New York City & Noise Pollution

Invisible Harm Can Go A Long Way

Jhoanna Fernandez Correa

Department of English, City College of New York

ENGL 21003: Writing for the Sciences

Caitlin Geoghan

April 25^th, 2022

FULL DRAFT:

SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION:

Noise Pollution is “any unwanted or disturbing sound that affects the health and well-being of humans and other organisms.” (National Geography) When a person loses sleep, can not concentrate on their tasks, or can not relax for a few minutes after a heavy day, it leads to serious issues with how they continue in their lifestyle. The importance of reducing loud noises needs to become a common conversation within the state and within the cities communities in itself. New York City, but more specifically the Bronx, has one of the highest noise complaints, and the majority can be addressed on NYCOpenData. “Noise complaints have increased by 279 percent since February 2020.” (Heinz, 2020) As of a year ago, the data had risen enormously, imagine how it is now in 2022.

311. If you are in a situation where the noise of loud music, construction, or even the yelling of people are bothering you, that is who you would call. In some situations, the cases would be solved and closed ASAP but in some others, sadly there is probably no way of cooperating. This then affects the being of the person who complained and the others around who feel the same way but know that in reality, noise pollution is not as important as everything else, in order to fully have a fix.

The year 2020, where the pandemic started and took over everyone’s life, is where complaints had started to sky rocket. Between 2019 and 2020, in March calls increased from 33,567 to 37,396, a 11.41% difference. In May, 40,339 calls increased to 77,628, with a 92.44% difference. And June, where the sun hit every part of the city and protests were immersing into every community, in every borough, calls went from 58,845 to 105,240 calls, with an increase of 78.84% change. 

When you are stuck at work at home, students are forced to learn over a screen now, and elders have nothing to do but sit in bed all day, it was easy to find the time to make a call and complain.

PURPOSE & HEALTH ISSUES

The purpose of bringing awareness to Noise Pollution is so that as a community, there can be an understandable agreement that it is common, but there are ways to reduce it drastically. But also to be aware that New York City has always had a noisy and vibrant reputation, so it is a matter of respect for our neighbors and for the state to be considerate that not everyone has a way to find quiet when needed, especially as everything is slowly transitioning out of a pandemic.

Noise Pollution can ultimately lead to long term health issues for young and elder people. No specific group of demographic can truly escape the impact of loud sounds that disturb their sleep, or that interrupts their concentration. It has led to results of “Twenty-three precent of people with any noise-related sleep disturbance… reported using medical interventions because of the noise” (Epi Data Brief, 2018) Having to rely on medication to sleep for the next day can be dangerous and shouldn’t be the last resort. If you notice noise is affecting your hours of sleep, there should be a difference in how the state responds to the complaint.

BACKGROUND:

Noise Pollution is not the newest issue that is occurring globally. Then and now, communities have known that there would be leading consequences of the noise environment they choose to live in and the benefits if something is done about the disturbance.

Compared to the advanced technology, new job opportunities, and unlimited access to outside and inside resources, this will lead to a new level of concentration for a person. “Before the Industrial Revolution, however, most people lived in an agricultural environment, and comparatively few were exposed to excessive noise.” (Rosen, 1974) The harmful issue of impared hearing, delusion or hallucination from lack of sleep, and shifts of daily behavior is happening to the people, by the people. Sadly, with time leading up to the 21st century, deafness is one of the top health concerns. As industrial innovation continued to spread across the country, no state, city, and small neighboring community was able to get away from the millions of noises and to the solution of complaining. Now it is impossible for the world to be silent. 

One of many examples of how politicians tried to satisfy the needs of New Yorkers was in 1907, when Congressman William S. Bennett of New York introduced and secured the passage of a bill regulating the use of whistles by steamboats. This lessened the loud honking alerts that originally came from the sea to set a quieter tone for everyone around. The effect was later that year, the president of the Society for the Suppression of Unnecessary Noise made sure to check in with hospitals, educators, home owners, and community leaders to support the end of energetic but useless city life and to advocate for the arrest of those who continue to cause similar action. Historically, this inconvenience was mostly in segregated boroughs and within minority groups because most noise polluted sites were unevenly proportionate through the city. 

New York City, for one of the cities that never sleeps, does make a lot of complaints to get better sleep. Especially in impoverished boroughs, where the diversity in culture makes the loudest noises. The Bronx, the Boogie Down Bronx, has a very known reputation of being one of the louder sides of New York City. Thus knowing this, many individuals are mentally prepared for loud nights, busy streets, and Spanish music blasting to its fullest volume from a sports car. However, even with this knowledge, residents have a right to call for reinforcement to calm down the noise and make it a better rest night for our family or for ourselves.

