NOISE POLLUTION STUDIES IN A SUGAR FACTORY

Abstract

Noise is defined as an unwanted sound. It may be annoying, it may interfere with speech commun ca :ion and under certain conditions; it may affect the behaviour of the person exposed to it. At high levels, it may produce temporary he t r._rlq loss and if the exposure is prolonged at these levels, it may produce permanent hearing loss, It also affects the work effic? ,ncy. In- the present study undertaken in a sugar factory located in Western Uttar Pradesh, sound, level. dB (,A) were observed to be within 80 dB (A) to 105 dB(A),. This shows that there exists a noise pollution problem in the factory, as according to 0.S HA 1970, permissible noise ex_~osure for 8 hours is 90 dB(). Also high peaks of sound pressure level in the range of 2 •k z to S kHz, which is most annoying, were observed at many locations. It has been found, frotn the questionnaire survey that the :effects - produced by high noise level exposure were influenced by the general.health condition of workers. Workers having good general health were found J to be more resistant to the tdver se effects of high noise level exposures while vo rkrs having general health below aver ace ore ior sus cotihle to the detrimental effects of hiçh nsa Jevela1 The main physiolocjicai effects repote by the woTkers in the stucy &:co, e - inçt 1oss occurrence Off ha aache, sleep intcerence and iien'1oTy loso A total of 134 workers .vere inerv.cwed, out of vhich 55.2 / of the workers rspo:tod hoarinc ability slightly blü; noraal while 3.7 of th .0:ckeis reported it very ruch b1ow normal . Occurrence of headache was i'ojortec by 39.5 of the worc:s as sleep interference c. n ne FlO17 loss were :ceporee O'T 23. 1 > and 17.2 of he v!orkers re;poctively