Introduction
Sound pollution has been a hazard that goes unnoticed. It is invisible, despite its presence on land and under the water. Geravandi et al. (2015) highlighted the significance of sound pollution in terms of the physical and psychological consequences on people. Additionally, noise has a detrimental effect on aquatic and terrestrial environments. Noise-related health hazards are associated with road transport (Jariwala et al., 2017; Gupta et al., 2018). In other terms, noise health impacts refer to the adverse health implications of excessive noise. (Abtahi-Eivary et al., 2021). Noise is a source of stress that has an adverse effect on the autonomic nerve and endocrine systems.
Sound pollution is defined as any undesirable or distressing sound that has an adverse effect on the health and people’s well-being of and other animals (Kamdar et al., 2017). This research study is essential to the health and well-being of individuals with ADHD because it adds to the ongoing conversation about how sound pollution impacts the health of these individuals. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that results in considerable impairment of a child’s functioning as a result of excessive lack of attention and distractibility on the one hand, and extreme hyperactivity or impulsivity on the other.
Sound pollution and its effects on health is a constantly expanding area of research. Thus, it is crucial to conduct studies that will help further the knowledge on the link between the two (sound pollution and health, especially on the individuals with ADHD). Therefore, this paper explores the concept of sound pollution, the causes of sound pollution, and its effects on the health of people with ADHD. Further, this paper will also strive to delve deep to explore the various ways of solving these issues with sound pollution.
Literature Review
A total of 7 articles confirmed that there is indeed a significant link between sound pollution and health concerns. The main findings of this literature review revealed that transportation and development are major causes of sound pollution, as studied in 2 of the seven studies. Effects of sound pollution on individuals with ADHD were identified in 5 of the seven studies. There is an abundance of literature available investigating the causes and effects of sound pollution on wildlife and human health. However, the focus on the impacts of pollution of sound on individuals with ADHD is more limited, especially among school-going children. Thus the link between sound pollution and the health of individuals with ADHD is the focus of this study.
Causes of Sound Pollution
Belle (2021) demonstrated that automobiles as the primary cause of sound pollution around school premises, followed by religious activities. In this study, data was collected from 377 respondents. The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of noise pollution on students’ academic performance in Kano Urban Local Government Areas employing a research design that is descriptive. According to the students’ comments, the research identified hearing loss as the primary adverse effect of sound pollution, with deafness being the least adverse effect. Additionally, the report emphasizes public education and government initiatives, as seen by legislative enactments and implementations, as measures for reducing noise pollution.
Noise from automobiles has a wide range of adverse impacts on the population that is exposed. Nazneen et al. (2020) performed research in metropolitan regions of Peshawar, Pakistan, with the goal of evaluating the causal association involving sound pollution and perceived health complaints, with a particular emphasis on psychological symptoms. The research surveyed individuals exposed to noise pollution from automobiles, including schoolchildren, area residents, police officers, shops, and drivers, using a questionnaire survey. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the data. The research found a stronger correlation between noise sensitivity and subjective health problems like headaches, weariness, and psychological symptoms, including irritability and displeasure, than there was with occupation, age, or gender.
Effects of Sound Pollution on People with ADHD
People who have ADHD are often affected by noisy surroundings (Adekunle et al., 2021). Sahmurova and Gursesli’s (2020) research investigated the association between ADHD and sound pollution. The research included 622 students from Istanbul Oka University and employed the Adult Self Report Scale. Sahmurova and Gursesli (2020) found that the average score for hyperactivity and impulsivity among Wellness Center participants was considerably greater than the average score among Humanities and Social Sciences participants. Another substantial variation in terms of location was discovered between individuals’ overall ADHD score averages. Participants from the Wellness Center outperformed those from the Department of Social Sciences and Humanities by a significant margin.
Forns et al. (2016) examined the effects on schoolchildren’s behavioral development when exposed to air pollutants that are related to traffic and noise while in school. Children aged 7–11 years were examined within Barcelona, Spain, between 2012 and 2013 as part of the BREATHE initiative. At two different 1-week campaigns, the elemental’s concentration of carbon (EC), nitrogen dioxide, and black carbon was measured inside and outdoors at schools. The study also evaluated levels of noise inside classrooms during one campaign. To examine a child’s behavioral development, parents completed the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ). Simultaneously, instructors completed the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD in order to examine particular ADHD symptoms. The connections between exposure and the scores for behavioral development were estimated using negative mixed-effects binomial models. Children’s exposure to air and sound pollution was connected with an increase in behavioral issues in 7- to 11-year-old school-going children living in Barcelona. Exposure to noise while at school has been linked to an increase in symptoms of ADHD.
