Noise pollution or environmental noise is displeasing human, animal or machine created sound that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life. Noise is an environmental stressor and levels are rising. Noise can be frustrating and harmful to our well being. People feel disturb into their physical privacy, the space for our thoughts and emotions which we have marked out as our own. At higher levels noise can be undesirable because it interferes with hearing and at even higher levels it can damage our hearing. Sound is measured in decibels (dB). Below 80 to 85 dB is generally considered to be safe, but ongoing low-level noise may be stressful for some individuals. The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) industrial noise exposure limit recommedation is 75 dB. The noise threshold for pain is about 120 dB. Do you realise that the simplest activity in our daily life is a noise pollution? For example sounds from vehicle during traffic jam. Some familiar noises and their loudness are listed below:
| Source of noise | Sound level in dB |
| Breathing | 10 |
| Rustle of leaves | 15 |
| Whisper | 20 |
| Speech | 60 |
| Alarm clock | 70 |
| Traffic | 60 to 90 |
| Diesel or Electric Train | 80 |
| Truck | 90 |
| Food blender | 95 |
| Pneumatic drill (at 3 metres) | 110 |
| Propeller driven aircraft (at 30 metres) | 120 |
| Jet aircraft (at 30 metres) | 140 |
| Jet (taking off and flying overhead at 450 m) | 108 |
| Rocket launch ing | 180 |
