Sound and Noise

Sound and noise. We can't see it, but it's everywhere. Leaking into our workplaces, schools, and our bedrooms at night. It's difficult to manage and tricky to regulate. And as cities grow, and more and more people live in proximity to each other, it will become a larger challenge.

Test Your Knowledge: The health effects of noise

Let's start off with a quiz. How much do you know about the health effects of noise?

Take the test

The major cause of hearing loss is from:
A: Heredity B: Infection C: Workplaces

Correct!

Prolonged exposure to noise during a typical working day leads to hearing loss. Strides have been made in recent years to set workplace safety standards. However, a recent study from the World Health Organization (WHO) found that nearly 50% of teenagers and young adults, aged 12-35, are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from personal audio devices.

No.

Prolonged exposure to noise during a typical working day leads to hearing loss. Strides have been made in recent years to set workplace safety standards. However, a recent study from the World Health Organization (WHO) found that nearly 50% of teenagers and young adults, aged 12-35, are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from personal audio devices.

True or false: Noise has no cognitive effect on children.

Correct!

Cognitive development in children is diminished when homes or schools are noisy. Naturally, that affects language and reading skills, and ultimately behavioural development.

Incorrect.

Cognitive development in children is diminished when homes or schools are noisy. Naturally, that affects language and reading skills, and ultimately behavioural development.

Sound levels become dangerous at:
A: 85 dB for 8 hours B: 65 dB for 4 hours C: 75 dB for 5 minutes

Correct!

85 dB for 8 hours.

Source: Noise Pollution: A Modern Plague, Lisa Goines, RN; Louis Hagler, MD

Incorrect.

85 dB for 8 hours.

Source: Noise Pollution: A Modern Plague, Lisa Goines, RN; Louis Hagler, MD

Correct

Incorrect

True

False

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Finish

You can learn more about the health effects of noise by
visiting the CDC here or WHO here.

The ABCs of sound dampening

Ceiling

Since the ceiling is usually the largest open space in an office, it absorbs the most sound energy. Lining the ceiling with sound absorbing material will mitigate noise. In larger conference rooms, on the other hand, it may be beneficial that the ceiling is not fully lined to ensure speech intelligibility over greater distances.

Walls

Walls are generally sound hard. If necessary, it is useful to either completely or partially cover walls with acoustically effective materials, or sound-absorbing wall elements.

Basotect fast facts

Case study: Versatility in design

Children’s museums are essentially giant indoor playgrounds. The Children's Museum of South Dakota in Brookings, USA uses various acoustic panels made from BASF's melamine resin foam Basotect^® for sound absorption and noise control in several rooms and exhibits throughout the museum. The foam's versatility allowed the museum to design acoustic baffles of various shapes that had texture and form such as, for example, a cloud.