Various Causes of Noise Pollution
1. Industrialization
Many companies use large machines that are capable of producing a huge amount of noise. In addition, various devices such as compressors, engines, exhaust fans, grinding mills are also involved in the production of large-scale noise. Therefore, you must have seen workers wearing earplugs in these factories and industries to minimize the impact of noise.

2. Poor Urban Planning
Poor urban planning also plays a vital role in most developing countries. Congested homes, large families sharing small spaces, fighting for parking, constant battles over basic amenities lead to noise pollution that could damage the atmosphere of society.

3. Social Events
Noise is at its height in most social events. Whether it is a marriage, a wedding, a pub, a disk or a place of worship, people usually flout the rules laid down by the local administration and cause nuisance in the city. People play songs in full volume and dance until midnight, making the condition of people living nearby much worse. In markets, you can see people selling clothing by making a loud noise that attracts people's attention.

4. Transportation
A large number of vehicles on the roads, planes flying over the houses, underground trains produce a lot of noise, and it's hard for people to get used to it. The high noise leads to a situation wherein a normal person loses the ability to hear properly.

5. Construction Activities
Construction activities such as mining, construction of bridges, dams, buildings, stations, roads and overflows are taking place in almost every part of the world. These construction activities take place every day as we need more buildings, bridges to accommodate more people and to reduce traffic congestion. The down point is that these construction equipment are too noisy.

6. Household Chores
We people are surrounded by gadgets and use them extensively in our daily life. Gadgets like TV, mobile, mixer grinder, pressure cooker, vacuum cleaners, washing machine and dryer, cooler, air conditioners are minor contributors to the amount of noise that is produced but it affects the quality of life of your neighborhood in a bad way.

While this form of pollution may seem harmless, it, in fact, has far-reaching consequences. The adverse effects on the health of the environment are quite severe. Not only is the local wildlife affected by pollution but humans also face a number of problems due to it.

Effects of Noise Pollution
1. Hearing Problems
Some unexpected sound that our ears have not been programmed to absorb may cause problems within the body. Our ears can take on a variety of sounds without being harmed. Man-made noises such as jackhammers, horns, machinery, airplanes and even vehicles can be too loud for our hearing range. Constant exposure to loud levels of noise can easily result in the damage of our eardrums and loss of hearing. It also reduces our sensitivity to sounds that our ears pick up unconsciously to regulate our body’s rhythm.

2. Health Issues
Excessive noise pollution in working areas such as offices, construction sites, bars and even in our homes can influence psychological health. Studies show that the occurrence of aggressive behavior, disturbance of sleep, constant stress, fatigue, and hypertension can be linked to excessive noise levels. These, in turn, can cause more severe and chronic health issues later in life.

3. Sleeping Disorders
Loud noise can certainly hamper your sleeping pattern and may lead to irritation and uncomfortable situations. Without a good night sleep, it may lead to problems related to fatigue and your performance may go down in the office as well as at home. It is therefore recommended to take a sound sleep to give your body proper rest.

4. Cardiovascular Issues
Blood pressure levels, cardiovascular disease, and stress-related heart problems are on the rise. Studies suggest that high-intensity noise causes high blood pressure and increases heartbeat rate as it disrupts the normal blood flow. Bringing them to a manageable level depends on our understanding of noise pollution and how we tackle it.

5. Trouble Communicating
High decibel noise can put trouble and may not allow two people to communicate freely. This may lead to misunderstanding and you may get difficult understanding the other person. Constant sharp noise can give you a severe headache and disturb your emotional balance.

In a recently conducted study, New Delhi scored an alarming 294 on the Air Quality Index (A unit that measures the rate of air pollution on a scale of 0-500, with higher numbers indicating very poor quality of air). The score revealed that the entire population of the capital city is living under a warning zone, where the adverse impacts of such high levels of air pollution can lead to serious health problems such as asthma, coronary artery disease and other chronic issues. However, rising air and smoke pollution seem to be a recent trend not only in New Delhi, but also in the rest of India. In fact, out of the world’s top 20 most polluted cities, 13 are from India!

In lieu of these grave statistics, it is important to be aware about the ways to safeguard ourselves from the hazards of air pollution. You can protect yourself from the risks of respiratory and cardiac problems, cancer, low-immunity related issues and lung problems, if you follow these 5 simple steps:

You can use an N95 mask: The N95 mask is a protective respiratory mask, designed specifically to filter airborne particles. It may prevent you from inhaling minute particles that the air carries by acting as a protective barrier. Its name, N95, stands for the 95 per cent of very small test particles that the respirator has been designed to block. It can significantly reduce your risk of contracting respiratory illnesses. Simply wear this mask over your nose and mouth while travelling.You can easily purchase this device at your local pharmacy or at certain popular online stores.

Avoid travelling during the hours of heavy pollution: Traffic blocks, which tend to spike air pollution levels, are common during office hours in metropolitans and megacities. To guard yourself from the harmful impact of fuel and smoke emissions, you can choose to travel either just before the office rush hour starts or after it’s over.

Breathe in the fresh morning air: If you open the windows of your home every morning, it encourages the flow of fresh air. This allows all the settled dust particles and indoor pollutants to ventilate, thereby decreasing the level of pollutants in your home. This way you can breathe in fresh and pure air as it is less contaminated during the early hours of the morning. Also, you can try placing an air purifier at home as it may trap contaminants through its replaceable filter, ensuring the quality of air you breathe in at home is healthy and free of pollutants.

Exercise at the right time: If you work out at the time of day when pollution levels are high, polluted air is drawn into your lungs at a higher rate since cardio-vascular exercises entail heavy and deep breathing. So it’s a good idea to pick your workout time wisely. Just after sunrise is an ideal time since the pollution levels are the lowest.