Open Data New York City is an actively updated site where any records of noise complaints are made in the city. From Washington Heights to near the beach in Queens. It shows how reports are in progress from being fixed or from working out a solution to not let it happen again to closed cases where the police might have shut down the event or situation to comply with the neighborhood. This helps to keep track of the growth of noise pollution in New York City and it helps me to better show you which borough is struggling the most to keep quiet. 

DEMOGRAPHICS:

DISCUSSION

NOISE POLLUTION INEQUALITY

COMMUNITY HEALTH CONCERNS

Comment: Over the counter medication for sleeping aids is a good way to help you get back into your routine for sleeping. After noticing signs of sleep debt, a minor short term help would benefit everyone as it gets hard to stay asleep from noise disturbance from the city.

Response: Over 50-70 Million people have a sleeping disorder. (American Sleep Association) A cause of this is the dependency of sleeping aids that are not supposed to continue as a long term solution. After struggling to sleep consistently at the same time, for a good amount of time, and overall having an unbalanced sleep hygiene, the drowsiness of the pills can help you to fall asleep quicker. 

Comment: Adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep to be able to function well for the day. Children under the age of 13 years old should be getting about 9-15 hours a day, depending on their age and if they take naps as well. Everyone’s routine is different but it leads to a good rest if done properly. 

Response: When a 7 year old does not have their full 10 hours, or more, of sleep then their behavioral actions are not common or could be considered abnormal for a child. A study shows “road traffic noise (Lden) was modeled at all present and historical addresses. Behavioral problems were assessed by the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Associations between pregnancy and childhood exposure to noise and behavioral problems were analyzed by multinomial or logistic regression and adjusted for potential confounders.” (Environmental Health Perspectives, 2015)

Comment: 

Response:

CONCLUSION

Noise Pollution, globally known as an issue where high levels of noise can and will be hazardous to any group of demographic. The major struggle is the difficulty to escape the environment and find solutions to the short or long term problems of loud noises. Seeing it within family, friends, colleagues, or neighbors, this is a challenge that needs the awareness for a better lifestyle. Living in these unhealthy conditions can only cause a shift in behavior and one’s focus in living in peace. 

Mostly for the children who make home their safe space to learn and grow into the future of this generation. Or in some cases, educational institutions that have hundreds of students trying to do it by the 8 hours they spend there. No parent or educator should have to find it difficult to let them learn but also have a room where they do not need to be distracted or alarmed for what is playing outside, what is being constructed a few blocks away and so many more “normal” noises now. 

As for the adults and elders who have grown up in their neighborhood, or just moved in, and have to call in complaints to 311 because all of a sudden everything noisey wants to take place. At the end of the day, they do not deserve that distribution and chaos coming into their windows because they also play a major role. Renters, home owners, guests at hotels and many more are giving in their two cents to not be comfortable enough. 

With these issues being brought up and trying to explain it the simplest way possible, there should be solutions. Especially in New York City, as gentrification takes over. There should be more convenient ways to get the work done or at least a better schedule from contractors and construction sites to let those surrounding the area be aware. Or the noise levels at parties need to be lowered after a certain time. Cars who can not seem to drive normally and not use their engine in obnoxious ways should be given warnings. 

Then, complaints won’t have to be so often and other important issues can have the same attention and hopefully a fair resolution like Noise Pollution damage can have. 

We all just want to let our ears have a break and our minds be at peace when we walk down the streets or when we want to sit and read. It is not a crime to want some quiet. 

FINAL DRAFT:

SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION:

Noise Pollution is “any unwanted or disturbing sound that affects the health & well-being of humans & other organisms.” (National Geography) When a person loses sleep, can not concentrate on their tasks, or can not relax for a few minutes after a heavy day, it leads to serious issues with how they continue in their lifestyle. The importance of reducing loud noises needs to become a common conversation within the state & within the cities communities in itself. New York City, but more specifically the Bronx, has one of the highest noise complaints, & the majority can be addressed on NYCOpenData. (See Figure 1)

 “Noise complaints have increased by 279 percent since February 2020.” (Heinz, 2020) As of a year ago, the data had risen enormously, imagine how it is now in 2022.

311. If you are in a situation where the noise of loud music, construction, or even the yelling of people are bothering you, that is who you would call. In some situations, the cases would be solved & closed ASAP but in some other cases, sadly there is probably no way of cooperating with the noise makers. This then affects the well-being of the person who complained & the others around who feel the same way but know that in reality, noise pollution is not as important as everything else, in order to fully have a fix or consequence to the disturber.

