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Great editorial about the effects of noise pollution on people in populated areas, and from a source who would know; Burma, or Myanmar, a country with over 55 million people crammed into a relatively small space:
The Manipur Pollution Control Board has been making efforts to lessen pollution in this fast growing city of ours. However one dimension of pollution seems to be neglected comparatively speaking, and that is noise pollution. Most citizens are unaware that prolonged exposure to noise pollution can lead to deafness or hearing impairment.
To get a clearer picture of the menace of noise pollution let us get down to a few facts. Noise is measured by its loudness and the technical measuring unit is decibel (dB).
The quietness we get in a library is surprisingly measured at 30 dB. Perhaps the flipping of pages are responsible for that. The quietness in a garden, far from the madding crowd, is slightly higher.
It is not known how many decibles are registered by a nagging wife. But it is bound to make a few neighbours raise their eyebrows and plead for calm. However Rip Van Winkle left his wife and slept in quiet and solitude for twenty years.
On the other hand a pair of young lovers will of course, make sure that at least sound does not betray their presence.
City traffic, heard from inside a car is measured at 85 dB. A police whistle is measured above 90 dB. The level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss is between 90-95 dB.
What is of concern, particularly related to our children, is that even short term exposure to excessive loudness can cause permanent damage.
more at The Menace of Noise Pollution.
I have moved from a couple of different apartments because of the associated noise pollution from busy streets or freeway noises, and I can’t work with super loud music on (although a little white noise is actually useful for me).
What are some of the biggest noise polluters where you live?
Mental Flowers 
Although loud noise that endangers our hearing is a genuine concern, even noise that is not dangerously loud can cause serious health effects, a fact which is now starting to gain more widespread recognition. Annoying noises (barking dogs, traffic, neighbors’ activities) provoke a stress reaction that affects our bodies and minds in many ways and can actually shorten our life span. If the noise interrupts our sleep, the reduction in restful sleep has its own chain of further negative effects that threaten our health and safety.
It’s good to see that the problem of noise is getting more attention. It affects our well-being more than we might realize, and if we can reduce the amount of noise in our lives, we will be that much healthier and happier.