Pollution itself is anything that is harmful to living things  or the environment (National Geographic). Pollution can take on different forms including  trash, light, smoke, and plastics. With technology growing and the human population growing even faster, there has been a drastic  increase in buildings and companies being built. While this may seem like a good thing that cities are beginning to grow, it actually does have a few costs with it; one of those being noise pollution. 

• Noise pollution is harmful to both humans and a variety of animals. Noise pollution has been shown to cause sleeping problems for humans that live near larger cities where traffic, construction and the use of cars and airplanes are ongoing 24/7. Along with humans facing the negative effects of man-made noise, animals are just as prone to experience these effects. Considering that all animals have their own way of perceiving the world, they will all experience the side effects of noise pollution in different ways. These side effects for various animals can range from chronic stress, habitat reduction, miscommunication, and distraction. 

• Birds are affected by noise pollution in a multitude of ways, but the most well-known and studied is the effect on their song. According to authors David A. Luther and  Elizabeth P. Derryberry, " We show that white-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys, song increased in minimum frequency between 1969 and 2005 in San Francisco, California, U.S.A., coincident with rising levels of traffic noise." This study that had steady recordings and observations for 36 years showed that the song of White-crowned Sparrows did in fact change over time in response to the growing environment. Along with their song changing due to man-made noise, their reproductive habits are being affected as well. A study done that involved analyzing nests from 142 species spread across North America showed that because of noise pollution disrupting normal daily cues, birds would begin nesting a month earlier than normal in environments like wetlands, grasslands, and forests (National Science Foundation 2020).  This early nesting in turn can cause chicks to be born before there is food available and those baby chicks chances of surviving will decrease significantly. 

• Unfortunately, urbanization is an ever growing situation that affects all birds around the world. Like mentioned above, there is evidence that shows that birds that live in wetlands, grasslands, and forests are being directly negatively affected due to noise pollution. Since loud noise is produced in most parts of the world from the overall growing population of humans, it appears there is not an age demographic or specific species that is specifically suffering from noise pollution. There is also no evidence that shows that there is a specific period in the year that they are most affected by noise pollution. 

• In our society, it would be near impossible to completely eliminate noise pollution, but we can definitely try to help reduce it around nature.  Possible solutions for this reduction in noise pollution could be to be more mindful of placement of new buildings and roads, reducing traffic near nature, and education on the effects of noise pollution to people. By being more mindful of where our roads and buildings are placed in relation to the living animals nearby, this would decrease the chances of birds and other animals being affected by the man-made noise. As for spreading the education on noise pollution, this would encourage people to be more mindful of their contribution to noise pollution and possibly raise their interest in being advocates for the reduction of this kind of pollution. 

• Because noise pollution does not accumulate like plastics or oil spills, it can be controlled easier. By using some of the solutions mentioned above, this would definitely serve as an effective way to reduce some of the noise that animals are exposed to.  

• Although there are some good ways to combat noise pollution, not everyone is caring about the animals we share our earth with. Possible roadblocks to preventing noise pollution is the fact that some companies care more about money than they do about the environment. The best way to combat this is to continue to spread awareness and build connections with leaders to create policies to protect our environment. 

• There are groups like Noise Pollution Clearing House, Noise Free America, International Ocean Noise Coalition, and Central Pollution Control Board that work hard to raise funds and spread the word on noise pollution.  

» 4 Ways that Noise Pollution Can Impact Wildlife (and 4 Ways to Help) (wildlifehc.org) 

Birdsongs keep pace with city life: changes in song over time in an urban songbird affects communication - ScienceDirect

Construction Industry Statistics and Trends 2022 (toolsense.io)

Direct and indirect effects of noise pollution alter biological communities in and near noise-exposed environments | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (royalsocietypublishing.org)

Effects of experimentally elevated traffic noise on nestling white-crowned sparrow stress physiology, immune function and life history | Journal of Experimental Biology | The Company of Biologists

What Does “Noise Pollution” Mean? (scirp.org)

noise-pollution-20160728-1300px.png (1300×1839) (science.org.au) 

Environmental Noise Pollution in the United States: Developing an Effective Public Health 

Response | Environmental Health Perspectives | Vol. 122, No. 2 (nih.gov)

Pollution (nationalgeographic.org)

Noise pollution (cell.com)

Sparrows Actually Change Their Tune To Sing Over the Noise Of the City - Bloomberg

David A. Luther and Elizabeth P. Derryberry (2012). “Birdsongs keep pace with city life: changes in song over time in an urban songbird affects communication.” Volume 83, Issue 4, Pages 1059-1066, Birdsongs keep pace with city life: changes in song over time in an urban songbird affects communication - ScienceDirect

Sienna Malik (2021). “4 Ways that Noise Pollution Can Impact Wildlife (and 4 Ways to Help).” Wildlife Habitat Council. » 4 Ways that Noise Pollution Can Impact Wildlife (and 4 Ways to Help) (wildlifehc.org).

Masayuki Senzaki, Taku Kadoya and Clinton D. Francis (2020).”Direct and indirect effects of noise pollution alter biological communities in and near noise-exposed environments.” Direct and indirect effects of noise pollution alter biological communities in and near noise-exposed environments | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (royalsocietypublishing.org)

Ondi L. Crino, Erin E. Johnson, Jessica L. Blickley, Gail L. Patricelli, Creagh W. Breuner (2013). “Effects of experimentally elevated traffic noise on nestling white-crowned sparrow stress physiology, immune function and life history.” Volume 216. Issue 11. Direct and indirect effects of noise pollution alter biological communities in and near noise-exposed environments | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (royalsocietypublishing.org)

Alice Elizabeth González (2014). What Does “Noise Pollution” Mean? Volume 5. Scientific Research Open Access. What Does “Noise Pollution” Mean? (scirp.org)

Monica S. Hammer, Tracy K. Swinburn, and Richard L. Neitzel (2014). “Environmental Noise Pollution in the United States: Developing an Effective Public Health Response.” Environmental Health Perspectives. Volume 122. Environmental Noise Pollution in the United States: Developing an Effective Public Health Response | Environmental Health Perspectives | Vol. 122, No. 2 (nih.gov)

“Pollution.” (n.d.). National Geographic. Pollution (nationalgeographic.org)

Hans Slabbekoorn (n.d.). “Quick Guide Noise Pollution. Current Biology Magazine. Noise pollution (cell.com)

Emily Badger (2012). “Sparrows Actually Change Their Tune To Sing Over the Noise Of the City.” Citylab Culture. Sparrows Actually Change Their Tune To Sing Over the Noise Of the City - Bloomberg