The year 2020, where the pandemic started & took over everyone’s life, is where complaints had started to sky rocket. Between 2019 & 2020, in March calls increased from 33,567 to 37,396, a 11.41% difference. In May, 40,339 calls increased to 77,628, with a 92.44% difference. & June, where the sun hit every part of the city & protests were immersing into every community, in every borough, calls went from 58,845 to 105,240 calls, with an increase of 78.84% change. When you are stuck working at home, students are forced to learn over a screen, & elders have nothing to do but sit in bed all day, it was easy to find the time to make a call & complain. Now, for some reason, this annoyance is becoming a normalized health issue.

In all sources that demonstrate the conflict of noise pollution, you find percentages of increased complaints. Decreasing noise pollution is not the first idea due to how freely & common it is to make distributive noise. 

Figure 1:

Noise Complaints by NYC Borough

Note. Graph from Renthop.com, showcases year-over-year increase of noise complaints from all boroughs from 2019 to mid 2021.

PURPOSE & HEALTH ISSUES

The purpose of bringing awareness to Noise Pollution is so that as a community, there can be an understandable agreement that it is common, but there are ways to reduce it drastically. But also to be aware that New York City has always had a noisy & vibrant reputation, so it is a matter of respect for our neighbors & for the state to be considerate that not everyone has a way to find quiet when needed, especially as everything is slowly transitioning out of a pandemic.

Noise Pollution can ultimately lead to long term health issues for young & older people. No specific group of demographic can truly escape the impact of loud sounds that disturb their sleep, or that interrupts their concentration. It has led to results of “Twenty-three precent of people with any noise-related sleep disturbance… reported using medical interventions because of the noise” (Epi Data Brief, 2018) Having to rely on medication to sleep for the next day can be dangerous & shouldn’t be the last resort. If you notice noise is affecting your hours of sleep, there should be a difference in how the state responds to the complaint.

BACKGROUND:

Noise Pollution is not the newest issue that is occurring globally. Then & now, communities have known that there would be leading consequences of the noise environment they choose to live in & the benefits if something is done about the disturbance.

Compared to the advanced technology, new job opportunities, & unlimited access to outside & inside resources, this will lead to a new level of concentration for a person.

 “Before the Industrial Revolution, however, most people lived in an agricultural environment, & comparatively few were exposed to excessive noise.” (Rosen, 1974) 

The harmful issue of impared hearing, delusion or hallucination from lack of sleep, & shifts of daily behavior is happening to the people, by the people. Sadly, with time leading up to the 21st century, deafness is one of the top health concerns. As industrial innovations continued to spread across the country, no state, city, & small neighboring community was able to get away from the millions of noises & to the solution of complaining. Now it is impossible for the world to be less noisy.

One of many examples of how politicians tried to satisfy the needs of New Yorkers was in 1907, when Congressman William S. Bennett of New York introduced & secured the passage of a bill regulating the use of whistles by steamboats. (Rosen, 1974) This lessened the loud honking alerts that originally came from the sea to set a quieter tone for everyone around. The effect was later that year, the president of the Society for the Suppression of Unnecessary Noise made sure to check in with hospitals, educators, home owners, & community leaders to support the end of energetic but useless city life & to advocate for the arrest of those who continue to cause similar action. Historically, this inconvenience was mostly in segregated boroughs & within minority groups because most noise polluted sites were unevenly proportionate through the city. 

DEMOGRAPHICS:

New York City, for one of the cities that never sleeps, does make a lot of complaints to get better sleep. Especially in impoverished boroughs, where the diversity in culture makes the loudest noises. The Bronx, the Boogie Down Bronx, has a very known reputation of being one of the louder sides of New York City. (See Figure 2) Thus knowing this, many individuals are mentally prepared for loud nights, busy streets, & Spanish music blasting to its fullest volume from a sports car. However, even with this knowledge, residents have a right to call for reinforcement to calm down the noise & make it a better rest night for our family or for ourselves.

Figure 2:

Here are the Loudest Neighborhoods in NYC 

Note. NYC Open Data, done by Renthop.com, showcases one of the top loudest areas compared to other parts of New York City based on complaints. They state, “The loudest NYC neighborhood, after normalization, is Crotona Park East in the Bronx. The neighborhood received in total 2,443 complaints or 3,534.4 complaints/10k households”

Open Data New York City is an actively updated site where any records of noise complaints are made in the city. From Washington Heights to near the beach in Queens. It shows how reports are in progress from being fixed or from working out a solution to not let it happen again to closed cases where the police might have shut down the event or situation to comply with the neighborhood. This helps to keep track of the growth of noise pollution in New York City & it helps me to better show you which borough is struggling the most to keep quiet.

