Reducing Noise Pollution Generated by a Hydropower Facility

Abstract

Environmental noise affects a growing number of people and therefore, with the passing of each day, it becomes a major environmental problem. The population is affected both physiologically and psychologically, noise influencing basic activities such as sleep, rest, study and communication. Although these effects on human health are known for a long time, recent research shows that the noise produces effects on humans at lower levels than previously thought. Exposure to noise not only leads to disturbances of hearing, irritation but also to other health problems such as cardiovascular diseases.Environmental noise, that undesirable external noise, is spreading both in urban and in rural areas. It is omnipresent, cannot be avoided and a large part of the population is influenced by its existence.This paper examines the effects produced by a hydropower facility on the surrounding areas, before and after soundproofing its elements likely to produce noise.