Abstract
Objectives: Noise pollution is considered one of the prominent features of contemporary society, and it is a newly emerged element of environmental pollution that causes concern and instability by affecting human health and well-being.
Method: A questionnaire survey was distributed to a random sample in the neighborhoods of the city of Hit to assess the effects of noise on the residents of Hit city.
Results: Individual opinions on noise effects varied based on personal feelings, psychological state, and proximity to noise sources. Some areas showed no perceived impact, possibly due to intermittent noise sources or habituation from occupational exposure. Factors like hearing impairment or accustomed noise levels contributed to this variation. Field study results echoed questionnaire findings on noise sources, intensity, proximity, and effects.
Conclusion: The study revealed that the highest impact of noise was on decreased concentration, accounting for 27.5% of the study sample. In second place among the psychological effects of noise was sleep disturbance, with a percentage of 16.1% from the study sample. The lowest percentage of questionnaire responses indicated "no effect of noise," comprising 2.3% of the total responses.
Recommendations:
1 -Spreading environmental awareness among citizens, clarifying the nature of the environment and the problems resulting from its pollution, and how citizens can contribute to preserving it through the media and trying to introduce it into various school curricula.
2- Imposing control on the owners of electric generators and cars to determine their suitability by examining the level of pollution with toxic gases emanating from them into the atmosphere.
3- The need for health institutions to do their part in conducting the necessary tests on residents of areas suspected of being exposed to pollution, especially air pollution, in order to diagnose early what they are suffering from in preparation for finding appropriate treatment