DISCUSSION

NOISE POLLUTION INEQUALITY

If you did not think that inequality could exist in an issue like noise pollution, it just proves the point of how unimportant & unnoticed New York City’s statistics are in terms of complaints. From observing Figure 2, the top two areas with the highest complaints recorded in 2021 were in the Bronx. Following that, fourth place was around Hamilton Heights, Manhattan which is just a few stops on the bus away from the Bronx. Then, when you think about what exactly in this borough is causing those complaints, it is from music & parties, cars honking on the express & local highway, construction during inconvenient hours, garbage trucks & the process of dumping the waste & the list can go on. In comparison to more wealthier neighborhoods, or predominantly white neighborhoods, the complaint only get about half as much increased than the numbers from the Bronx. In the article Urban noise pollution is worst in poor & minority neighborhoods & segregated cities by The Conversation, they bring up a very good point. They say, “Noise levels in communities made up entirely of white Americans in the least segregated metropolitan areas were nearly 5 decibels quieter than all-white neighborhoods in the most segregated metropolitan areas” (Joan A. Casey Assistant Professor, et al., 2017) This can be because of the discriminatory inequality with the politcal power over segregated areas. Along racial & economic inequality, it all adds up to the effects of the well being of areas with predominantly people of color. Children have to grow up still with the unfair treatment of being surrounded by neighbors with noisy & messy hazardous plants, instead of subtle & peaceful pocket parks like all over deep in Manhattan. 

The South Bronx is left without the proper resources to attend to noise pollution & other major issues; for example lack of job opportunity, medical assistance, adequate education for all ages, & safer public housing. At the end, they are left to endure worse conditions over time. Since areas like Crotona Park East most commonly has a history of being in the lowest chain of social & economical status, when those with political power try to pay attention to the other issues, they do not tend the consistent complaints of noise that happens throughout the neighborhoods. Research article, Noise Can Do More by Joshua Talban informs us of his observations of health effects in the South Bronx & states,

“Studies of occupational & environmental noise exposure suggest an association with hypertension, whereas community studies show only weak relationships between noise & cardiovascular disease. Aircraft & road traffic noise exposure are associated with psychological symptoms but not with clinically defined psychiatric disorder.[v] Road traffic typically brings the mood down for everyone that encounters these loud annoyances, resulting in poor performance in school or work.” (Talban, 1980)

No person should be led to conditions where they get sick because of noise. This can not only physically harm you from the inside, but then comes the psychological damage of having these health issues could alter everything, from decisions, interactions, relationship, from that point moving forward. 

COMMUNITY HEALTH CONCERNS

Comment: Over the counter medication for sleeping aids is a good way to help you get back into your routine for sleeping. After noticing signs of sleep debt, a minor short term help would benefit everyone as it gets hard to stay asleep from noise disturbance from the city.

Response: Over 50-70 Million people have a sleeping disorder. (American Sleep Association) A cause of this is the dependency of sleeping aids that are not supposed to continue as a long term solution. After struggling to sleep consistently at the same time, for a good amount of time, & overall having an unbalanced sleep hygiene, the drowsiness of the pills can help you to fall asleep quicker. However, if continued as a long term thought of “medication” then the natural sleeping pattern of the individual could become concerning, plus physically & mentally draining. 

Comment: Adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep to be able to function well for the day. Children under the age of 13 years old should be getting about 9-15 hours a day, depending on their age & if they take naps as well. Everyone’s routine is different but it leads to a good rest if done properly & consistently.

Response: When a 7 year old does not have their full 10 hours, or more, of sleep then their behavioral actions are not common or could be considered abnormal for a child of their age. A study shows “road traffic noise (Lden) was modeled at all present & historical addresses. Behavioral problems were assessed by the parent-reported Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Associations between pregnancy & childhood exposure to noise & behavioral problems were analyzed by multinomial or logistic regression & adjusted for potential confounders.” (Environmental Health Perspectives, 2015) When a child is exposed to high frequency of noise disturbance then it can lead to acts of lack of conversational skills, insecurity of task demonstration due to focus ability & day-to-day interactions with normal activities. No matter the address that the child is in, whichever neighborhood that has noise pollution can cause cognitive performance. 

