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Noise Annoyance - Introduction
Noise is sound at the wrong place and time. You probably respond to the sound of a waterfall with enjoyment, but you are very likely annoyed about the frequent noise of the many aircraft passing overhead – regardless whether both noise events have exactly the same sound intensity level. In other words, whether a sound is annoying is determined by the interpretation of the listener.
People often believe that they will become accustomed to noise. Recent scientific audiological tests and studies suggest, however, that this is not the case. The process of hearing is continuous and persists even during sleep. While people may become less startled and perhaps more tolerant to expected noises, it may take several years before some form of physical habituation takes place.
Noise is annoying when it directly interferes with one's activities such as communication or sleep. It may indirectly evoke feelings of displeasure when it disrupts one's peace of mind or negatively effects the enjoyment of one's property and solitude.
Characterizing a particular sound as annoying doesn't, however, always describe best the negative responses of a person. Short of impacting on someone's health, noise can incite anger, agitation, irritation, distress, helplessness, anxiety, and even depression. Noise can have such a significant impact on the quality of someone's life that the person or persons involved find it necessary to escape by moving house.
Scientists work on models that incorporate many of the individual factors that make up community noise problems. Despite this, there is no practical system that measures and substantiates such subjective noise events. The authorities of different countries have, therefore, different regulations for different situations such as regulations for maximum noise levels of aircraft noise, traffic noise, noise in the workplace and permissible noise levels for day and night etc.
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