health problems.
Noise management
Through its European directive 2002, the European Union has mapped out a common approach designed for nations to reduce, prevent and avoid the potentially detrimental effects of environmental noise.
The directive calls for noise management strategies and for member states to generate ‘noise maps’ for transport hubs, including airports, major roads, railways and built up urban areas like cities and towns. The directive also requires its member nations to provide the public with information about environmental noise and to consult them of issues involving what is environmental noise and how to control and manage it, delivering environmental noise solutions.
It is in built-up urban areas with heavy populations where environmental noise can be particularly problematic.
Some examples of what is environmental noise include road traffic, industrial sites, animals such as dogs barking, construction work, aircraft noise and entertainment venues.
Different characteristics of environmental noise
Environmental noise also have different characteristics. For example, it may be continuous. Some examples of continuous environmental noise could be the constant whir of road traffic, industrial processes, compressors and extractor fans.
Another characteristic of environmental noise is intermittent noise pollution, which may be caused by transport. For example, trains rushing by or airplanes taking off. Animals such as dogs barking is another example of intermittent environmental noise, as well as certain industrial processes, which might stop and start intermittently.
Broadband is another characteristic of environmental noise, which refers to noise that has a more even tone and is therefore less irritating.
By contrast tonal noise has more dominant, heavy tones that can be extremely irritating.
Environmental noise solutions
The initial phrase of implementing environmental noise solutions would be to carry out noise monitoring processes in order to give you an accurate measurement of the environmental noise an area is exposed to.
The most common way to measure environmental noise is with a sound level meter. Comprising of a microphone, sound level meters are hand-held devices, which are easy to transport, and give you a quick and accurate reading regarding noise levels and environmental noise.
Noise level meters vary in complexity and of course price and depending on the level of detail and accuracy you require for the environmental noise measurement, you may need a more intricate and typically costlier sound level meter.
Once you have accurate assessments of the noise pollution being generated in different areas, you can start looking at implementing environmental noise solutions such as traffic control and liaising with local planning authorities and environmental health departments.