Essers et al. (2022) performed a comprehensive review of the rising exposure to the environment and its relationship to behavioral, impulsive, and symptoms of ADHD in children. The authors sought to establish a link between prenatal and early exposure to ambient noise and behavioral, impulsive, and symptoms that are related to ADHD in using two birth cohorts of children in Europe. Five hundred thirty-four youngsters from the INMA-Sabadell Project in Spanish and 7424 youngsters in the Generation of Dutch R Research were included in the study. During pregnancy and infancy, the average 24-hour exposure to noise pollution at the home of the participants was assessed using EU maps of automobile noise and total noise originating from vehicles, airplanes, trains, and industry. The research found no link between prenatal or early exposure to road traffic or overall noise pollution exposure and outcomes of symptoms in children.
Adekunle et al. (2021) did another systematic investigation on the factors of sound pollution within a given region based on the distance between individuals and their various sound sources. The authors’ objective was to determine noise level, intensity levels of sound, emitted power, noise dosage, and amount of noise pollution. They measured noise levels in the research using sound level meters and dosimeters. This research was focused on 15 places within the Lagos state environment where residents were most affected by noise. The research discovered that when the hearer was closer to the sound sources, the sound intensity and pressure levels were greater.
The research discovered that the greatest amounts of sound pressure were seen in event centers, marketplaces, and religious sites. Additionally, the review revealed that event centers of events and schools were the primary and secondary sources of noise pollution, respectively. The study discovered that hearers exposed to the greatest pressures of sounds and sound intensities were also more likely to suffer from long-term health problems including headache, muscle pain, fear, sleeplessness, exhaustion, inattentiveness, and hearing impairment.
Children and teenagers can be more susceptible to the environmental factors like noise pollution, that may have a detrimental effect on mental health. Schubert et al. (2019) used a meta-analytic technique to examine the influence of traffic noise on behavior and emotions in children and teenagers. These studies mostly employed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and primarily focusing on European school-going children and teenagers ages 9–10 and 15–17 years. The research showed that noise from traffic has an influence on hyperactivity/inattention and overall problems.
Solutions to Reduce Sound Pollution
The available literature concurs that the governments have a role to play in curbing sound pollutions by enacting and implementing sound pollution laws. Awareness of the effects of noise pollution is important in curbing this enemy Adekunle et al., (2021). Environmental education, where young people are being educated about the ways of keeping the environment safe for living, was also highlighted by Sahmurova and Gursesli (2020) as an effective way of reducing the effects of sound pollution.
Discussion
With the focus on the causes of sound pollution, it is evident from the study that road traffic noise is a major cause of sound pollution. Indeed, road traffic noise was identified as the major contributor to psychological, mental, and physical disturbances and stress in individuals with ADHD. Belle (2020) collected data from 377 participants through the use of questionnaires. This study illustrated how sound pollution from automobiles adversely impacts the health of individuals. The study by Belle (2020); Nazneen et al. (2020) is, therefore, sufficient to warrant a conclusion that automobiles significantly contribute to sound pollution, especially in the urban context, because they used larger samples, thereby contributing to the reliability of the results.
It is clear from the reviewed studies that sound pollution adversely affects individuals with ADHD. Sound pollution was linked with increased behavioral problems in children at school (Forn, 2016; Sahmurova & Gursesli, 2020; Essers et al., 2022). They found that noise exposure resulted in increased symptoms of ADHD.
The most impressive study was that by Schubert et al. (2019). The study aimed at evaluating the impacts of noise from traffic on behavioral and emotional disorders in children and adolescents using a meta-analytic approach. The study excluded studies with low methodological quality to conduct a sensitivity analysis and to help reduce the potential study bias. It is clear from the conducted literature review that sound pollution indeed has a significant impact on the health of individuals with ADHD.
Conclusion
This paper aimed to discuss the impacts of sound pollution on ADHD individuals. The reviewed literature suggests that environmental sound pollution significantly affects individuals with ADHD physically, emotionally, and psychologically, leading to diseases including hearing loss, headaches, and stress. Individuals should, therefore, opt for other transport means such as bicycles instead of automobiles to help reduce sound pollution in the environment. The government also should introduce and enforce regulations on sound pollution.
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