Comment: From the abstract Noise Pollution & Impact on Children Health, it states, “Noise induced hearing loss & non-auditory adverse effects due to noise pollution, are being increasingly diagnosed in all age groups including the fetus.” (Gupta, A., Gupta, A., Jain, K. et al., 2018)

Response: From birth, parents are to protect their children from the loud noises that can soon cause long-term disabilities. Before settling, be sure to do research & take all the effective measures to identify an area where sleep disturbance is not an issue. Protection should go beyond home, but also in educational safes, work places, commercial & industrial areas. Pregnant women are physically sensitive to everything that surrounds them & can eternally damage the process of how their child could hear as they grow up. Two common ways to lessen the impacts of anyone’s ability to focus or hear is by sound proofing all around the house or to take it to the most responsible way, if capable, & move residence where urbanization is not taking over your lifestyle. 

CONCLUSION

Noise Pollution, globally known as an issue where high levels of noise can & will be hazardous to any group of demographic. The major struggle is the difficulty to escape the environment & find solutions to the short or long term problems of loud noises. Seeing it within family, friends, colleagues, or neighbors, this is a challenge that needs the awareness for a better lifestyle. Living in these unhealthy conditions can only cause a shift in behavior & one’s focus in living in peace. 

Mostly for the children who make home their safe space to learn & grow into the future of this generation. Or in some cases, educational institutions that have hundreds of students trying to do it by the 8 hours they spend there. No parent or educator should have to find it difficult to let them learn but also have a room where they do not need to be distracted or alarmed for what is playing outside, what is being constructed a few blocks away & so many more “normal” noises now. 

As for the adults & elders who have grown up in their neighborhood, or just moved in, & have to call in complaints to 311 because all of a sudden everything noisey wants to take place. At the end of the day, they do not deserve that distribution & chaos coming into their windows because they also play a major role. Renters, home owners, guests at hotels & many more are giving in their two cents to not be comfortable enough. 

With these issues being brought up & trying to explain it the simplest way possible, there should be solutions. Especially in New York City, as gentrification takes over. There should be more convenient ways to get the work done or at least a better schedule from contractors & construction sites to let those surrounding the area be aware. Or the noise levels at parties need to be lowered after a certain time. Cars who can not seem to drive normally & not use their engine in obnoxious ways should be given warnings. 

Then, complaints won’t have to be so often & other important issues can have the same attention & hopefully a fair resolution like Noise Pollution damage can have. 

We all just want to let our ears have a break & our minds be at peace when we walk down the streets or when we want to sit & read. It is not a crime to want some quiet.

References

Bronzaft, Arline, & Gregg Van Ryzin. “Neighborhood Noise & Its Consequences – Grownyc.” ETownPanel.com, Jan. 2006, https://www.grownyc.org/files/GrowNYC/noisesurvey06.pdf.

Gupta, A., Gupta, A., Jain, K. et al. Noise Pollution & Impact on Children Health. Indian J Pediatr 85, 300–306 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-017-2579-7

Hjortebjerg, D., Nybo Andersen, A. M., Schultz Christensen, J., Ketzel, M., Raaschou-Nielsen, O., Jordi Sunyer, J., Jordi Julvez, J., Forns, J., & Mette Sørensen, M. (2015, June 30). Environmental Health Perspectives. Exposure to Road Traffic Noise & Behavioral Problems in 7-Year-Old Children: A Cohort Study, 124(2), 7. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.1409430.

Joan A. Casey Assistant Professor, et al. “Urban Noise Pollution Is Worst in Poor & Minority Neighborhoods & Segregated Cities.” The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2022, https://theconversation.com/urban-noise-pollution-is-worst-in-poor-and-minority-neighborhoods-and-segregated-cities-81888.

New York City Health. “Effect of Noise & Light on Sleep in New York City.” Epi Data Brief, Sept. 2018, https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/epi/databrief105.pdf.

Nicole Gelinas is a City Journal contributing editor, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. “The Gotham Cacophony.” City Journal, 29 Dec. 2021, https://www.city-journal.org/noise-threatens-new-york-post-pandemic-recovery-and-livability.

Owen, David, et al. “Is Noise Pollution the next Big Public-Health Crisis?” The New Yorker, 1 May 2019, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/13/is-noise-pollution-the-next-big-public-health-crisis.

RentHop. (2021, June 29). New York City is Getting Louder & Louder. RentHop. Retrieved May 15, 2022, from https://www.renthop.com/studies/nyc/new-york-city-is-getting-louder-and-louder

Rosen, George. “A Backward Glance at Noise Pollution.” American Journal of Public Health, 1974, https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.64.5.514. 

Talban, J. M. (1980). Noise Can Do More. Environmental Inequality. Retrieved May 15, 2022, from https://ejhistory.com/noise-can-do-more/

311, DoITT. “311 Noise Complaints: NYC Open Data.” 311 Noise Complaints | NYC Open Data, 25 Apr. 2022, https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Social-Services/311-Noise-Complaints/p5f6-bkga.