Consume foods and beverages rich in antioxidants: Researchers have found that vitamin C deficiency may cause breathing and immunity-related problems. Regular consumption of berries, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, apples, plums, green tea, oranges, pomegranates, and lemon among other foods may help you in naturally overcoming health impacts of air and smoke pollution. These foods and beverages can help your body build a strong immune system. They may also prove to be powerful antioxidants that help prevent the onset of respiratory diseases.

Although these methods do not entirely curb the ill-effects of air pollution and smoke, they do go a long way in significantly preventing the impacts of air pollutants on your health. So adopt them to the maximum extent you can for a healthier lifestyle.

In a recently conducted study, New Delhi scored an alarming 294 on the Air Quality Index (A unit that measures the rate of air pollution on a scale of 0-500, with higher numbers indicating very poor quality of air). The score revealed that the entire population of the capital city is living under a warning zone, where the adverse impacts of such high levels of air pollution can lead to serious health problems such as asthma, coronary artery disease and other chronic issues. However, rising air and smoke pollution seem to be a recent trend not only in New Delhi, but also in the rest of India. In fact, out of the world’s top 20 most polluted cities, 13 are from India!

In lieu of these grave statistics, it is important to be aware about the ways to safeguard ourselves from the hazards of air pollution. You can protect yourself from the risks of respiratory and cardiac problems, cancer, low-immunity related issues and lung problems, if you follow these 5 simple steps:

You can use an N95 mask: The N95 mask is a protective respiratory mask, designed specifically to filter airborne particles. It may prevent you from inhaling minute particles that the air carries by acting as a protective barrier. Its name, N95, stands for the 95 per cent of very small test particles that the respirator has been designed to block. It can significantly reduce your risk of contracting respiratory illnesses. Simply wear this mask over your nose and mouth while travelling.You can easily purchase this device at your local pharmacy or at certain popular online stores.

Avoid travelling during the hours of heavy pollution: Traffic blocks, which tend to spike air pollution levels, are common during office hours in metropolitans and megacities. To guard yourself from the harmful impact of fuel and smoke emissions, you can choose to travel either just before the office rush hour starts or after it’s over.

Breathe in the fresh morning air: If you open the windows of your home every morning, it encourages the flow of fresh air. This allows all the settled dust particles and indoor pollutants to ventilate, thereby decreasing the level of pollutants in your home. This way you can breathe in fresh and pure air as it is less contaminated during the early hours of the morning. Also, you can try placing an air purifier at home as it may trap contaminants through its replaceable filter, ensuring the quality of air you breathe in at home is healthy and free of pollutants.

Exercise at the right time: If you work out at the time of day when pollution levels are high, polluted air is drawn into your lungs at a higher rate since cardio-vascular exercises entail heavy and deep breathing. So it’s a good idea to pick your workout time wisely. Just after sunrise is an ideal time since the pollution levels are the lowest.

Consume foods and beverages rich in antioxidants: Researchers have found that vitamin C deficiency may cause breathing and immunity-related problems. Regular consumption of berries, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, apples, plums, green tea, oranges, pomegranates, and lemon among other foods may help you in naturally overcoming health impacts of air and smoke pollution. These foods and beverages can help your body build a strong immune system. They may also prove to be powerful antioxidants that help prevent the onset of respiratory diseases.

Although these methods do not entirely curb the ill-effects of air pollution and smoke, they do go a long way in significantly preventing the impacts of air pollutants on your health. So adopt them to the maximum extent you can for a healthier lifestyle.

India's capital Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Though Kanpur, another Indian city, is the most polluted city in the world, Delhi is also among the top 10 polluted cities with a higher concentration of PM 2.5.

India is progressing in many fronts, but the country remains stagnant when it comes to air pollution control. As per the latest records, amongst the top 20 polluted cities on earth, 13 of them are in India. According to the World Health Organization’s Air quality guideline, the particulate matter (PM 2.5) should not be greater than 25 μg/m3 for 24 hour-mean and 10 μg/m3 for annual mean. However, surprisingly, Delhi had an average of 153 micrograms per cubic metre in its air.

Delhi's air is already causing harmful effects on the lungs and alveoli due to the increased number of pollutants in the air. It is causing severe lungs damage to children residing in Delhi. More than 4.4 million children in Delhi are now suffering from chronic lung conditions.


Causes

The reason attributed to this problem is the increased number of vehicles on the road, diesel generators, and coal factories surrounding the national capital. More than 20,000 vehicles are added every day in the country. Harmful gasses like Nitrous Oxide, Carbon Monoxide, and Carbon Dioxide has poisoned the air beyond revival.

It’s a false belief that we will be safer if we stay inside our homes rather than if we are outside harbours. The indoor air isn’t any different than outdoor air. This is because the level of PM 2.5 particles in the indoor and outdoor air is unchanged. The PM 2.5 particles, the major reason for diseases like Bronchitis, COPD and Asthma, are found as much in the indoor air as outside the doors. The diameter of these particles ranges from 0.5 nanometers to 2.5 nanometers, giving it the name PM 2.5, and in order to fight the indoor air pollution crisis, we have to find a way to break down these particles.

Solution

The only way to cut down this pollution is by bringing significant lifestyle changes in our daily living. We should concentrate more on using public transport instead of private vehicles. Cutting down the number of diesel and petrol vehicles can also prove helpful. People should shift to CNG and electric vehicles for daily commutation. These efforts, if practised on a regular basis, can bring a huge decrease in pollution.

Air purifiers can also be a healthy option for indoor purposes.

Conclusion

The pollutants in Delhi as well as India’s air are increasing and we aren’t safe even if we are behind the closed doors. The only way to battle this problem is getting an air purifier that will break down harmful particles in the air that are responsible for diseases.